Wait and Watch

Wait and Watch
By: Brittany Shields

My husband makes trick shot videos for YouTube. One particular day when he was working on a shot, my girls were hyper with anticipation.

“What are you doing?!” they asked at least 10 times.

“Wait and watch.” I told them.

And I was immediately reminded of the book of Habakkuk.

“I will take my stand at my watchpost and station myself on the tower, and look out to see what he will say to me…” (2:1)

Habakkuk has filed some complaints against the Lord. He sees the evil and violence around him and wonders why God is silent.

Can’t God hear him? Doesn’t he care? Can’t he do anything to save his people?Why is the Lord idle?

God answers Habakkuk’s complaints like this:

“Look among the nations, and see; wonder and be astounded. For I am doing a work in your days that you would not believe if told.” (1:5)

Sometimes we are like Habakkuk. Like my daughters. We don’t like to wait. Especially when we don’t know what’s about to happen.

My daughters wanted to know what Daddy could possibly do with a frisbee, a cup, and a bunch of ping pong balls. And if he had told them, I don’t think they would believe it. How could he accomplish that? I bet they would have some ideas of something easier he could do with those things. And maybe even something THEY could accomplish with those items.

But when he completes his trick shot, they stand in amazement! How could he do that? That was better than they had ever imagined!

Of course, every analogy breaks down at some point and the circumstances of a trick shot are morally neutral and emotionally positive, but I couldn’t help but see the connection of my daughters waiting and watching. Trusting that their father had a plan they wouldn’t believe if he told them. A plan that would bring them joy.

The same principles and heart of this analogy is portrayed in the book of Habakkuk and in our own lives on a regular basis.

We look at our circumstances and we wonder why things seem to be falling apart or don’t make sense; the sum of the parts don’t compute.

“Abba, what are you doing?!”

Our anticipation and resistance to waiting may be in fear and grief rather than hyper anticipation, but nonetheless we need to wait and watch. The Lord is at work.

The pieces of our lives that don’t seem to fit together, that bring us pain or confusion, do in fact work together to accomplish God’s plan for us.

In Habakkuk’s day the Lord raised and fell nations to bring about his plan. In ways that were truly unbelievable outside the sovereign and powerful hand of God.

Habakkuk stood at his watchtower— his sentinel post— watching and waiting on the Lord. With expectant hope.

For Habakkuk and the Israelites God had some discipline to enact in response to their disobedience, but he promised them victory. He would preserve them through the trial and justice would prevail.

Our struggles are not always acts of God’s discipline, but the outcome is the same. God will preserve his people and he will be victorious.

We need to stand in our watchtower too. We wait knowing that God is working. We watch knowing that God will prove faithful. We trust knowing that God loves us and loves to redeem.

When will God grow my family?
Why did I lose my job?
Where is the justice for the evil in this world?

Wait and watch.

What good could come from having to move?
How can I ever experience joy or hope again?
When will my work be meaningful?

Wait and watch.

Where is God?
What is he doing?
When will it end?

Wait and watch.

Trust in his goodness, look for his faithfulness, and rest in his grace.

“But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.” (Isaiah 40:31)

“I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope; my soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning.” (Psalm 130:5)

"I waited patiently for the Lord; he inclined to me and heard my cry." (Psalms 40:1)

"The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still." (Exodus 14:14)

“The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.” (Lam 3:25-26)

“Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you. For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him.” (Isaiah 30:18)

"Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer." (Romans 12:12)

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