The idea for my book, Shipwrecked! Learning From The Bible Bad Guys, started with my study of the life of King Saul. I could see several of my faults in his life, particularly as I read about his unwillingness to wait for Samuel at a critical time during his reign.
From this wayward king, I discovered a strategy for waiting amidst the faulty reasons he gave to Samuel for his disobedience. If we can avoid the places where his thinking went awry, it helps us wait for whatever we hope will happen soon, but doesn't. We have all been there.
I believe if there is one shared experience among followers of Christ, it is that of waiting. He often makes us wait for:
- The right person to come along to marry
- The job we desire
- The money to pay all our bills
- Healing to get over the flu or a sinus infection
- His intervention in a crisis we face
- A slow driver to finally get out of the passing lane (perhaps of lesser importance)
I am sure you can add several other things to the above list. In an era where answers come so quickly via our computers and smartphones, it’s especially difficult when God does not immediately remedy our dilemmas.
So, what do we do when the Lord makes us wait, particularly in painful situations?
In my book, I provide 4 strategies for waiting that helped me immensely during my lengthy time of waiting years ago. I could develop each tactic here, but that would make this post far too long.
So, the best way to communicate them to you is through my book, through an invitation to speak, or both.