THE word of God says, “But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth” (Psalm 86:15).
Out of all the characteristics King David listed, I think the least understood is Christ's longsuffering. Have you ever thought about the longsuffering (patience) of God? How patiently He waits for us to open the door of our heart to Him. How patiently He waits for us to give Him our hurt places, disappointments, fears, doubts. The word of God says that Jesus suffers long with us for one reason. He Love Us! And since He is Love (1 John 4:16), Love will suffer long (1 Corinthians 13).
Since God cannot lie (Number 23:16), then who will you believe?
So, I began to wonder, why do we keep Him waiting. If what King David says about Him is true, that He is compassionate, gracious, patient, merciful and truthful, why do we hold back? Let us turn things around. Why does God keep us waiting? Remember Abraham, so desirous of a son. THE Bible informs us that he was 75 years old when he set out on his journey towards a place that God would show him. Soon after we read God telling Abraham, you’re going to have so many descendants that no one will ever truly be able to count them. Well, this is what Abraham had been praying for. Wait! Abraham is 75 years old, who wants to start a family at 75? Abraham and Sarah! But God makes them wait another 25 years before they would hold Isaac in their arms.
Abraham was 100 and Sarah was 90 years old when Isaac was born. True, they tried to come up with an alternative plan, but the son God promised Abraham came in God’s timing.
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Have you asked God for something and you’re still waiting? If your petition is the will of God, stand your ground against the enemy. He will be allowed to provide contrary evidence, that God is not compassionate, gracious, patient, merciful and truthful. But Who will you believe? When describing His character to Moses, God said this of Himself, “The LORD God is merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth” (Exodus 34:6). Sound familiar? Since God cannot lie (Number 23:16), then who will you believe? I know the waiting has been long, difficult and something you have been discouraged. Well, God has been waiting too. A lot longer than you have, and He still waits and will continue to wait until like Abraham you lay on the altar the very thing you have been waiting and praying for. Until you have withheld no good thing from Him (Genesis 22).
The difference between our waiting and God’s waiting is this, God is waiting for us to give Him everything and He will not settle for less than everything. Our waiting on God resembles a potluck, we only pick out what we like, when a banquet has been prepared for us. How it must grieve the heart of God that we settle for so little of Him. Whatever you’re waiting for, give it up to God, lay it before Him, totally release it to His care by asking for more of Christ and more, and more until there is no more empty places.
Until having Christ becomes more important than what you have been waiting for. Love suffers long because God is full of compassion, He is gracious, and plenteous in mercy and truth. Don’t keep Him waiting another day. Go to Him and lay everything on the altar.
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