WAITING IS THE POWER OF TRANSFORMATION

A seed, a container of life-producing ability, is planted with expectation, exposed to the sun, and watered. Once planted, waiting and patience are necessary. An experienced farmer does not dig up the seed if visible signs of life are not readily seen. Instead, the farmer is confident in the seed that was planted and in the work occurring beneath the ground. It is the same with God’s promises. Believing in the quality of God’s Word, we plant it in our hearts, allowing it to renew our minds. We wait in expectation and hope, fully persuaded that the Word is an active seed of life, filled with power and ability to produce. The Word confirms this about itself: “So shall My Word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it” (Isaiah 55:11 NKJV). God’s seed will produce what it was created for!

Acts 1:4 confirms Jesus' instruction for the apostles and those gathered in the upper room to “wait for the promise of the Father” (NKJV). He brings them to a place of expectation, explaining that they will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon them (Acts 1:5). Believing what Jesus said, they obediently waited in unity and prayer (Acts 1:12,13). The Word was fulfilled as promised, and they were filled with the power of the Holy Spirit, evidenced by boldness, speaking in tongues, and miracles. People who witnessed them knew they had been with Jesus (Acts 4:13 NKJV).

Isaiah 40:31 informs us that waiting upon the Lord renews our strength, so during waiting, something good is happening; God is doing a work in us. Waiting begins by knowing the Word of the Lord is true and is a foundation for waiting. Waiting is based on hope, hope in what God has said. Therefore, waiting is intentional. We decide that because the Word is true, we will actively pursue the Lord during waiting. We wait with our focus on Him. Waiting should not be a time of discouragement. The promise is still true even while we wait. We wait in hope and expectation. Psalm 27:14 AMP says, “Wait and hope for and expect the Lord”. During waiting, we are “brave and of good courage” (Psalm 27:14). To wait in this manner is because we believe in the Promised Keeper. We are “still and rest in the Lord”; we “wait for Him and patiently lean ourselves upon Him,” and we do not fret (Psalm 37:7 AMP). Hope will keep us joyful; we are patient, and pray and stay connected to God at all times while we wait (Romans 12:12).

Since we believe God’s Word to be true, a container of power, this confidence keeps us steadfast. Confidence in Him and His promises helps us to avoid flinging away that fearless confidence which has great reward (Hebrews 10:35 AMP). We endure in His strength, with the expectation of enjoying the promises of God (Hebrews 10:36 AMP).

The measure of faith given to us (Romans 12:3) is our assurance that we have what God says even before we experience it with our senses (Hebrews 11:1 AMP). In the waiting, our faith is exercised. Abraham shows us how to wait patiently in hope once the promise of the Lord is given. “For Abraham, human reason for hope being gone, hoped in faith, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been promised, so (numberless) shall your descendants be. He did not weaken in faith when he considered” (the problem) “the [utter] impotence of his own body, which was as good as dead because he was about a hundred years old, or [when he considered] the barrenness of Sarah’s [deadened] womb” (Romans 4:18,19 AMP). Instead, Abraham praised God, believing His promise; faith empowered him to believe what he was told but could not yet see. He was confident God was able and mighty to keep His Word and do exactly what He said (Romans 4:21 AMP), so he waited, stayed focused, and trusted God.

We have already learned that faith is being strengthened during waiting. What else is being born out of waiting? We are not waiting for God to do something new, because Jesus has already finished the work of the cross, establishing everything we need for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3). But during waiting, God is working in us, “energizing and creating in us the power and desire” to do His will (Philippians 2:13 AMP). We are being prepared and strengthened; we become bolder just like the apostles did. We learn that God is our sufficiency; He is more than enough! We grow in knowledge of Jesus Christ and the power of His resurrection, which causes us to live more abundantly in peace with an experience of grace, His favor, and promises to us (2 Peter 1:2).

Waiting would be impossible without a relationship with the Lord. In relationship, we are drawn near to the Lord. Relationship with Him yields trust as we grow in knowledge of Him. We witness God through His Word, conforming our minds to His thoughts (Romans 12:2). This helps us to magnify Him and not be distracted from Him or from His promises; therefore, we are kept in perfect peace (Isaiah 26:3,4) even while we wait. This intimacy and trust provide an opportunity that allows Him to be our strength during waiting because waiting is challenging. But in our weakness of trying to wait upon the Lord, He is developing our godly character, and we can be assured that His strength is perfect, taking us through the waiting (2 Corinthians 12:9,10). “When we are weak in human strength, then we are (truly strong, able and powerful in divine strength)” (2 Corinthians 12:10 AMP).

Remember, just like seed planting and harvest, the process takes time. Use this waiting time, a time of growth, to draw you confidently to the Lord, allowing Him to do His work, preparing you to live in His fullness and give Him glory…