Waiting on God Waiting on Me

by Steven Gledhill for FREEdom from MEdom Project

Why is it that I will pray for something and then feel like I am waiting and waiting for some kind of response? What is the hold-up? Is God even paying attention? Well, of course He is but it doesn’t always feel that way. The truth is that Jesus wants relationship with me. When I pray, I will confess that I am often not motivated by relationship. I am motivated by my “need”. It could be a need, but it is often about what I want selfishly more than it is need.

Assuming I am coming to God in my moment of need, how motivated am I by relationship with Christ to approach the throne of grace with boldness as I am called to do (Hebrews 4:14-16). When the sick woman in Luke 8 (verses 43-48) sought Jesus out, she wasn’t necessarily motivated by relationship as much as she was motivated by need. However, Jesus deliberately sought out the sick woman he “inadvertently” healed when she reached out and nicked the fringe of his robe. Who touched me?” Jesus asked. “Someone touched me; I know that power has gone out from me.” Then the woman, seeing that she could not go unnoticed, came trembling and fell at his feet. (Luke 8:45-47a, NLT), Jesus is seeking you out. He wants so much to know you. He wants so much for you to know him. So why does it take so long sometimes for Jesus to respond to your prayer? I don’t know, but let’s look back at the results of a couple situations when people, including friends Jesus loved, were left waiting on him.

The story of the sick woman is sandwiched inside the story of Jairus, a temple leader, who had called on Jesus to heal his dying adolescent daughter. While Jesus was engaged with the healed woman whose faith had made a strong impression on him, the daughter of Jairus died. In the moment of great triumph for one person was the moment of tragic death for another. How could a loving God allow this to happen?

We also must consider the death of Lazarus, the dear friend of Jesus (John 11:1-44). His sister Mary was stunned that Jesus would wait for three days and let her brother die before arriving on the scene. How could a loving God allow this to happen? Why did Jesus delay for three days? What was he doing that was so important that he would allow for his friend to die? How might you think the perception of Jesus changed for Mary, Martha, and all of those affected by the death Lazarus? What kind of friend was he? What kind of Savior was he? Perhaps Jesus was healing a sick person; or maybe he stopped to discover new relationships with others who were in need of him. Were the deaths of Lazarus and the daughter of Jairus the end of the story? What came next? How was the promise of God revealed?

Even Jesus experienced torture and pain that changed his perception of God his Father. I’m not talking about the beatings and I’m not talking about when he was spat upon and ridiculed. I’m not even talking about when the nails were driven through his hands and ankles. I’m talking about when he personified our sin, experientially taking our addictive sin into his body, mind, heart, and soul. As Jesus felt the defiant, rebellious, hostility of our sin against God, he cried out, “Why, God? Where are you? Why did you leave me when I need you most? How can you allow something so bad to happen to me? Why, God?” Sin happens. Is God responsible for our sin? Was God responsible for the consequence of our sin that led his son Jesus to break their relationship? Is God responsible for the evil consequences that happen in this world because of sin?

What came next? How was the promise of God revealed?

Whether it was the death of Lazarus, the young girl, or even the death of Jesus Christ; from God’s eternal perspective, they were merely sleeping. In the human context, all three were dead; but in the context of eternity, they were asleep. God’s promise to us is revealed in glorious resurrection! I got chills just now writing this. God’s perspective is for eternity. Many have died, and many more will yet die. If we can accept the eternal context, then to us those we have lost knowing Jesus are merely sleeping in his presence as far as we’re concerned. (Note: I do not believe they are actually sleeping but are active in the presence of God, at work in some way to advance the cause of Christ, prayerfully interceding on our behalf.)

We tend to say that “perception is 90 percent reality”. I do not deny the implied truth within that statement. However, the reality we need to take hold of here is that Jesus did what he did at the cross so that we can experience life. What Jesus did makes it possible for us to be reconciled unto God so that we can experience by him by faith in this life. It is when bad things happen that we need not turn away from a God who isn’t there, but rather cling to our Sympathetic Savior in the moment of our deepest insecurity, and experience his compassion, mercy, and grace. Whether we’re in the deepest descent of our pain or ascending to joy in our life, we can be utterly confident that God is present with us desperately wanting relationship with us. Believe it! Be confident!

God created society with a will of its own, free to choose for itself. You are free to choose. With choice comes responsibility. We make choices, and then act on our choices. But then, we have to live with our choices. Choices lead to behaviors that carry consequences. The consequence of our addictive sin is death. Even before we die, things die within us because of our sin. Our thinking and behavior is out of control. We are drawn away by our desires and our enslaved by the sin that kills. Our sin has left in us the stench of death. Jesus took into him our sin at the cross. For three days his body was laid up in the tomb and it stunk terribly. Scripture tells us that his body was not covered with ointments and perfumes. Christ’s body carried with it the stench of our sin. Our sin was crucified and condemned with him while we were made alive.

Where does that leave things? Jesus stood outside of the grave of Lazarus and called for him to come out. Jesus did not have any consideration for the stench of death in that grave. The only thing Jesus cared about was the life he spoke into the soul, heart, mind, and body of the one he loved so much. In your case and mine, Jesus is not calling us to come out.

“Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.” Revelation 3:20 (NIV)

He wants in! What happens when we hear someone knocking on our door when we’re not ready? Maybe we haven’t bathed for a couple of days. We haven’t fixed our hair or our face. We’re not ready. We stink. So we don’t answer the door. We pretend we’re not home. Jesus knows your home. He wants to come in and hang out with you. He doesn’t care what you look like or what you think you smell like. He’s not leaving. So what do we do? We make him wait. Talk about paradox. We don’t want to wait on God when we ask him for stuff but don’t seem to have an issue with making God wait on us.

The promise of God is revealed in our resurrection. We need to let go of the dead stuff in our life so that we can experience resurrection in our life. The promise of God is experienced in relationship with Jesus Christ. The Bible says that Jesus sits on his throne at the right hand of the Father, so where does that leaves us as we fellowship with Christ?

“To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne.” Revelation 3:21 (NIV)

Whoa! Jesus said that from his throne to his friend, John. This is the promise of God revealed to you and to me. It is the promise of our resurrection in relationship with the risen Christ. Jesus is in love with you and with me. He is asking to come in. How long will we leave him waiting?

What do you believe—really believe—about God, today? Are you better off believing in God who loves you like crazy and wants so much to bless you and bring joy to your life? Or, do you choose to give in to a perception of God that punishes you, and then abandons you? When are you better off? Do ignore God because you don’t want to be disappointed? Or, do you embrace God who owns and has authority and power over all of it?