Waiting

Luke 24:49
Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you.....But tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.

The word tarry is defined as "To linger in expectation".
I would say that would be waiting with a purpose.
Not something I'm good at........this whole waiting business.
But something God is teaching me.
Teaching me that it is a benefit of following Him.
Don't know why waiting comes so hard. When I was in the military it was always  "Hurry up and wait". You would rush like the wind to get to a location and then once there you'd wait.

In the case of the Scripture from Luke 24, Jesus is ascending back to heaven. He is giving His disciples last minute instructions to return to Jerusalem and wait.
If you go to the book of Acts, Chapter 1, you'll find in verse 14 that the company gathered together in a room. There were 120 gathered in that room waiting. So how did they pass the time? Funny you should ask.

They all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication.
Supplication means that they were asking specifically as they prayed. For ten days, this was the behavior of this group. They didn't just sit in silence. They didn't pass the time with conversation or chit chat. They were praying. How foreign would such a thing be to us today.
If truth be known, our entire existence is built on the idea of waiting for God.
We follow Him....if he moves and instructs us, we move.
We live out our days with one eye in the here and now, and one on the heavens looking for His return. (That's my agenda....carry out today's instructions with a view that He could return at any moment).

When I'm not focused on Jesus, my mind has a tendency to entertain thoughts that have no place being there.
Maybe waiting is a discipline God has given to us to improve out conscious contact with Him.
Maybe waiting is the ultimate exercise in Step # 11.
What is Step # 11?
Sought through prayer and mediation to improve my conscious contact with God,as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will and the power to carry it out.
Maybe waiting is a little slice of God telling me to think on Him.
Maybe waiting is God's way of stopping me so I can reset my compass, so to speak, and my heart before the next big thing I have to confront.
Maybe I should pay more attention to Him when I find myself having to wait, be it at a courthouse or cafe. Whether it takes place at a Doctor's office or the Department of motor vehicles. 

I think waiting is a God-given exercise to teach me patience and perseverance. To not rely on my self will or strength, but take the time and learn to rest in Him.
I think I'll fix me a second cup of coffee and wait on God.

God on you..
mb