Henri Nouwen writes: “Waiting is not a very popular attitude. Waiting is not something that people think about with great sympathy. In fact, most people consider waiting a waste of time. Perhaps this is because the culture in which we live is basically saying, ‘Get going! Do something! Show you are able to make a difference! Don’t just sit there and wait!’ For many people, waiting is an awful desert between where they are and where they want to go. And people do not like such a place. “ (Watch For The Light, p. 27)
We’re not good at “waiting”, and we are even more anxious when asked to “trust God” in the waiting. We’re not alone. Noah, trapped in the arch as the floodwaters covered the earth, was asked to trust God in those days of waiting (150 days, Gen. 8:3). In the waiting, trusting God, God delivers, and establishes God’s covenant with Noah and all of creation; a covenant grounded in love!
As we reflect on Noah’s walk with God, we are encouraged to model our walk with God. In our waiting can we forsake the “instant gratification” obsession of our culture, and embrace a deep and abiding trust in God’s presence, and God’s provision, grounded in a loving covenant, sealed in Jesus the Christ? “Simone Weil, a Jewish writer, said, Waiting patiently in expectation is the foundation of the spiritual life.” (Watch For The Light, p. 37)
“Walking With God”, let us learn from our patriarch Noah how to trust God in our waiting. I look forward to seeing you in Church!
Through Christ,
Pastor Doug