Waiting Rooms

Waiting Rooms
June 28, 2010
Luke 12:6 "Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God."

I was flying across the country by myself a few years back and I had an experience most of you might be familiar with. I was stuck on the airplane with no place to go. We had boarded the plane, all 100 passengers, and the crew prepared for flight, closing the door and pushing off from the gate. And then we sat. And sat. And sat. Something had caused a delay and we were in line on the tarmac, waiting to take off, for hours, and hours, and hours. Literally. We probably sat in the queue for three-and-a-half hours. It was miserable; there was no place to go and no one to listen to my complaint. There was nothing any of us could do; we were at the mercy of those in control. I was helpless and stuck, only slightly hopeful that I would reach my destination on time. Most of you know what I'm talking about. I didn't like waiting that day, and I don't like waiting now. None of us seems to like waiting, not when we know what we want and how we want it.

Unfortunately, we are not in control and we don't have charge over the universe. Only God has that kind of power. Whether we like it or not, we have to submit to Him in everything, especially if it seems like He has us in a waiting room. You are waiting for something; I know it. It might be different for each of you, but you are waiting and waiting. It seems you are stuck in a holding pattern, hoping to take off, but you are grounded in your ability to affect the change you'd like to see. You might be waiting on an answer to prayer, a spouse, a healing, a job, a wayward child, a baby, something, but you are not able to have it today. You are frustrated and there is nothing you can do but pace the floor and wring your hands. I have spoken to many people about this and there is a common thread in everyone's feelings. Everyone seems to feel that God has forgotten about them during their wait. We think that if God has not brought us through by now, then He must have forgotten about us and our situation.

Being forgotten could not be further from the truth. God's Word says that He has the hairs on your head numbered. If He knows how many hairs are on your head, He knows where you are right now in your situation. God knows every little sparrow on this earth, where they are and whether they fall to the ground or not. If He knows this, then He knows who you are and what your situation is right now. God has not forgotten you. While I don't know why He is making you wait, He, in His sovereignty, has a bigger plan than you can understand.

I'm reminded of the Israelites who were enslaved by the Egyptians. You know the story, when the Lord brought about the plagues in Egypt, through Moses. Eventually, Pharaoh let the Israelites go, but not after severe plagues. Preceding that story, though, was a huge waiting room. The Bible says they were enslaved for 430 years as a people group. It seemed God had forgotten them, left them there to die. But He didn't. God had a bigger plan, far bigger than you and I can understand through reading the story in Exodus. The point at the end of that story (when they were free to go in a miracle ending) was God's demonstration of His power, might, and plan for His children. It wouldn't have been a miracle ending if ten people had escaped in the night. It wouldn't have been a miracle ending if all the Israelites had picked up an ax and fought against their oppressors for freedom. It wouldn't have been a miracle ending if a neighboring nation came to their rescue. No, it was a miracle because God freed more than a million people from slavery without the lifting of a sword and He made them rich while doing it.

Your waiting room might be for the same reason, to bring about a miracle ending to your story, to display God's power, might, and plan for you. Know this, no matter how long you wait, God has not forgotten you.

1. What are you waiting for?
2. How can you deal with the feeling of being forgotten?
3. How can you wait patiently for God and His miracle?

Add. Scriptures for Study: Ex 1 & 12, Matt 10:28-32, Lk 12:6-8