God's Waiting Room

As a pastor I have sat with numerous people in hospital waiting rooms.  Sometimes it is a serious threat to life.  Sometimes it is a major question mark about the direction this could lead.  Many times everything "turns out fine."  Sometimes, the news is devastating.  Regardless, the waiting room is one of the most frustrating places to be.  Nothing can be done.  We have now power to accomplish anything for the situation.  We have to wait on those who can do something to do their thing.  So we wait...and pace a little...and go get another cup of coffee.  We want to be able to DO something.  But we can't.

At other times, the waiting room is more of an emotional space where you sit in anxious anticipation; wondering what the outcome of a particular situation is going to mean for you.  Sometimes it is the waiting room of a difficult relationship.  We find ourselves there when we are in a job search and when we are in a job facing struggles.  As you read this, I expect that you may be thinking of some time when you have sat in “God’s waiting room.”  Maybe you’re there right now.  Several of my friends are there.  Uncertainty clouds the future and even for those who have a sense of what the future looks like, it still seems very uncertain how it will work out.  I was reminded of 2 of those situations just yesterday.

Of course, we pray and we seek counsel and we do all within our power to "work out" whatever it is that we believe God wants us to do.  But once in while we get that unmistakable feeling that it's time to wait...again.

Psalm 46:10 comes to mind and I thought I'd remind you of it since I really need to review it from time to time.  The first line says "Be still, and know that I am God..."

There is something in this verse that goes against our grain, and it is tucked away in the little word “still.”  This word is in a particular form in the Hebrew Bible that is significant.  It means “to let drop,” “to abandon,” to “let alone.”

That says volumes to me.  Just when we want to step up our activity…right when we feel we must “jump into action”…at the time when we feel we must DO something; God says “let it drop.”  Of course, it is not that we shouldn’t take care of the physical problem.  It isn’t that we should run and hide from the relational difficulty.  It obviously isn't an encouragement to laziness.  The point is that we should take our hands off and quit trying to secure the outcome that we desire.

The reason that we can do this is at the end of the sentence: “know that I am God.”  God is perfectly capable of handling the difficulties that we are in.  He not only knows the outcome, He is guiding it and blending it in with His perfect plan.  The sooner we stop depending on our preconceived idea of what the best outcome is, the sooner we will have the rest we need in the middle of difficulty.

God goes on to remind us at the end of this Psalm that he will be exalted among the nations and in the earth.  “The Lord Almighty is with us.”  We can relax, can’t we? Maybe “be still” should be translated "stop pacing," or "stop squirming."

            I hope this will be an assistance to you as you seek to learn to trust God so completely that you can actually rest while you’re in the waiting room.

            What do you do when you find yourself in the waiting room?  Have there been practices or habits you have found helpful when you've done all you can to accomplish what God has laid before you and you have to wait for Him to do what only He can do?