Hearing His Voice #341

Wait patiently for the LORD. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the LORD.

Psalm 27:14

Ents, the treelike beings of J. R. R. Tolkien’s Middle Earth, were known for having meandering conversations with seemingly tangential trails that might or might not come back to the subject at hand. Such conversations would be painfully tedious in a world of e-mails and text messages, but in developing relationships, they might be enlightening.

Our well-conditioned impatience wars against God’s Ent-like conversations with us. Microwaves, drive-thru windows, and ATMs have allegedly made life easier, but they have also made a relationship with God much more difficult. We have learned to expect that if things don’t work out quickly, they won’t work out at all. And in a conversation with God, that simply isn’t true. His dealings with us are usually a process. A lengthy one.

It takes courage to remain focused on God when He seems absent or silent. The faith required to take a step forward is usually easier than the faith required to wait when everything in us is itching for a resolution. When we’ve asked God to speak to us, give us direction, or work out a problem, it’s much easier to believe “it just wasn’t His will” than to believe He is still planning to accomplish what we asked, though the answer is lagging long after the request. Holding on to faith in a situation that dictates against it requires fortitude, patience, and boldness.

We strive for efficiency in our lives. It’s a common cultural value in a postmodern world. But God values drawing out our interaction with Him into a piece of artwork. He’s writing an epic poem in our lives, and we’ll miss Him if we have a Post-it note mentality. We need to sit. And listen. And listen some more. And be very, very patient. And over time, we will find the conversation entirely satisfying.

Lord, my conversations with You resemble Morse code more than lengthy and winding dialogues. Yet You have so much to say in the process of communication other than the words themselves. Give me patience—and courage—to hear You in the pauses and tangents of our talks.