Traffic Signals on the way - Warning - A Need to Wait

Waitng is an important part of God's plan for everyone whether we want to believe it or not. We may not always know the reasons for it until after the fact, yet the reasons for waiting are as important as a bank account for security and success.

Who likes to wait? At a traffic light, in line at the supermarket or in front of our microwave we glance at our watch several times in the few minutes we are waiting. We are classified as impatient people though we have the most modern technology in the world for accomplishing twice as much in one hour or one day than our neighbors across the oceans. It's because we don't understand God is working in our behalf while we are waiting.

One difficult area for many people is waiting for answers to prayer. When we have presented a need or prayer request to the Lord we exercise faith that He heard our prayer and we we expect to receive the answer quickly. Between the promise and its fulfillment are the most difficult hours. The tech world has given us so many modern conveniences that can cut a person's work load in half the time so we expect God to understand that and do the same. If we pray about an urgent financial need, because we know that God heard the prayer and He knows the emergency, we want a divine intervention on our time schedule. If the answer does not come when we expected it, our faith begins to disappear; but what about God's reasons? Does He have reasons for delay?

On busy expressways at times there will be unexpected construction, slow traffic for many miles, or even detours but the signs are placed in those critical areas to assure the end result: the safety of drivers and a safe arrival at their destination, not to cause him anxiety for not keeping his personal time schedule. We never question the wisdom of placing signals, signs and detours on busy roads because we know the delays and waiting was for a purpose.

When I returned to Korea to continue my missionary work after my husband went to be with the Lord, I was privileged to be invited to work with Dr. David Yonggi Cho, Pastor of the Yoido Full Gospel (Assemblies of God Church) in Seoul, Korea. In Dr. Cho's daily mail there were usually many letters from young potential pastors looking forward to graduate from college or a university who had great visions and goals to build a great church of thousands of people for the glory of God. But they wanted to know how they could accomplish this in less than the 30 years it took Dr. Cho. These were very impressive young people of a high-energy level and with outstanding personalities. They had heard that membership at the Yoido Church had reached 750,000 (at that time). They heard that people being saved and healed and others delivered from many kinds of diseases was a common occurance in many of the services. Visiting pastors and church leaders said the example of the Yoido Church resembled the story of the early church in the book of Acts.

We wrote to each young man in detail. We explained that great accomplishments begin with faithfulness in doing menial tasks first, with excellence. When God saw their heart and their readiness He could give them more anointing and power but God is the One Who decides.

We asked them how much time they spent in prayer daily. They did not give clear answers. We told them there is a reason why it took 30 years for Dr. Cho to arrive at this juncture. Most important of all he was learning to KNOW God intimately, not just know ABOUT Him. He was daily searching the scriptures, memorizing them, studying the plan of salvation, healing, growth and development of believers and the work and ministry of the Holy Spirit. He was learning to recognize the difference between God's voice and passing thoughts. He learned these truths from the Holy Spirit in great detail, in his steady daily prayer time. He learned the meaning of obeying God when God spoke, not later at a more convenient time.

We suggested that the young men use their time wisely in college to learn to know God while they were not under the pressures and cares of a young family, work, or other needs. We asked them, "If God should open a door of ministry for you today, do you feel you would be ready to step into the role of pastor today? Would you know how to find God's direction for the church and the people you would minister to?"

We explained the long "waiting" period is not really too long. When they would be ready, God would place them in His great harvest field where they would bring the most glory to Him. When He did, the potential would-be pastor will have learned accountability, responsibility, readiness and obedience.

The waiting period is God's personal preparation time for the developing of a life that will feel what He feels and know Him, not just know about Him.

Time is not lost when we give it to God. The farmer waits for his harvest but because of his careful care of his fields, the harvest does come. A Mother waits nine months for the birth of her child but because of care and preparation, the child does arrive. When God gives a promise we may have to wait for the fulfillment but with careful care, preparation and obedience the answer does come in God's time.

Are delays and/or waiting periods always necessary in a Christian's life? Most of the time they are. The waiting time is for you, not God. You are not ready for your answer! Use your waiting time. Learn from it. Watch new potential abilities grow, develop and mature in many ways during the waiting period. If you give God more quality time in prayer the Holy Spirit can prepare you to be ready for you answer earlier than you expected. He is the One Who decides!