When Waiting Feels Like Forever

When Waiting Feels Like Forever

Introduction: Everyone is Waiting for Something

Good morning. My name is Allison, and I serve as the youth and young adult pastor here. I'm excited that we get to gather around God's word today.

Over the last couple of months, we've been going through the Book of Mark, and I believe God is calling our church into a new level of faith—a faith that is not based on what we see, what we can do, or even what we hear, but a faith that is rooted in Jesus.

Today, I want to invite you to lean into some thoughts about what it looks like to wait well when we are waiting for a miracle. When we wait, waiting can either strengthen our faith or weaken it. It is my hope that when we leave today, you will understand that we all have a choice in deciding what that looks like.

The Reality of Waiting

Regardless of your age or where you are in life, everybody is waiting for something. If you're in elementary school, you can't wait to get to middle school. If you're in high school, you can't wait to go to college. If you're in college, you can't wait to get married. And if you're married, you can't wait to have kids. And if you already have kids... well, you can't wait for them to leave.

Waiting does something to us. Sometimes we're on an incredible high and we're like, "Yes, God can do it." And then you have those weird seasons where you're like, "God, are you going to do this?" It brings emotions to our hearts where we start to question whether God will come through for the thing that we're hoping for, that we're believing for.

The Story: Jairus and the Woman with the Issue of Blood

Let's look at Mark 5:21-24, 35-42. Pay attention to the details.

When Jesus had again crossed over by boat to the other side of the lake, a large crowd gathered around him while he was by the lake. Then one of the synagogue leaders named Jairus came. And when he saw Jesus, he fell at his feet. He pleaded earnestly with him, "My little daughter is dying. Please come and put your hands on her so that she will be healed and live." So Jesus went with him.

Then we skip ahead:

While Jesus was still speaking, some people came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue leader. "Your daughter is dead," they said. "Why bother the teacher anymore?" Overhearing what they said, Jesus told him, "Don't be afraid. Just believe." He did not let anyone follow him except Peter, James, and John, the brother of James. When they came to the home of the synagogue leader, Jesus saw a commotion with people crying and wailing loudly. He went in and said to them, "Why all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead, but asleep." But they laughed at him. After he put them all out, he took the child's father and mother and the disciples who were with him and went in where the child was. He took her by the hand and said to her, "Talitha koum," which means, "Little girl, I say to you, get up." Immediately the girl stood up and began to walk. She was 12 years old. And at this, they were completely astonished.

Understanding the Context

Jairus was a synagogue leader—a man of status, power, and authority. He had resources and the ability to change things. But in this moment, his resources and status cannot change his circumstances. His daughter is dying, and he realizes he needs to find the one person who can help: Jesus.

We don't know exactly how long it took Jairus to find Jesus, but imagine walking, slowly, recognizing the desperate state of your daughter, searching for Jesus. When he finally finds him, Jesus doesn't hesitate. He simply says, "I'll go with you."

But then something unexpected happens. Before Jesus can even reach Jairus's house, He is stopped by someone else—a woman who has been struggling with an issue of blood for 12 years. She has spent all her resources trying to get better, going to doctors, looking for a solution. Everywhere she went, she got worse. But she says, "If I can only touch the hem of his garment, I will be healed."

So here we have two people: a man whose daughter's life is on the line, and a woman struggling with an issue of blood. Both of them believe that if the Savior touches the situation, He can change everything.

What Faith Really Is

As I studied both of these characters, I realized something crucial: Faith isn't about believing God can perform the miracle. Faith is trusting Him to do it when it hasn't happened yet.

Let me repeat that: Faith is trusting Him when it hasn't happened yet.

Four Truths About Waiting Well

1. Learn How to Lean Into Your Desperation

When we hear the word "desperation," we often think it's creepy or weakness. But I'm here to tell you: desperation is not weakness—it's a currency of the kingdom.

Both Jairus and the woman had exhausted every single thing they could think of. They were at their lowest. But their desperation didn't take them to giving up. Their desperation took them to the King.

Where is your desperation taking you? Is it taking you to His word, or to substances? To His presence, or to other people's opinions? Desperation is a posture where you say: "I can't, but I know He can. My resources can no longer change this situation, but I know He can."

2 Corinthians 12:9 says:

My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weakness, so that Christ's power may rest on me.

Only in the kingdom economy can weakness look like strength. When we get to the end of ourselves, God says, "I'll take it from here." That's where we become strong.

2. Hold On to the Evidence of What He Has Done

All throughout scripture, we see countless stories of the power of Jesus. In the Gospels, we see:

• His power over nature when He calmed the storms
• His power in provision when He fed the 5,000 and the 4,000
• His power over disease when He healed the woman with the issue of blood
• His power over demons when He healed the demon-possessed man
• His power over death when He raised Lazarus and His own daughter—and ultimately when He rose from the dead

There is evidence everywhere.

You have to start holding on to the things He's done. Because what the enemy wants to do is whisper in your ear during the waiting: "You've been praying for two months, three months. Everyone else is getting what they asked for, but you. Why should you keep believing?"

But when you hold on to the evidence, when the enemy comes with a lie, you can come back with the truth: "No, no, no. I have a long list of all the times God has been faithful, all the times He's shown up, all the prayers He's answered that I couldn't even pray."

