Waiting on God might just be the most important principal to follow in our journey back home to the Garden. But waiting does not come naturally to most of us. The act of waiting on God is hard, and dare I say, a bit unnatural. But that’s the point!  Waiting on God is an act of faith that connects us to Him and puts in motion supernatural forces that we do not possess or perceive. And that is precisely the journey before us, the road less traveled, where we move forward by being patient, quiet and still. Who’s in?

     Speaking from personal experience, waiting on God is filled with blessing, discovery, and newfound vigor. The prophet Isaiah says it best, “Though youths grow weary and tired and vigorous young men stumble badly, those who wait upon the Lord will gain new strength.” This new strength that Isaiah is talking about manifests itself for a purpose and end game. We need strength, God’s strength, to endure and persevere through the trials of life so that we can become mature in character and rid ourselves of the anxieties we held so close while in the Wasteland.

     In addition to building us up, waiting on God also reveals certain truths about Him that we would otherwise not know. For one thing, waiting on God reveals His power and His timing. It is not us calling the shots and determining how and when, it’s Him.  And when we realize this dynamic, the more we see that it is during our time of waiting that God is working to bury the seed, water the plant and harvest the crop that will bless our life.  

     Let’s be real. Is waiting hard? Of course it is! From our human perspective, waiting means inactivity followed by nothing much going on. That is not a formula for success in the modern world. In fact, our lives run counter to this ideal. Our schedules are filled with activity and constant motion. With all this busyness going on who has time for waiting? And even when we have made the decision to wait the questions arises; for how long? At what point do we say, I have waited long enough. God has forgotten me. It is time to take matters into my own hands. It is in those moments that we must remember that God has our back and is always working on our behalf. Be honest, has life ever gotten better when you have stepped out ahead of God or thought you knew better than Him. Exactly!

     So be patient, quiet and still. Tune your ears to listen for His voice. And as you continue your journey back home to the Garden heed the words of the Psalmist when he writes, “My soul waits in silence for God only, from Him is my salvation… My soul, waits in silence for God only, for my hope is from Him.”    

Dario L. Perla