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T.O.W. Truck Assignment

   Those of us who grew up going to Sunday School are likely to complete the phrase “Trust and _______,” with the word obey.  Not only is this a line from a familiar hymn, but we know that trust and obedience are vital to a strong relationship with God. I have learned, however, that trust and obey, are not enough.  I need to add another word to that phrase.  The word is WAIT.

   In Genesis 22, I read about Abrahams’s willingness to trust and obey God by offering his son, Isaac, as a sacrifice.  When Abraham knew what God desired of him, Abraham immediately obeyed God’s directive. (Genesis 22:1-2) Abraham was willing to obey God, because Abraham trusted God, even though God’s request was hard to understand.  In this passage, God appeared to talked to Abraham in what was, if not audible, at least, a very clear directive.  I always think it would be easier to obey God, if God spoke directly to me, like that.  There have been times when I have felt God’s directive so clearly that I might have said, “God told me to… “, but God has never spoken to me in an audible voice.  Most often when I ask God for direction in my life, God doesn’t seem to respond, at least not quickly.  The answer God gives me most, and the answer that I desire the least is “Wait.” 

   Wait!  Waiting does not seem like an answer at all!  I feel dismissed. I feel useless. Being a doer by nature, wait equates with God ignoring my plea.   Surely, there is some small thing God needs me to be doing now.   “Yes,” God says, “There is something I need you to be doing now.  I need you to be waiting on me.”  I have learned that if I trust God, then I will obey God, and I will wait.

   The idea of waiting reminded me of actors in a play.  How ridiculous it would be if some bit player continually ran onto the stage and asked, “What am I supposed to do now?  “Do you need me now?”  The director would say, “Get off the stage and wait for your part!”  God is the director of this earthly play.  Sad to say, but God often has to remind this bit player to stay off the stage until God has prepared the set for my part.”  God is a God of order, and my part won’t make sense until its time.

   Although waiting is difficult, waiting is as much a part of God’s plan for me, as is action.  Waiting is how God builds my trust in Him, and how God measures my current level of faith.  Do I trust the Director of life? Am I willing to obey his directive?  Will I wait, without complaint, for Him to act?  As I consider God’s will for my life today, I realize that how I demonstrate trust and obedience most powerfully is through my ability to wait on God.  Waiting is trusting. Waiting is obeying.  I have labeled this Spiritual exercise my T.O.W. Truck assignment.  T.O.W.=Trust, Obey, and Wait.  I may not be able to drive that truck, but I know wherever that truck takes me, it will be good.

Contributed by Carolyn Primm