Waiting by the Brook: Learning to Wait Patiently on GodSample

Dependence or Collaboration?

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13, NKJV

Is our waiting experience about helpless dependence or a call to collaborative partnership with God? I suggest that it is the latter. Inasmuch as God wants us to depend on Him as we wait, we make a serious mistake if we think waiting means sitting by idly twiddling our thumbs. God makes provisions for the answer to our prayers, but he invites us to work with Him towards the solution.

There are many instances in scripture where we see an invitation extended to individuals by a loving God for them to be part of the solution to a problem for which He does not really need their help. For example, In Eden, God invites Adam to be part of the creative process by taking care of the garden and naming the animals (Genesis 2:15 & 20). In his first miracle, Jesus asks the servants at the wedding in Cana to fill the vessels with water (John 2:1-12). He tells a blind man to walk to the pool and wash the mud off his eyes so that he can see (John 9:1-6). Then we see God sending Elijah to a widow with a little oil and flour where the widow must turn the flour into dough to make bread before the miracle of a never-ending supply can take place (1 Kings17:8-16). Interesting, isn’t it?

God delights in having us unite the gifts he has given us in support of the calling He has on our lives. Our role is to use our creativity, the gifts He has given, the wisdom set forth in His word united with the wisdom passed on to us from spiritual individuals, and the promptings of the Holy Spirit to move from provision to solutions.

It is a misconception to believe that while we are “waiting by the brook,” this is a time when God will do it all for us. Instead, viewed properly, this is the season where God invites us into an intimate collaboration with him to accomplish His purpose in our life. However, without the proper mindset, we can miss the invitation altogether. Brook experiences can be periods of dormancy or periods of intentional activity where we seek to do all that we can to bring our will in alignment with God’s purpose for our life.

Reflect: Ask yourself, “How can I best position myself during this period of waiting to align my gifts and abilities to accomplish God’s purpose in my life?” Ask God’s Holy Spirit to reveal to you what God is asking you to do during this time of waiting.