Waiting for nothing less than God

From of old no one has heard

or perceived by the ear,

no eye has seen a God besides you,

who acts for those who wait for him.

Isaiah 64:4

Unless I am waiting on God, I am waiting on the wrong things. There is only One Who acts for those who wait for Him. No other false idol will truly satisfy. False idols create false hope that always disappoints. But God will be there for those who by faith in Him will wait for Him. And I will take my comfort, find my courage, and place my confidence in this fact!

I have been learning that in seasons of intense change, I am given the opportunity to really stretch my faith. Will I trust God to heal my past? Will I trust God to provide right now in my pain, confusion, or heartache? Will I trust God to bring a remade new life to my future that feels so uncertain? Will I wait in faith in Him as I long for these answers and lament my situation? Those are the questions I must entrust to the Lord by faith right now. It is too easy to be distracted by all kinds of false hopes that become false gods to me.

So far in this season of grief and growth I am learning to avoid a few false hopes that have been disappointments to me. Here are three of them:

• The false hope of artificial community. In the age of Facebook and Instagram it is easy to think there is comfort in words and pictures. There is not. Give me face-to-face, heart-to-heart, soul-to-soul real fellowship around the common bond of Jesus Christ instead! Yes, some helpful communication can come via electronic means, but it always comes from people with whom I already have a strong personal, face-to-face, loving relationship.
• The false hope of superficial change. I can make physical changes that are not addressing my true spiritual need. I might benefit from healthier living, but that alone does not alleviate my loneliness. I might buy a new wardrobe. I might lose weight. I might improve my appearance. I might, and have, done all those things, but really, I just look better while still dealing with the same issues! Nothing superficial will create the comfort and change that God will bring as I wait for Him.
• The false hope of intoxicating busy-ness. I can pour myself into new activities and full ministry. In so doing, I have found myself trying to fill a void by “making” myself feel wanted, indispensable, and needed. The brief high I get from this only leads to a crash again once I am all alone. Serving as a “man pleaser” is not service waiting on God to supply. It is a false hope when done with my selfish energy and not from devotion to Christ. 

Lord, 

There is nothing like You. You act for me, in me, with me, for Your glory and my good. I hope ONLY in You! I turn from false hopes, from idols I have worshiped instead of You. You are my hope because You act for me!

Amen