The Waiting that Saved a Nation

⁷ Then Esther answered and said, "My petition and request is this: ⁸ If I have found favour in the sight of the king, and if it pleases the king to grant my petition and fulfil my request, then let the king and Haman come to the banquet which I will prepare for them, and tomorrow I will do as the king has said." (Esther 5:7-8)

Having already fasted and prayed for three days, Esther was granted an opportunity to speak with the king about her petition to save the Jews from Haman's decree. Instead of immediately presenting her petition, she invited the king and Haman to a banquet. One would expect that she would take advantage of this opportunity to present her petition, but Esther chose to wait one more night. She decided to present her petition at the next night's supper. By waiting this extra day, Esther allowed time for God to intervene on her behalf.

If you read Esther 6:1, you will see that it was through God's perfect timing that, on this specific night, the king was unable to sleep. The chronicles were brought to him to read in the hopes that it would make him fall asleep. If Esther had presented her petition the day before, she would have missed the chance for the king to read about Mordecai's role in uncovering a plot to assassinate him. 

We are in a jet age, where speed is of the essence. No one wants to wait. Waiting is like wasting. We live in a culture of instant gratification. We want it now, and if we do not get it, we become frustrated. Some even kill to get what they want. Others sell their soul to get material things that can wait. Some young men want to drive the latest car at a young age to feel part of the elite. The concept of growth has been trashed. All we want now is to jump the process to reach our goal.  

Indeed, there is no greater enemy to intimacy with God than this. If someone or something is truly important, it is worth the wait. We only wait for what we value. When it is all said and done, waiting is worship. If you chose to ignore the protocol of an ancient king (or of a modern leader, for that matter), your access would be denied, and in extreme cases, you could even be executed for "rushing" the throne.

Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint." (Isaiah 40:31)

A wise man once said, when you jump up, you come down, but when you grow up, you stay up. So we need to learn the culture and imbibe the virtue of waiting. The key to soaring high in life like an eagle is by waiting. 

That verse illustrates the lifestyle of the eagle. The eagle doesn't fly like other birds; it soars. Meaning it spreads its wings at an impossible height. It soars best when there is a storm and then spreads its wings full length as it enjoys the ride on the waves of the storm. But, for it to achieve this magnificent feat, it has to wait. The eagle cannot generate the storm; it has to wait in the mountains for as long as it takes for the storm. 

This should be our lifestyle also. Our best is surely going to happen. Where we are is not our end, it's only a bend. God said in Jeremiah 29:11, "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope." His plans for you would only come to pass when you wait. Learn to postpone gratification until the right time.

Some people have arrived too soon and lost the glory. Others have lived and are forgotten. But when you wait for the right moment, the glory will last. We serve a God of order. The Bible talks about Jesus in Luke 2:51, "Then He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was subject to them, but His mother kept all these things in her heart." He had just finished an interactive session with the leaders and teachers in the temple, and it seemed like a perfect opportunity to announce that He is the saviour. But, no, the time wasn't ripe. He was twelve and had to follow His parents and was subject to them. 

So, wait. You don't need to steal to have anything. God can give you that thing. But He asked that you trust Him enough to wait for His timing.

Father, in the name of Jesus, I pray that you fill my heart with the virtue of patience. I pray that I will not rush out of the process into frustration. Instead, help me wait for the time allotted to me in life. I decree that my heart is filled with the spirit of patience. In Jesus' name. Amen.