Part 1
When the Israelites arrived at the crossing point, God did not immediately part the Red Sea. Instead, he told them to set up camp and wait.
This delay gave the Egyptian army time to overtake them and threaten their newfound freedom.
Only then did God part the waters, allowing the Israelites to scurry to safety.
Waiting is a common element in God’s plans. His provision is often a messy, excruciating, eleventh-hour, last-gasp, skin-of-the-teeth affair.
God may ask us to wait to ensure an optimal result, to protect us from hidden dangers or temptations, or to accomplish something we cannot see.
He may hold off until we are ready, willing, and able to move in a different direction.
He may stand by until we have entirely subordinated our will to his and fully committed ourselves to his priorities.
However, as the Red Sea crossing illustrates, God sometimes directs us to wait so that he can contrast his incredible power with the futility of our self-sufficiency.
Part 2
God says he is good to those who wait for him.
We prefer to believe this declaration means that God will reward us with physical health and material abundance if we endure our hardships with patience and virtue.
But instead, it means that those who wait for his deliverance will ultimately deem him to be good.
God says that as we draw near to him during distress and wait for the outcomes he intends to produce, we will eventually perceive facets of his excellence that we did not comprehend previously.
We will realize anew that he truly is who he claims to be—our refuge, comforter, redeemer, deliverer, and friend.
We will understand at deeper levels that his love is indeed inexhaustible, unchanging, unwavering, ever-present, and utterly dependable.
We will learn firsthand that when temporal sources of contentment fade, God himself is enough to satisfy our soul.