I keep what I call an "always cooking" list in my phone—dreams, words, verses that have encouraged me. Every now and then I look at it and I'm reminded: God provided that apartment for me in LA when I had bad credit. He came through then, and He'll come through now.

Get in the habit of writing things down. Don't get comfortable with seeing God do miraculous things. Hold on to it. Revere it. Cherish it because it's evidence of how much He loves you.

3. Let His Word Outlast the Weight

As I was reading this passage, I kept thinking: If I were Jairus, how would I feel? I asked Jesus to perform a miracle for me. We're on the way there, and He stops to perform a miracle for someone else. What was Jairus thinking?

We don't hear anything else from Jairus other than his initial request. But here's what Mark 5:35-36 tells us:

While Jesus was still speaking, some people came from the house of Jairus... and they said, "Your daughter is dead. Why bother the teacher anymore?" Overhearing what they said, Jesus told him, "Don't be afraid. Just believe."

Jesus told him—Jairus. This tells me that Jairus didn't get ahead of Jesus. He was right next to Him the entire time. And in that moment, when he heard that his daughter was dead, Jesus spoke directly to him: "Don't be afraid. Just believe."

This shows you how much Jesus wants His people to believe in Him and His word.

God is not human that he should lie... Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill? (Numbers 23:19)

Luke 1:37 says:

For no word from God will ever fail.

Because the word of God never changes, any circumstance that tries to come against the word of God has to change. The circumstance has to change because the word won't change.

God is saying: "I'm not budging. The situation has to change. You have to come under My authority because who I am is not going to change, and neither is My word."

If you're in a position right now where you don't know if things will change, take that situation and put it against the Savior who can handle it. Take it and put it against His word. When those two things collide, the situation has to change.

4. Let Their Miracle Fuel Yours

So much of this passage focuses on the woman with the issue of blood, and rightfully so—there's so much power in knowing that God reached out to someone with no name, whose only identity was her issue. But as Jairus goes on this long journey to his miracle, he has to watch what happens. He has to wait. He has to wonder. He has to be quiet. He has to observe.

I kept asking God: Why was this passage structured this way? Why couldn't the focus be solely on Jairus?

And I felt like God was saying: "I wanted Jairus to see what I was about to do for him. It's happening right now."

As you are waiting for your miracle, you're going to start seeing how God is showing up for people in different ways. You're going to see God answering prayers that you've been praying for years. Some of you here have been praying for a child to come home to Jesus, for someone to be broken from addiction, for people to be set free. You've been seeing every single person get their answer but you.

But God wants to tell His church this: When you see it happen for someone else, get ready. It's going to happen for you, too.

And then the story continues:

When they came to the home of the synagogue leader, Jesus saw a commotion with people crying and wailing loudly. He said, "Why are you crying? The child is not dead, but asleep." But they laughed at him. After he put them all out, he took the child's father and mother and the disciples who were with him and went in where the child was. He took her by the hand and said to her, "Little girl, I say to you, get up." Immediately the girl stood up and began to walk around. And they were completely astonished.

The Parallels and The Point

There are beautiful parallels between Jairus and the woman with the issue of blood:

• Both were at their lowest moment
• Both knew that Jesus could heal them
• The woman had 12 years of an issue with blood
• The young girl facing death was 12 years old

God is so intentional with His people. There's so much consideration and intentionality throughout this passage that shows He'll do the same for you.

We're all waiting. We're all wondering. We're all hoping for a miracle. One thing I want to encourage you with is: God sees you in the wait. He sees how much this has been hurting your heart that this miracle hasn't happened.

And here's something beautiful: You know who also is waiting right now along with you? God is too. When God created this world, He created it for you and me to be in a relationship with Him. And when sin came into the earth, it created separation. And until we meet Him again, God is waiting for us. He's not saying, "Oh, you need to learn how to wait better." He's actually saying, "I know what it feels like to wait because I'm waiting for you, too. We're all waiting together."

The Call and The Commitment

I believe that God is saying to someone here: "I've been waiting for you. I've been waiting for you to come home. I've been waiting for you to put your trust in me again."

If you came here today and you're unsure of eternity, I want to give you an opportunity to accept Jesus as Lord of your life. This is between you and the Father.

If you want to accept Jesus, I want you to raise your hand. Don't worry about anyone else watching. On the count of three...

[Hands raised throughout the room]

God bless you. God bless you. God sees you.

In this moment, I want to lead you in a prayer. Repeat after me in the privacy of your heart:

Dear God, I know I'm a sinner in need of a savior. I believe that your son died on the cross so that I can have eternal life. Today I confess my sins and turn away from my old life. I step into the new and I walk with you now from this day forward. In Jesus name, Amen.

Conclusion: How to Wait Well

When waiting feels like forever, this is not where the people of God back down. This is where the people of God lean in.

Here's what we need to do:

1. Lean into your desperation. Let it take you to the King.
2. Hold on to the evidence. Remember what God has already done.
3. Let His word outlast the weight. When your circumstances collide with His promise, the circumstance has to change.
4. Let their miracle fuel yours. When you see God come through for someone else, know He's coming through for you, too.

We owe the world testimonies of what God has done. Are we going to be people who talk about the goodness of God? Are we going to lean into the hard moments when we're waiting for a miracle? Are we going to hold on to the evidence? Are we going to start recognizing that when He does it for someone else, it's going to happen for me too?

When waiting feels like forever, lean in. Lean in like never before.