Playing The Waiting Game

A Closer Look . . . 

'The Lord said, “I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I HAVE HEARD THEM CRYING OUT because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering.'  Exodus 3:7

There's a song written by Bob Dylan called Time Passes Slowly.  A verse of the song has these words.

"Time passes slowly up here in the daylight
We stare straight ahead and try so hard to stay right
Like the red rose of summer that blooms in the day
Time passes slowly and fades away"

Time is a paradoxical commodity.  It can pass like a fleeting clap of thunder, and it can seem to take an eternity for the next sunrise.  On a warm summer's day with the scent of freshly cut grass in the air and a deep blue sky overhead the day passes in what seems an instant.  On the other hand, wrestling with a troubled marriage, the loss of a spouse or child, financial difficulties, or gripping depression can seem like an eternity.  Life on the mountain top is carefree and easy but life in the valleys isn't.  It's when we're in those emotional valleys that are darker than any night that we desperately grab and claw for escape, for a release, an end to our worry and fear.  Help simply can't come quick enough.

We make it through our days with a constant, never-ending prayer on our lips that somehow, some way God will perform a miracle and destroy the demons that are infinitely bigger than we are.  At times we find ourselves drowning in the sea of life and the lifeguard seems miles away.  Israel knew intimately about how unforgiving life can be.  They had been in Egyptian exile over 400 years struggling under Pharoh's oppression.  Life for them was merciless and cruel.  Escape couldn't come quickly enough for the Jews. and help was on the way.

Nothing escapes God's awareness.  Jesus reminds us that not one bird falls to the ground that escapes God's knowledge.  That awareness includes our deep, dark struggles.  It includes our hurts that cripple us and fears that paralyze us.  God told Moses, “I have indeed seen the misery of my people...and I am concerned about their suffering."  He also sees your suffering.  He knows your misery.  Though we might feel alone, and helpless God is never far away.  He is always aware of our suffering.

When you're discouraged, when you're overwhelmed by the immensity of life it's important to understand that God's deliverance is coming.  It's not our job to be the solution.  It's our job to be patient and give God room to put us back on the mountain top.  He did it for Israel and He will do it for you.

Look at it like this...in our struggles time isn't the enemy, our mistrust is...think about it.