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But as for me, I will look to the LORD;
I will wait for the God of my salvation;
my God will hear me.
Micah 7:7 (ESV)

Oh, I’ve been waiting so long…

Sometimes it’s someone I’m waiting to talk to on the phone or sometimes it’s waiting to get through a traffic light. It’s a thought that creeps in often. I think they call it impatience.

But thirteen years ago, when I kissed my husband goodbye as he headed off on a business trip, I never dreamed I would have to wait so long to see him again. What a reunion it will be—right after I see Jesus!

When I was eight, my friend took me to listen to her dad preach. The moment I heard that there was a God who loved me, I was in—with everything a child’s heart can give. I accepted the gift of salvation, and I’ve been waiting for the Lord ever since.

Working Out our Salvation

My road to work out my salvation has been a long, twisty, winding one. It was decades before I even really understood what it meant to have a relationship with the Lord. Getting enmeshed in sin time and time again, painfully finally learning how to surrender to His will. It wasn’t by chance that when the State Troopers showed up at my house to tell me my husband had been killed, I was teaching a lesson about El Shaddai – the All-Sufficient One.

Becoming a widow turns our world, upside down, inside out, and every which way. Things and people we counted on are instantly ripped away and we have no idea what to do. Except we know to look to the Lord! We know He sees us and He loves us.

No Greater Love

Long ago, He showed us the magnitude of His love. Not in the way we would have imagined or asked for. Over two thousand years ago His Son was born. He humbled himself with a lowly birth as a human, to one day die on the cross to pay for our sins. God sent His son Jesus, because of His great love for each and every one of us. He did it so that those of us who believe could have eternal life with Him. We may have heard this story hundreds or even thousands of times, But let us not take it lightly or lose sight of God’s tremendous love for us.

Remembering

I have wonderful memories over the years of how much my husband loved me and the little ways he would show it. The simple act of always putting a glass of water beside my bed at night in case I woke up thirsty. A simple, faithful act, that constantly reminded me I was loved and cared for. Something I had never asked for but grew to treasure as I began to understand the heart motivation that prompted him to do it every single night. I feel the same way about communion.

As we take communion, we are reminded of what Jesus did for us on the cross. His body was broken for us and His blood was shed for us. All of us. That kind of love is beyond our comprehension!

The Wait is Worth It

One day we will see Jesus face to face. The face of the One who loves us beyond our comprehension. It brings me to tears just to try and imagine it. And as I bask in that love face to face, I will also be reunited with the very people He put in my life to show me His love for all eternity! No more waiting, no more longing, no more tears. Oh, what a glorious reunion it will be – one day. But until then, we wait.

He is our Greatest Reward

The Good News is we don’t have to wait alone! God is with us! His love flows to us and through us to others. He created us to be a part of His body. All we need to do is to look to Him and allow Him to be the Lord of our lives. We don’t have to have all the answers or figure it all out. No grand gesture or endless amount of work is required to gain His love and acceptance.

I am loved.

You are loved.

Nothing we ever do or say can change that. He is with us. Today, tomorrow, and every day after. He is the greatest gift we will ever get. And one day, before we know it, He will return. Either for us personally or for all of us. He will return to create the New Heavens and the New Earth. And then the waiting will finally be over for all of us. Hallelujah!

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for loving us more than we can comprehend. Your love is everything. It is who You are! We praise You and worship You forever. In Your Son’s Holy and Precious Name. Amen.