"Even though the fig trees have no blossoms, and there are no grapes on the vine; even though the olive crop fails, and the fields lie empty and barren, even though the flocks die in the fields, and the cattle barns are empty. Yet I will rejoice in the LORD! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation. The Sovereign LORD is my strength! He will make me as surefooted as a deer and bring me safely over the mountain." Habakkuk 3;17-19.
In this passage of Scripture, we see Habakkuk singing a prayer to God. He's telling God that he has heard about Him and how wonderful and mighty He is. Habakkuk rehearses through all the great and mighty acts that God did for the children of Israel in the wilderness. Even though they went through all kinds of plagues, pestilences and wars, God brought them out. Then He sings the prayer, that no matter what it looks like, He knows he can trust God to bring him safely through every trial and tribulation; that all he has to do is wait on God. Waiting on God is one of the most important principles of life and being a Christian; besides trusting God and turning everything over to Him. He promises us great blessings, if we just wait on Him. Waiting means remaining in my present position until I hear from God for directions. It doesn't mean sitting around doing nothing, but it means knowing that God knows what He is doing, and allowing Him to do what He needs to do in order for His will to be done in my life.
God is working behind the scenes. You can't see what He is doing, but you have to trust Him. If you don't trust Him you will not wait. You are saying, "I don't trust His timing, I don't trust His purpose, I don't trust that He knows that He is doing." Then we step out of our waiting position and run ahead of God; messing up everything. We must learn to wait. Isaiah says, "But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." Isaiah 40:31. Waiting renews your strength. It builds up your spiritual muscles so that you can endure the trials of life. And not only that, you find that you are strong enough to carry someone else who may be in need of your help. So, your see, when we wait on the Lord, we are not just waiting for ourselves, but God has a plan in it all. Waiting is a process. We must ask God to teach us to wait; and to be willing to wait on Him. Job said, "All the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come." When we choose not to wait, we miss our blessing.
God is faithful and will surely keep His promises. Lamentations 3:26 says, "It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD.." To quietly wait, means that we are not worrying and fretting about what is taking so long. We wait believing that it will come to pass. "Though the vision tarry, wait for it." Habakkuk 2:3. At the appointed time, we will receive the blessing of the Lord. God has His own time schedule and we can't hurry Him. Wait for His salvation in the midst of your circumstance. He saved the Hebrew men in the fiery furnace; Daniel in the lions' den; David when fighting the lion, the bear, and Goliath; Jesus' disciples in the midst of the storm; the widow and her son in the famine: God saves us in the midst of every situation, every tribulation and He brings us out victoriously. Waiting teaches us patience. All the time we are waiting, God is working on us, getting us ready to receive the blessing. Psalm 62:5 says, "My soul, wait thou only upon God; my expectation is from Him." Wait on God and expect Him to do what He says. Believe His Word and know that it is true. If He said it, He will do it; wait on Him.
