(Isaiah 40:31 MSG) But those who wait upon God get fresh strength.  They spread their wings and soar like eagles; they run and don’t get tired, they walk and don’t lag behind.

About six years ago, my son Ben came and cut down a tree in our back yard.  In order to use the area for a vegetable garden, the stump needed to be removed.  I drilled holes in it and used all the recommended chemicals to cause it to rot, but it remained solid, then came the drought.  Without moisture, the stump maintained its rock hard composition, and the ground around it was equally rock hard.  Each year in the spring I’d take my axe and strike it.  The result was always the same.  The axe simply bounced back at me.  So, I waited.

This year, the rains came, and the ground soften.  The soil was so easy to dig that I was able to approach the stump differently.  I dug around the stump and discovered that though the stump was still hard the roots had rotted.  Within 20 minutes, the stump was out.  The time was right, and the task became easy.  Patience had prevailed.

I share this thrilling adventure to address the topic of waiting.  Oh, I know that waiting is not that thrilling, because it requires patience.  Waiting on God requires patience, but in faith we know and trust God’s perfect timing.  The Bible is filled with stories of humans waiting on God.  Abraham and Sarah and the son that God promised them (found in Genesis chapters 15-21) provides an excellent example of humans waiting on God.  They were patient for a long time, but then they tried to come up with their own solution which greatly complicated the situation.  Yet, when the time was right, the son God promised them was born.

Waiting on God doesn’t always mesh well with our human nature, but in the end patience brings about the best and most often simplest solution.