Is Waiting An Answer to Prayer?

"But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me." Micah 7:7

Am I really willing to wait?

Patience. It has always been hard for me. Waiting on checkout lines. Waiting on packages in the mail. Waiting to find out what is in the presents under the Christmas tree. Waiting for that prayer to be answered. Well, you get the picture. 

Recently however I had a situation where I am glad I had to wait. I had applied for something that I REALLY REALLY wanted at the time. I mean I REALLY wanted it. The deadline for the application was October 1st and we would get an email with results on November 15th. But something happened during the wait.

As the days started counting down that I had to wait I realized something. I was changing! Maybe it would be okay if I didnt get it. Did I really have time to uphold the obligation? Did I really even want this? Then it changed. I really hope I don't get this. I do not want to do this for the next 6 months. Then it happened. 

I went from counting down to see if my proposal was accepted to counting down in hopes I was denied!!! If I could have had what I wanted in that moment, if I didn't have to wait, I would have gotten myself into a mess!!! When November 15th came I praised God for the decline email! I praised Him more for the no than I would have for the yes!!

Tonight God has had me pondering something. What if "the wait" for an answered prayer is actually the answer in and of itself!???? 

I have come to the point in my walk with God where I have finally identified a truth. God knows what He is doing!!! 

Looking back at my faith walk with God, I see anytime He has made me wait for something, one of two things have happened. Either one, He has something so much better than I ever could imagine to give me, or two, He knows my heart better than I do and He knows I do not REALLY want what I am asking for.

So tonight, I am truly sitting and hoping in my Lord. Hoping that He protects me from my finate mind and that He does what is truly best for me. I love the last part of Micah 7:7. It says, "my God will hear me." YES!! He will hear me and like the good good father He is, He will answer AFTER the wait. 

What about you? Has there been a time where you were grateful for the wait or even for an answer the opposite of what you had asked for?