Carly Simon sings, “Anticipation, It’s making me late . . . It’s keeping me waiting . . .”

Tom Petty sang, “The waiting is the hardest part, every day you see one more yard. You take on faith, you take it to the heart, the waiting is the hardest part.”

Both of these songs and more like them are about relationships. Both of them deal with the anxiety and uncertainty of waiting to see if the relationship will work out.

B.B. King and Randy Travis combined for a duet and sang, “Just waiting on the light to change.” A song about being ready to succeed in your efforts but one more thing needs to happen – the light needs to change to green so you can go on to success.

All these songs came to mind as I was sitting at an unnecessarily long red light this morning. I sat there and sat there and sat there. Finally, I did what you would do – I let off the brake just enough for the car to roll, hoping to “trip the light.” That did not work. Next, I put my left foot on the brake and rev’d the engine with my right foot, hoping to trip the light. Still, I sat there and sat there until the light changed.

Waiting.

We talked about waiting in Bible class Wednesday night. Samuel anointed David to be king over God’s people in 1 Samuel 16. David does not immediately become king. He becomes King of Judah in 2 Samuel 2 and after years of war Israel and Benjamin pledge their allegiance to him in 2 Samuel 5. Anointed and then wait – years, nearly a decade, before ruling as king.

I thought about others who waited. Abraham and Sarah for a child. The children of Israel to receive the land of promise. Elkanah and Hannah for a child – Samuel. These are just a few. God made a promise, these people believed and then had to wait.

Sometimes they tried to take matters into their own hands. Abraham and Sarah are examples of this impatient reaction. When they did, the story always takes a bad turn. Only when these people trusted God and His timing do things work out great.

Waiting.

Jesus promised to return and take us to His Father’s house where there are many dwelling places. We are still waiting. The souls under the altar in Revelation 6 pleaded, “How long before you will judge and avenge our blood . . . ?” We are still waiting.

What do we do while we wait?

• Share the good news
• Serve in His Kingdom
• Help those in need
• Praise the God who saves
• Be a light for God in this dark world.
• Renew your strength

“but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”  Isa 40:31

– Scott