How Long Will You Tarry With Me?
In a world of instants, that is, instant noodles and foods
which are ready in a moment with the technology of microwaves and the like.
With instant and immediate responses through social media and other digital technologies.
I sensed the Lord Jesus ask this morning, how long are you
willing to tarry with me. It is this question that Jesus asked of Peter and the
disciples as he prayed just prior to being betrayed by Judas in the Garden of Gethsemane.
Throughout scripture we see a pattern of waiting, waiting
for the promises, waiting for the blessing, waiting for substitute and most
certainly waiting for the breakthrough in prayer. Yet, I sense that waiting for
these things is not something that we do easily in our generation. This I believe
is because we have been conditioned to have everything now!
I remember the first home we ever bought; it was a 45 year
old, red brick dump on one of the busiest highways in the city. The first night
my mother and father in law came to stay they almost died of fright as they
believed a semi-trailer was driving into their bedroom as they slept. However,
many people today want all the nice homes and cars the moment they are married
or finish their studies. However, the blessing and promises of God and
especially the breakthrough we need come as we are willing to wait!
My favourite verse in the bibles is Isa 40:31 “They that
wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up on wings of
eagles, they shall walk and not grow weary, they shall run and not be faint”.
As powerful and even terrifying as eagles may appear, even they know the
benefits of waiting for the thermal wind drafts to lift them to soaring
heights. They know the power and advantage they have by utilising the natural
thermal currents that exist in the heights which enable them to soar above
their enemies and gain the advantage in sight and speed of their attack. If we
see this waiting as symbolic of waiting for the Lord and for the Holy Spirit to
establish a “Holy Ease” in which we are able to be carried above our
circumstances, then we shall know the power of waiting.
Over and over in scripture we find great men and women in
the bible who were willing to wait upon the Lord. Though Abraham and Sarah were
old and certainly beyond the years of child birth, they waited for the promises
and received. Again, though Isaac was born to them in their late age, they were
still willing to offer him back to the Lord, believing the Lord could and would
raise him from the dead. And yet, as they travelled to Mt Moriah and waited on
the Lord, by being obedient to build the altar and prepare for the offering,
they were rewarded with a stag which took the place of Isaac.
Again, Moses spent such a long time on Mt Sinai waiting on
the Lord to prepare his heart and write on the tablets of stone that the people
became impatient. Though absent for just forty days, they instructed Aaron to
form for them a golden calf to worship. Though scripture does not indicate precisely
how long this must have taken, it is obvious that fashioning a stature of this
size must have taken some time and yet upon seeing this, Moses was willing to
return again to the mountain of the Lord to be in His presence.
Jesus, when tested in the dessert was taken by the devil to
be tempted on the highest mountain and the temple mount after he spent 40 days
waiting on God with no food or water. Most of us today can’t wait one or two
days before breaking our fast and leaving God’s presence to replenish our
bodies.
In each of these examples we find it is in the waiting, the
time taken to grow our character, faith, trust and understanding of God’s ways,
before we receive the reward. Though we want everything to be here now, it is
through faithful endurance that the greatest of rewards are received, especially
the reward of his eternal kingdom. Paul writes to the church in Philippi and
says, “I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me
heavenward in Christ Jesus.”
In our faith, let us not grow weary or faint, but rather tarry
with our Lord, knowing it is he, the High Priest, who is interceding for us day
and night. How long are you willing to tarry?
