Trust in the Waiting
November 24, 2024Pastor Patrick presented today's message, "Trust in the Waiting." A video of today's message is here on YouTube.
One of the Old Testament words for waiting is qavah (קָוָה). For example, see Isaiah 40:31, "But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." This wait is based on binding or twisting, like twisting strands into a rope. In this case, the "waiting" is to bind yourself closer to God in preparation or anticipation of what you're waiting for. In Genesis 1:9, "under the heaven be gathered together unto."
A different word translated as wait is chakah (חָכָה). The tense used is often an imperfect tense that implies a continual waiting. Another form suggests "has been waiting." Clearly time is involved.
Waiting is often associated with great patience. One of the more patient Torah characters is Jacob who patiently waited for Rachel, his beloved, while working for her father, Laban, for 14 years.
Being impatient, on the other hand, is not a behavior God likes. The Israelites got impatient at the base of Mt. Sinai and made the Golden Calf. Neither Moses nor God were pleased.
Sometimes waiting is time to get rid of a problem. Consider Jacob's name change to Israel. The name change is predicted in Genesis 32:28, "Then the man said, 'Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel..." But God did not actually change Jacob's name until Genesis 35:10. So what happened in between? Jacob took the time to rid himself of all his idols. Sometimes waiting periods are to get rid of one's false gods.
Bonus
Crossfire Ministries Wish List
First, if you don't know what Crossfire is about, go to Crossfire's About page.
Purchase a gift or three and bring them (unwrapped) Sunday morning to TimberCreek Church by December 8th. The church will get them to Crossfire.
Here's the Crossfire Wish List on Amazon (but you don't have to get them from Amazon). From Crossfire's website: "Use this list as a guide. We need multiples of each of these items to ensure that approximately 200 families receive a special Christmas Blessing. You can ship directly to us at the following address: Crossfire Christmas, 3975 N. Academy Blvd, Colorado Springs, CO 80917."
Bonus2
Reap What You Sow
Galations 6:7-8, "Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life."
The meaning of this phrase, "you reap what you sow," ranges from the purely literal to the very metaphorical. Clearly, if you plant corn, you get corn. At the other end, if you sow discontent you reap discontent, probably. When you get into the metaphysical realm, it's not quite as clear. We all know that we can sow friendliness and get negativity in return. It's a human condition thing.
Adam understood well the literal meaning, "By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread," (Genesis 3:19).
There are some other things to consider. For instance, sowing and reaping often involves a multiplier effect. In the case of the literal, one seed of wheat leads to a plant that generates many more seeds. Likewise on the metaphorical realm, sowing kindness can ultimately lead to a great return in kindness.
There's an interesting sow/reap phrase in Hosea 8:7, "For they have sown the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind:". There's definitely a multiplier there.
As Galations points out (see above), where you sow ("in the Spirit") is as important as what you sow.
It's such a great metaphor that the phrase is no longer confined to Biblical discussions; it has made its way into politics, business, and general wisdom.
Martin Luther King, Jr. used the phrase referring to peaceful protests that would eventually reap great gain.
The concept is sometimes used to explain Buddhist karma to outsiders (though there are significant differences).
Also in Hosea is an indication that how one sows and reaps matters. Hosea 10:12, "Sow with a view to righteousness, Reap in accordance with kindness;"
Another factor made clear is that not only what you sow matters, but it also matters how you prepare ahead of the sowing and what you do afterward to encourage growth. Good soil, patience, weeding, watering, protection from birds, etc. all matter. It would be a message of many bullet points. This is all made clear in both Testaments: Old has loads of agricultural references, and in the New, Jesus talks about (among other things) where mustard seeds are planted (see Matthew 13).
Biblical sowing is also its own reward in many ways. There doesn't have to be a "harvest" for the sowing to be beneficial (see John 4:34).
Sowing and reaping can be at opposite ends of the happiness spectrum. "Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy" (Psalm 126:5). Similarly, you may never see your harvest, and you may receive harvests you did not plant. One can also sow in one field and reap in another. God is in control, not us; and He is full of grace.
The period between sowing and reaping relates to the Waiting period, Advent, discussed in today's message.