When God's Dreams for Us Take Longer Than Expected
What one word do you hear over and over if you watch any Olympic events? Dream. The Olympic dream, a dream of winning a gold medal, fulfilling a dream, missing a dream, a dream from childhood. Dream, dream, dream. But what happens when those dreams take longer than we ever imagined? What happens when God's timeline doesn't match our expectations?
James chapter five gives three great examples of waiting and the lessons we can learn from them.
The Farmer's Example: When Circumstances Are Beyond Your Control
James 5:7-8 gives us our first lesson through the example of farmers: "Consider the farmers who patiently wait for the rains in the fall and in the spring. They eagerly look for the valuable harvest to ripen. You, too, must be patient. Take courage, for the coming of the Lord is near."
Farming requires a tremendous amount of patience. The whole endeavor is essentially a waiting game. You plant the seeds, do a little watering, and then you wait. From farmers we learn that when circumstances are beyond your control, wait with expectation.
This doesn't mean we don't do any work. Farming takes a great deal of labor. Prepare the soil, plan the irrigation, protect the seeds, dig up the weeds, and that's all before the harvest. But farming is subject to all kinds of factors that are beyond our control.
The farmer does what a farmer does, controlling what can be controlled, doing the work that can be done, and then waitsā¦ with expectation. The farmer knows that if the right work is done, then there will be a positive outcome.
The Psalmist captures this beautifully in Psalm 130:5-6: "I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope. I wait for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning." Watchmen wait for the morning knowing that it will come. That's waiting with expectation.
The Prophets' Example: When Life Becomes Difficult
James 5:9-11a teaches us through the Old Testament prophets: "For examples of patience in suffering, dear brothers and sisters, look at the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. We give great honor to those who endure under suffering."
From the prophets we learn: When life becomes difficult, wait without complaint.
In the Old Testament prophets were preachers and the reason God used the prophets was because the Israelites, God's people, were acting like a bunch of fools. The prophets faced incredible hardships. Jeremiah was called a traitor for warning of the fall of Jerusalem. Elijah fled into the wilderness because he royally upset Queen Jezebel. Hosea had to marry an unfaithful woman. Ezekiel laid on his side for 390 days and ate bread cooked over dung, symbolizing Israel's sin.
Yet they endured difficulties mostly without complaint. As Jeremiah wrote in Lamentations 3:25-26: "The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord."
Job's Example: When You Face Unbearable Challenges
Finally, James 5:11b points us to Job: "For instance, you know about Job, a man of great endurance. You can see how the Lord was kind to him at the end, for the Lord is full of tenderness and mercy."
Job faced total calamity: losing his livestock, his children, and his health. However, his faith never wavered. From Job we learn that when you face unbearable challenges, wait with confidence.
Job's faith is incredible. What kind of confidence do you have to have to say what he says later, āEven if God slays me, I'll still trust in him.ā In Job 14:14-15, he declares: "If someone dies, will they live again? All the days of my hard service I will wait for my renewal to come. You will call and I will answer you; you will long for the creature your hands have made."
Waiting Declares God's Goodness
When you wait with expectation, you focus on God's dream. When you wait without complaining, it builds your character. When you wait with confidence, it strengthens your faith. But here's the beautiful truth: Waiting patiently is a declaration of God's goodness.
When we are waiting patiently for God's dream, we should use it as an opportunity to draw attention to God and God's faithfulness.
Psalm 40:1-3 encourages us: "I waited patiently for the Lord to help me, and he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire. He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along. He has given me a new song to sing, a hymn of praise to our God."
Reflection
What dream are you waiting for God to realize in your life? Are you expecting that God will provide, or are you waiting without hope?
How are you waiting? Are you unloading your frustration on anyone who will listen, or are you finding the ability to trust in God's plan, whatever circumstances you find yourself in?
What part of God's dream do you think is taking way too much time? Are you tempted to think, "God, would you let me handle this one?" or do you have the confidence to wait with faith that God is in control?
Application
This week, choose one of these three Biblical approaches to patient waiting:
Wait with expectation like the farmer. When circumstances are beyond your control, prepare for God's harvest by doing the work you can do while trusting God with what you cannot control.
Wait without complaint like the prophets. When life becomes difficult, resist the urge to grumble and instead trust God's timing and plan.
Wait with confidence like Job. When you face unbearable challenges, hold fast to your faith knowing that God is with you even when you can't see or feel Godās presence.
Prayer
Lord, help me to wait patiently for your dreams to unfold in my life. When circumstances feel beyond my control, help me wait with expectation like the farmer preparing for harvest. When life becomes difficult and frustrating, help me wait without complaint like the faithful prophets. When challenges feel unbearable, help me wait with confidence like Job, trusting in your goodness even in the darkness. Use my patient waiting as a declaration of your faithfulness to everyone watching. May my life draw attention not to my struggles, but to your unchanging character and love. In Jesus' name, Amen
