Forty days and forty nights.
That was what I always remembered. It was how long it rained in the great flood
that God brought upon the earth. The
great flood in which Noah and his family were spared; along with two of each
kind of creature.
Which is why just recently when my
scheduled Bible study reading fell upon Genesis 7 and 8, I honestly thought I
would just graze over it. The story of
Noah and the flood. Oh, I know that one,
right?
But how did I miss that the flood lasted on the earth for one
hundred and fifty days before receding? Or that it was many, many more months before
the land was exposed? This was a MUCH
longer timeframe than I had really contemplated before. I’m not sure how I overlooked that, but I
did.
As I was drawn into the narrative again,
this time I could see how Noah would have to exhibit patience as he followed
God’s calling for him. He was obedient,
we see that. He built the ark just as
God instructed him, even when it meant that he was the only one working on such
a project. But he had to have been
patient as well. To be on a boat for
such a long, enduring time….and of course with all of those creatures (and the
smells that emit from many of them!)…with only his family to keep company…well,
yes, I would gather that Noah was a very patient man indeed.
And here I live in the midst of a world
that travels far too fast to keep up. A
world where at the surface, many of us are flying by at warp speed. In fact, the very nature of our current
culture is to see who can attain more in a lesser amount of time. Patience is not a worldly value (it’s a fruit
of the Spirit). And in my failings, I
find myself becoming frustrated at times when I am asked to wait. Even when I don’t mind waiting, my second
thought immediately flies to “for how long do I need to wait”?
And there’s often no clear answer to
that. How long do I have to wait,
LORD? How long must I sit still?
It is typically in those stressful
times. You know, the long, drawn-out struggles
that threaten to wear one down. It’s the
piling up of one thing after another. It’s
in those moments of stress and struggle that I wonder, “how long”. I can’t remember a time when I asked
“how long” in the middle of great joy or celebration. I’m sure it’s possible in those instances,
too, but for me it’s mainly when I become uncomfortable. I’m looking to see how long must I
squirm?
And after re-reading Genesis 7 and 8, I
think the answer is, “however long it takes”.
Noah had to wait for however long it took
for God to dry the earth again. He had
to wait for however long it took for God’s plan to unfold. Even the largest blow dryer in all the land
would not speed the process (yes, that is a silly thought, I know). Noah could not make it go faster. He had to sit and wait and rest in God’s
perfect timing. And don’t miss that God
never left in Noah’s waiting. In fact,
the opposite is true. God remembered Noah and was still at
work drying the flood waters. Even while
Noah sat.
So for me, too, I can rest in God’s perfect
timing. And when I am squirming and most
uncomfortable I can rest in knowing that He is working. He has not left me. He has not abandoned the plans He holds for
me (or for my family). My ark has not
sunk. Most importantly, He has not given
more than I can bear up under Him for.
There is nothing too weighty for Him.
Yes, too weighty for me because I am weak…but by His grace and His Holy
Spirit within me, I won’t break. It is because
of my weakness that He will receive the glory.
I cannot do it without him. I
cannot walk without His leading.
So in those burdens that I so badly want
lifted, I will choose to wait. For
however long it takes to bring Him glory.
For however long it takes for His will to be done. For however long He deems necessary to
accomplish his goals for my life.
Maybe it’s seconds or minutes or
hours. Maybe it’s days or weeks or
years. Maybe it’s a whole lifetime of
squirming on this earth. God is
sharpening me. He is knocking off my
rough edges and making me look more like the person He created me to be. He is unfolding His plan for my life, and
through that, receiving the glory and honor that only He deserves. He is not standing by watching, but I believe
He is actively working, both in me and through me. So as the battles come and I find myself
impatient, I can realize that that’s my old self creeping back in. That’s the old me that fears change and craves
comfort. The new creation in Christ (the
reborn me) can cling to the Father, and like Noah did, wait. I can trust in the One who sees the whole
picture. I can trust in my loving Father
and then choose to joyfully submit and say, “I will wait.”
“For however long it takes, LORD. For however long it takes.”
