Christmas at the Movies: Week 4, Day 4

Isaiah 40:28-31

Christmas is about waiting. Joseph and Mary wait for the birth as
Israel had been waiting for the Messiah for so many generations.
The journey of the people of God has involved long periods of
waiting, 20 generations awaiting deliverance from Egypt, 40
years awaiting entrance to the promised land, decade after decade in captivity awaiting a return to Jerusalem and the land of promise.

Isaiah tells us "those who wait for the Lord shall renew their
strength!" This is hard for us to understand. Most Americans
wait badly for we are used to getting things instantly. We don't
wait for purchases, we buy on credit. We don't wait for marriage,
we live together. Waiting on lines, waiting at lights, waiting for
others to respond, we learn that waiting is the enemy of time and
efficiency. Now is our favorite time. But the prophet believes
faithful waiting is part of faithful living. It builds our character, it
grows our trust in the God who keeps his promises, it reminds us
that we are creatures, not the lords of history, and it forces us to
remember that we are blessed by so much that has already
happened. Waiting can be an education in gratitude and in hope.

Do you wait well?

How is your waiting shaped by your faith?

Tags: faith, waiting