Waiting on God...or waiting with God?

Luke 1:5-7. In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; his wife Elizabeth was also a descendent of Aaron. Both of them were upright in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commandments and regulations blamelessly. But they had no children, because Elizabeth was barren; and they were both well along in years.

But Elizabeth wasn’t barren. She as being used by God, even in her waiting. She didn’t know she was waiting, and she grieved, I’m sure, because it seemed like her dream of motherhood was gone. God was waiting, and He made Elizabeth wait with him….until it was time. The perfect time for the forerunner of the Christ to be born.

I like the idea of waiting with God. We hear a lot about waiting on God. Like He is holding onto something we want or need, refusing to give it to us until A, B, or C happens. But when we wait with God, in the company of the Almighty, we can better see the amazing partnership he offers. He invites us into His work. And He is actually the One doing the “heavy lifting” of getting every other circumstance and person in place.

Elizabeth and Zechariah waited well. They didn’t know they were waiting, but they were. Waiting well looked just like living an obedient, faithful life of “observing all the Lord’s commandments and regulations.”

When we think God owes us something — our dream or even an explanation of some kind, we are tempted to give up on Him, on our faith, when it looks like He is not providing. We judge His love and His goodness based on our expectations. In reality, we may just be in a time of waiting. If, however, we acknowledge that God has already given us everything in Christ Jesus and choose to live in a posture of humility, recognizing that God doesn’t owe us anything, least of all an explanation, as if He had to justify His actions to us (!) — then we will realize the high honor he has already placed on us, the privilege, of a life in partnership with God.

And that partnership often includes a waiting — not passively sitting by, like we are waiting for a bus to arrive or a meal to be served, but an active waiting that looks like a life of consistent obedience and faith….waiting with God.

This season, there is a lot of waiting happening. Waiting in lines, waiting for deliveries, waiting for family and friends to arrive, waiting for the day that is Christmas. But the reality is that when December 26 arrives, there is still much waiting to do. All of our needs and wants and expectations will not be met by a day on a calendar. But while we wait, we can choose to see that time as a burden, even an excuse to falter or give up on God. OR we can choose to wait with God, to remain faithful, to grow deeper in our relationship with Him. Then, when the time of waiting is over, we are ready. Elizabeth and Zechariah didn’t have to change anything about their lives in order to raise their son who would become John the Baptist. They had waited well….with God.