Waiting is an Art

“And then, just when everything is bearing down on us to such an extent that we can scarcely withstand it, the Christmas message comes to tell us that all our ideas are wrong, and that what we take to be evil and dark is really good and light because it comes from God. Our eyes are at fault, that is all. God is in the manger, wealth in poverty, light in darkened, succor in abandonment. No evil can befall us; whatever men may do to us, they cannot but serve the God who is secretly revealed as love and rules the world and our lives.” Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Bonhoeffer, Dietrich, and Jana Riess. God Is in the Manger: Reflections on Advent and Christmas. Westminster John Knox Press, 2012.

Isaiah 11:1–5 (ESV): The Righteous Reign of the Branch

11 There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse,

and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit.

2 And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him,

the Spirit of wisdom and understanding,

the Spirit of counsel and might,

the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.

3 And his delight shall be in the fear of the Lord.

He shall not judge by what his eyes see,

or decide disputes by what his ears hear,

4 but with righteousness he shall judge the poor,

and decide with equity for the meek of the earth;

and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth,

and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked.

5 Righteousness shall be the belt of his waist,

and faithfulness the belt of his loins.

Abba,

In trial and suffering, in longing and waiting, when we are tempted to or begin to complain, it is our eyes that are at fault. Not You. Not ever. Oh how hard it is to keep our gaze firmly fixed upon truth, upon You. I appreciated Bonhoeffer’s statement here. It is a firm reminder that it is only ever my perspective that is wrong, never You nor Your will.

Isaiah’s prophecy from You clearly paints the future for what You have in store. Your coming, Jesus, ensures that every word You have spoken, God, will come to pass. Your arrival, Jesus, ensures that wickedness will be dealt its final death. You will deal in righteousness and faithfulness. You will ensure perfect justice. You will bring to fruition more than our minds can comprehend. The end will be worth the wait. The end will make the waiting seem inconsequential. The end will satisfy our complaint in suffering, in the waiting. The end will be worth it all.

Grant me the grace to wait with hope. I am an impatient being. I lack the strength and fortitude to endure the waiting without complaint and discontent. I am in desperate need of Your grace to view my life and circumstances through Your perspective, one filled with hope and anticipation.

In the advent of life; while we await the final advent that will usher in eternity, grant us Your immeasurable grace to see as You see. For only then, will we endure with hope, joy, and peace in the midst of all that gives us reason to have troubled hearts.

I love you, Abba. Amen.