I read once,

“One of the greatest stresses in life is the stress of waiting on God.”

Genesis, chapters 6-7, tell us Noah and his family, from the time it began to rain, had to wait close to a year before they were able to leave the ark.

Yes, Noah “walked faithfully with God.” But, given that he was human, he must have had his moments of anxiety and fear. Early on, during the violent flooding, it wouldn’t surprise me if he thought, “Is this boat going to hold??”

It rained from above and beneath, with rain coming down “in sheets,” and all the subterranean reservoirs of water bursting up out of the ground. No doubt, the ark leaned from one side to another, creaking and moaning as it rose with the floodwaters.

Then, after 40 days, everything slows down – to a crawl.

I wonder if, about month number 5, Noah was thinking, “God, you flooded the earth quickly. Can you go ahead and dry up the earth quickly? I’m about ready to get off this boat. I could use a little ‘space.’ We’re all getting a little cranky in here.”

Modern North American culture operates at an insane pace. As such, when waiting on God to act, we cry out, “God! Why are you dragging your feet?” We sort of lose our mind – which is precisely what Satan wants.

One author wrote,

“Patience brings an internal calm to an external storm.”

Whether it’s waiting at a traffic light or in line at a drive-through restaurant, “waiting” tends to go against everything inside of us. But, waiting on God doesn’t mean folded hands with nothing to do. Rather, it’s learning to do what we’re told. 

Does it seem as though God has “stepped out of the office” and forgotten about you? Well, first of all, that means you’re perfectly normal. David cried out,

“O Lord, how long will you forget me? Forever? How long will you look the other way?” (Psalm 13:1)

We’re tempted to believe God has forgotten about us, wanting to take things into our own hands. When that happens – Satan is baiting us. Don’t take the bait.

In his classic, Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis wrote,

“I am sure that God keeps no one waiting unless He sees that it is good for them to wait.”

Again, don’t take the bait of Satan. “Pump the brakes.” Take a deep breath. And rest in the Lord, believing he’s “intimately acquainted with all your ways.” (Psalm 139:3)

The same David who railed at God in Psalm 13 would later write in Psalm 37,

“Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him.” (37:7)

The story of Noah brings us a myriad of lessons. One of those lessons is the importance of waiting patiently on God, who loves you and is forever faithful.

Remember this:

Throughout the gospels, Jesus was never in a hurry, but he was never late.

Solus Christus, Nick