Thought for the Week - 24/1/2021

 Dear Friends, 

In his book, God is in the Manger, the Lutheran pastor and theologian, Dietrich Bonhoeffer said, ‘Waiting is an art that our impatient world has forgotten’. There is an art to waiting well. Whether we are stuck in a traffic jam, impatient to get to our destination or home from a busy day at work, or whether we are waiting for news in the form of a letter, email, or other correspondence, the saying that my mum used to tell me as a child (and which I never really wanted to hear) was ‘patience is a virtue’, meaning that whatever it is we are waiting for, the quality of patience is invaluable, and the principle is the same, we have to relax, accept what we can’t control and focus positively on what we can. It is of course the same in our walk of faith with God in Jesus Christ that being patient will be of great value. We can be reminded that ‘with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like one day’ (2 Peter 3:8). God’s timing is perfect, he’s never early, never late, always on time because his timescales are eternal whereas ours are not. Because we live in a society that is always hurrying to the next thing, always wanting tasks and projects competed yesterday, we can think that this is how God operates, and become anxious and disturbed when the things we are asking for are not answered. But if we can learn the art of trusting in God when the waiting seems like it is lasting for ever then we can find comfort and strength from this. In the book of Revelation we read, ‘…he placed his right hand on me saying “Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, and the living one”’ (Revelation 1:17). So the next time we are wondering why we are experiencing a painfully long season in our lives, be reminded that with God, everything is in hand – his hands, that with him his timing is perfect, and ask what it is that he wants you to learn from such a time.   

Grace and peace,

Neil