The Gift in Waiting

I sit in the quiet of the night, with the glimmering lights upon the tree.  I wait for sleep to come, but instead a gift...Here is that gift.

To the people of Israel, waiting had become a drudgery.  The prophets of God had long ago become silent.  Darkness pervaded their lives.  The Messiah they were waiting for had not come.  At first, expectation was high.  Words such as,  "He said the Messiah would come, it must be soon." could be heard.  The years marched on. Disappointment, despair, and discouragement rolled over them as the waiting continued.  Nothing happened.  No voice from heaven, no promise fulfilled, no Messiah.  Just silence.  That awful, deafening silence.  Years and years of silence.

In our times of silence, each must choose to go on or to give up.  Many of God's people had given up.  They had given up on God.  They had given up on the promise of the Messiah.  Nothing had happened.  Why keep on hoping and have those hopes dashed year after year.
Yet, others chose to linger a bit longer on the Scriptures.  The promises of the Creator God were read again and again.  Hearts were drawn upward and became strangely warmed.

For instance, the shepherds, though a poor group, had a heart still longing for a word from heaven.  The waiting seemed interminable, yet they still hung on.  The hope kindled by the promises of the bygone prophets once again did its work among this humble gathering of shepherds.  With determination, they climbed away from despair and upward toward God Almighty.

As the days and years marched on in their lives, they continued to feed the flame of hope until the day came when heaven's angels swept down to that cold and darkened hillside.  Light filled the sky, as well as their hearts.  The glorious news swept through their being.  The Messiah had come!  Hope was not in vain.  They lingered their on the hillside for a moment, as the last words were spoken and the light began to fade.  Nevertheless, the light in their spirit burned ever brighter.  With glad hearts, they hurried to Bethlehem.  There in the that lowly stable they worshipped the Son of God.  The long nights of despair and discouragement were in the past.  The promise had been fulfilled.  Their waiting had not been in vain.

This Advent Season, as we read the Scriptures each night, we hear those words spoke so long ago.  Words that can kindle the hope once again.  We know now, that God has fulfilled the promises of sending a Saviour for the world.  If He can keep promises that huge, he is still able to keep promises today, though they be long in coming.

Sometimes the waiting for that answer, for direction, for a light to fill the darkened sky of our lives is long and lonely.  The waiting seems to be all  for nothing.  Yet,  when we choose to turn our hearts back to the words of the Father, something happens within us.  Our hearts yearn to hear His voice again.  Our spirit once again longs for that inner knowledge that God does not fail.

The 300+ prophecies that involve Christ, which have been fulfilled, feed our souls.  We are astounded at all the circumstances that were ordered by our God.  In His time, it came to pass.  As this knowledge seeps into our souls, we know that God is in control of our circumstances, of our waiting time.  In his time, his work will be accomplished in our lives.

Throughout this Advent season, as we await His coming, our hearts must be awakened and our lives ready for the Saviour's dawning on our individual lives.  Grasp this waiting time as a gift to feed our hearts with the words and promises of our Faithful God.

I linger just a moment longer in the soft lights of the tree, and I thank God for the times of waiting that become filled with the hope and knowledge of His Word.  The times when discouragement is pushed back and this gift found in waiting is accepted.