Do you feel like you are in God's waiting room, wondering when He's going to call you back and deliver on one of His promises? Take a ticket, take a seat...but it seems like your number never comes up. Everything seems to come easily to others, but not you. It's somewhat like circling the airport and your plane never gets to the number one spot to land.
Here's a picture that God gave me about hard times and waiting. It helps for me to review it as I, too, am waiting for some promises to be released.
Imagine you are standing on a mountain next to Jesus. He takes your hand and starts to walk you down toward the valley. As you descend a layer of fog appears. Clouds blanket the valley below obscuring your vision. Soon you are both engulfed in the fog. Although you can feel your hand in His, you have trouble seeing Jesus clearly. After a short while you reach the valley, but it is totally black as if the sun has set and it's a moonless, starless night. You cannot even see your hand in front of your face. You also realize that you no longer sense His presence.
This is the valley of the death of a vision. Many give up and miss receiving God's best. A month, a year, or perhaps many years ago God promised something - healing, restoration of a relationship or financial turn around. Yet no amount of prayer or faith seems to bring results. In fact, difficult circumstances have inserted themselves right when you were expecting a blessing.
Did God change His mind?
Oswald Chambers talk about death of a vision in his devotional, My Utmost for His Highest. During this phase of waiting, it seems as if God has either left or changed His mind. However, this is a time of testing. In the valley, God tests our faith. He molds us, hammers us and refines us into the image of His Son.
In the picture referred to earlier, the Lord showed me that if I wait in the dark and trust Him and His word, if I hang on to His promise and add my faith to it, there will come a time when Jesus reaches up and pulls a little chain and a small light comes on. Then I can see crates stacked here and there as if we are in a dimly lit warehouse. Jesus walks over to one and opens it up. Inside is a gift for me - a spiritual gift. Another crate is opened and it contains the promise.
When the picture was complete, I asked the Lord, "Why is there fog covering the valley of darkness?"
"Would you willingly go there if you could see the dark times coming?", He asked.
Would any of us volunteer for the crisis we just came through or the next one waiting around the corner? Probably not.
The Word talks about treasures hidden in the darkness. We get to see those treasures when we abide in (lean on, trust in and totally rely on) Him. In the valley of the death of a vision, we need to "Be still and know that I am God (Psalm 46:10)."
Is it easy to wait? Not for me. Waiting is a test of our faith. We need to ask God what He is trying to teach us during this time. Sadly, many get angry at God, give up and decide to do life their own way. We have to guard against bitterness and resentment, too. Discipline and hardship are not fun, but God disciplines those He loves as a father disciplines a child. Happiness is fleeting and does not teach us anything. True joy comes when we walk with Him through the dark valleys with a teachable heart and come up out of the darkness more spiritually mature.
Here are some promises from God: [Amplified translation]
I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. [I will] not, [I will] not, [I will] not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let [you] down [relax My hold on] you! (Hebrews 13:5)
My God will liberally supply your every need according to His riches in glory i n Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:19)
But seek first of all His kingdom and His righteousness and then all these things taken together will be given to you besides. (Matthew 6:33)
What can we do while we are in God's waiting room? Meditation on God's Word, prayer, and praise and worship are all faith builders while waiting for the 'darkness' to dissipate. Knowing there are treasures hidden in the darkness comforts me when I feel all alone in a crisis or time of testing.
The key to remember is that God does not forget His promises if we are faithful and obedient. He never forsakes us.
Will we pass the test?
