The snow was coming down sideways as the wind was howling outside. There were already several inches of snow on the ground. The rare car coming down the road was inching its way through the swirling flakes. The weatherman had been talking about this storm for days and it was finally here.
I walked into the dining room and saw Wesley and Kirstin had moved the chairs away from the dining table and set them right in front of the window. They were leaning forward with anticipation peering through the window looking for . . . . something
I asked them what they were doing, and Wesley replied that they were waiting for the storm to come. I laughed and told them it was already here.
How often do we almost miss something because we are waiting for it to happen? The kids were excited about the storm and couldn't wait for it. They couldn't see the storm through the snowflakes.
The Jews were anticipating their Messiah, a king from the line of David as prophesied. Yet when He came many of them missed it. They had decided that the Messiah would be a mighty warrior, they were no longer waiting on God's words through Isaiah;
"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever." Isaiah 9:6-7
It’s easy for us to look back and say “How can you not see who Jesus is?” But I often wonder, would I have seen him as the Messiah if I had been there? I just don’t know. And I don’t know because sometimes I don’t think I wait on Him like I should even today. I tend to be a bit impulsive, which can be my greatest strength as well as my greatest weakness. Either way it makes it hard to wait on Him.
As we look back at the 400 years between Nehemiah and the birth of Jesus, the prophets were silent. There wasn’t anyone speaking for God to the Israelites. This generation was depending on stories from the past to get their information from God. And I get it, who would think a little baby born in a stable because there wasn’t room anyplace else, would be the savior of the world?
God’s timing is always perfect though. Not my timing, not the world’s timing, God’s timing. He knew we needed that baby, who grew into a humble servant, to lead as an example to us. He knew that it would take His son becoming a man of peace, amazing love and perfect forgiveness to save us. And He knew that it would take Jesus' death on a cross to redeem us and defeat the enemy.
“As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts,” declares the Lord. Isaiah 55:9
Do you remember the Heinz commercial with the lyric’s 'anticipation is making me wait?' The slogan was 'the taste is worth the wait.'
You are worth the wait. You are worth waiting to hear where God is leading you.
He knows where to hang the sun, the moon and the stars. He knows what kind of savior we need and when was the best time to send him. And He knows who you are and how you can best grow His kingdom. We just need to learn to wait and listen, that's where we find the life of abundance Jesus promised us.
"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy, I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly." John 10:10
