Wait and Hope

All human wisdom is contained in these two words- “wait” and “hope”. -Alexander Dumas

Wait and Hope; these two things are probably the hardest and often the most annoying things about the Christian life. Wait and Hope. We live in such an instant society that waiting and hoping are things that only children are supposed to do. I had a birthday last month and I remember as a child waiting for my birthday and hoping that I got what I wanted. Sometimes I was satisfied and sometimes I was not.

I am wondering if this kind of attitude has carried over into my adult life. Am I treating God like my parents or Santa? “Here is my list and I am going to wait until this date to get this stuff. If you don’t get it for me I might understand but I will be disappointed in you.” We suffer so much under what I call the “Microwave Gospel.” Throw in a Bible and in 15 minutes you are a good Christian. Throw in a prayer and in 2 minutes you will have an instant answer. Under this regime we never have to wait for God or hope in anything. I am wondering if we as growing Christians need to put down these adolescent views of Christ and pick up something bigger and better.

What are we waiting and hoping for? Am I waiting for God to make me handsome, rich and wise? Is he about making me look good? Somehow I think I am hoping for the wrong things. He will supply all my needs according to HIS riches and glory. Not what I think his riches should be but what they truly are. I challenge us this summer to put aside the timetables we are limiting God to and hope that he truly will do more than we could possible ask or imagine. Trust with me this month that God has a plan and a better imagination that all of us and he is going to shock us and awe us if we let him.