Session 3

What it means to wait in expectation

From Habakkuk: A 7-Day Devotional

Today, banks make it pretty easy to order a new debit or credit card when yours has been compromised or lost. Back in the day, people had to go into the bank to get a new card. These days, one phone call and it’s headed straight for your mailbox.

But what if, after ordering the new card, you sat in your house day after day and stared out of the window at your mailbox, wondering where your card was but never bothering to go check it? Or, maybe you got too busy to stop and check the mailbox, so you just continued to rush past it every day. Obviously, you would not get your card. You wouldn’t even know if the card was ever there.

That may seem like a silly response to a pressing matter, but so many of us do that with God. We are quick to ask God for answers, but do we put ourselves in a position to receive them? We live in a fast-paced, instant gratification driven world where a slow answer often means no answer. If we don’t receive immediate answers, we jump to the next solution or try to figure things out on our own.

The prophet Habakkuk asked God questions then put himself in the best position possible to hear God’s answer. Not only did he position himself to hear, he waited. He waited in expectation (Habakkuk 2:1).

God hears every prayer, and answers them how He sees fit. Not how we see fit. Sometimes we have to wait for direction, but waiting is not the same as doing nothing. To wait with expectation is to continue seeking God believing He hears us and has something to say.

Reflect:

• Is there a prayer you have given up on because you haven’t seen an answer?
• Habakkuk compares his waiting stance to that of a watchman in a watchtower. How would you describe your attitude to waiting on God?
• What is one way you can better position yourself to hear from God today?