I woke up even earlier than usual, so early in fact, the coffee pot has not even begun to drip. The time the pot is set for has not yet come.
I am thinking about how much time is spent waiting …
- in lines
- for promotions
- for a house
- for a job opening
- for retirement
- for a baby to be arrive
- to get a grade back on an exam
- for a day off
- for healing
- for birthdays, anniversaries and other celebrations
- for a vacation
- to get married
- for the coffee to finish perking {{oops, that’s me this morning!!!}}
We wait a lot and often. Waiting, as defined by dictionary.com, is “to remain inactive or in a state of repose, as until something expected happens; to be available or in readiness; to postpone or delay in expectation.”
We remain inactive – resting ”“ until something expect happens.
“But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law.” (Galatians 4:4, NASB)
God also knew about waiting. He had set the time, in the course of all mankind, for Christ to come.
Here’s the thing I learned about the word “fullness” from the New Testament Lexical Aids:
- “It denotes the completion of a particular period of time previously ordained and appointed.”
- It also means “to make full, to fill up”.
What is it we are waiting for or waiting to occur?
We wait, resting in Him, until something happens. The NLT puts it this way, “but when the right time came, God sent his Son.” If it hasn’t happened yet, perhaps He knows it is not the right time just yet. But when the right time comes, the time set by Him, He is going to fill us up beyond our expectations.
“Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; And in Your book were all written The days that were ordained for me, When as yet there was not one of them.”
(Psalm 139:16, NASB)
May we wait in expectation for the fullness of time,
for it will be the right time.
Susan Shipe reminds us of prophecies fulfilled concerning the birth of Jesus. Why? “It is the deepest desire of my heart that all those I love, family and friends, will take a chance on this Gift to mankind ”“ the Christ child.” It’s my prayer as well. You can read her post, “It Wasn’t An Accident” HERE.
We are moving closer towards Christmas Day! Our lives are the gift we offer one another so may we be fully present with our families. May we also open our hearts to receive the greatest gift – Jesus – and give Him room to work in our hearts. May each of you have a blessed Christmas! We’ll resume back here on January 4th.
Photo by Debby Hudson on Unsplash
Today I am joining …
Waiting is not easy, but we have to trust that God knows the right time even if his idea of that is different from ours! Hope you have a lovely Christmas!
May you have a most blessed Christmas, Lesley!
What a sweet surprise to see my writing as a reference, sweet Jo’… We have no greater joy than to know our loved ones walk in Truth, amen?
Amen! Merry Christmas to you and yours!
The bible has much to say about waiting … for one thing, it says those that wait will get stronger. (Isaiah 40:31)
Merry Christmas, Joanne! I am grateful for your hosting of Let’s Have Coffee.
Amen, Jerralea! I am grateful you come and share! May you and yours have a most blessed Christmas!
Waiting…with expectation…and He never disappoints…because He is worth the wait!
May you have a grace-filled Christmas!
Amen! May you and yours have a most blessed Christmas!
Joanne, I enjoyed your thoughts on “waiting”. I like the word “fullness” with all its nuances. “Fullness” signals completeness, nothing else to be added. I rejoice that the timing of Christ’s birth was so perfect, nothing else needed to be in place or to be added for His Coming!
Donna, I am so glad you shared. Nothing needs to be added for He is all we need! May you have a most blessed Christmas, sweet friend!
A lovely post today Joanne!
And while we wait He is working in all our loved one’s lives.
Also we await His return! Come again Lord Jesus!
I pray you have a wonderful & blessed Christmas sweet friend, Jennifer 💖
Jennifer, may we continue to wait for He will complete all He has begun! May you have a blessed Christmas, sweet friend!
Good morning, Joanne. Just this morning I am waiting to go to the doctor for a routine physical. Not enjoying it very much because I can’t have my coffee or anything to eat yet. 🙂 Your words about waiting are so comforting and encouraging … Psalm 139:16 is one of my favorite verses. Hugs and Merry Christmas, friend!
Lois, I fully understand the no coffee. I always schedule my appointments early so that I can get my blood drawn and head home to enjoy a full pot 🙂 May you and yours have a blessed Christmas!
Standing in line at the grocery store today, I was amazed at the hustle and bustle of customers. The lady in front of me said she had been waiting a while. She smiled and continued to wait. I mentioned how we all need to have patience. My husband and I waited for our turn to purchase groceries. Some days need more patience than others. I am thankful God is patient with me. Merry Christmas! 🙂
Melissa, you made me realize something I hadn’t thought of this year. I had our groceries delivered this week. But … the person doing the shopping had to wait in line in my place. Realizing this made me appreciate them all the more. It also made me deeply appreciate all the more, the gift of my salvation, for Christ also took my place. Thank you for sharing your thoughts on waiting in line as they were appreciated! May you and yours have a most blessed Christmas!
We really are always waiting for something. So grateful we can trust God’s timing!
We truly are, Bethany. May we wait well and keep trusting Him! May you and yours have a blessed Christmas!
Waiting is not my strong point, Joanne, but I’m so grateful for God’s patience and perfect timing.
I’m so sorry I didn’t get by to wish you a happy Christmas, but I trust you had a good one. Waiting is hard, but God has built so much of into into history, He must have a purpose for it. May He give us grace and patience to wait on His timing.