From Father Andrew Bahhi: Waiting Patiently on the Lord
A lot of time we talk about God and people think he is up in heaven and we are here on earth. And we don’t know if he hears us, especially for those things we really need dearly in our life. Then we feel there is a distance between us and him, and slowly our spiritual feeling becomes harsh, and we don’t feel his presence anymore.
But remember — The Bible says he is always with us, and he said he will be with us all the days of our life and all ages.
The Bible says Elizabeth, the wife of Zechariah, was barren. They were waiting for God, a long time, to give them a son. If a man and woman did not have children at the time, people used to think this was a curse on a couple. And yet they remained righteous people.
A lot of people are waiting long times for other reasons. We always have worry in our life. A lot of people struggle in these periods of life, especially as it relates to how God answers their requests. David says in Psalm 40:1 “I wait patiently for the Lord. He turned to me and heard my cry.”
There are people who wait impatiently for the Lord and think God is the magic lamp, waiting and complaining. Aren’t we making God cheap when we wait for him in this way? And then there are people, like Zechariah and his wife, who were righteous before God walking in the commandments and obeying.
Don’t try to be with God in a way to expect to be rewarded. Do not use God, instead of choosing to have a great relationship with God. When we make God #1, fasting, being in the church, being good people – you do it because you love Him and He loves you.
We become impatient with God because we don’t have a love relationship with him. When we love God, it will be like a loving relationship to wait however long it takes. Beneficial relationships are not important when we love God.
Be patient with love and God will always reward you.
In Psalm 13, David says “Will you forget me forever?” this is how he used to feel. He was talking with God with love. “how long will you hide your face from me?” He felt lonely. And by Psalm 13:5, he says “But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation.”
If you ask God for something a long time ago, just be patient like Zechariah and Elizabeth, who one day got what they were waiting for. They became the parents of John the Baptist.
Learn more in Father Andrew’s sermon video here.
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