THE VALUE OF WAITING

As you may remember, over ten years ago, I was diagnosed with squamous cell cancer on one of my vocal cords. In generations past, cancer was a term that caused no end of panic among those who heard it, since it often meant a slow and painful death for which there was neither treatment nor cure.

Thankfully, due to great strides in medical science involving an understanding of the causes of cancer and how to effectively treat it, cancer no longer has the deadly and hopeless stigma that it once had. However, as I was growing up, it seemed like I spent much of my childhood in funeral homes, since member after member of my family was struck down by this rampaging killer. That is one reason why, when I heard my diagnosis, fear tried to arise and strangle any hope that I had of recovery.

It was especially revealing to me that the adversary would try to silence me by means of cancer of the vocal cord. It is just like the devil to try to attack you in the area where God has called and anointed you. Unbidden thoughts assailed my mind in a flurry of doubt. “You’ll never speak again.” “You will die of cancer just like all your family members.” “Your ministry is over.” These and many other discouraging thoughts competed for my attention and grappled for ascendancy in my mind.

I knew all the strategies to overcome negative thinking. I had shared them with others over decades of ministry. I had preached about them repeatedly. I used them myself with great success. You know what that involves—you replace a negative thought with the word of God. You replace what the devil is saying by speaking what God has already said. You don’t deny the facts, but you affirm the truth, and the truth of the word of God will always overcome the facts of your circumstances.

Here was the problem: due to where the affliction had arisen, I was unable to speak. From the time of my diagnosis through weeks of radiation treatments to further recovery, I could not utter a word. Whatever I wanted to communicate, I had to write on a notepad, which became a more or less constant companion during the weeks and months of my recovery. As you can imagine, the temptation to become frustrated was strong during times when I wanted to tell those around me something, but had to rely on written notes, often cryptic in nature. Communication with other people in those days was agonizingly slow, difficult, and often misunderstood. I came to have a greater appreciation for my family than ever before, since they were most often the ones who were tasked with deciphering my various scratchings, and with a greater degree of accuracy than I dared hope.

Thankfully, I fully recovered from the enemy’s attempt to take me out. I attribute this to two things. One is the care and expertise of the medical staff who treated me. The other is the healing and miracle working power of God. I am very thankful for both of these factors. I have been cancer free ever since then, and I expect to remain so for the rest of my days.

However, even though I was unable to be involved in most of my usual activities, I was not idle during the time of my convalescence. I remained as engaged in my work as I could, even though I spent most of my time at home. I wrote several manuscripts during the time of my recovery. On days the weather permitted it, I spent a lot of time outdoors, walking, sitting, and experiencing the wonder of God’s creation. Even though I could not speak, I spent much time reading and meditating on the word of God, and communing with Him in prayer.

I experienced anew the concept of waiting on God. Scriptures such as Habakkuk 2:1 came to mind: “I will stand at my watch and station myself on the watchtower;
and I will keep watch to see what He will say to me, and what I will answer when I am reproved.” It was relatively easy for me to allow Him to speak to me, since audibly at least, I was unable to say anything to Him.

Some of the sweetest times of fellowship I have ever known occurred during occasions when I was silently communing with God. Whether outside or in my home, His presence surrounded me and His voice spoke to me. I learned, or rather had reinforced to me two principles.

First is that due to our inevitable acclimation to a very busy and bustling culture, we tend to become so busy and booked that we forget to maintain our relationship with an eternal God. He is always there waiting for our participation, but many people either forget Him, neglect Him, or give Him little more than leftover moments of their days. How our lives would be enhanced as we actively seek His involvement in all that we do! During my recovery from vocal cord cancer, God took the initiative to speak to me, to commune with me, and to reaffirm His immeasurable and furious love for me. The only way I could respond to Him was with my thoughts, and tears, and endless appreciation for His affirmation and loving kindness. He saw me, He spoke to me, He drew near to me, and He carried me through the most difficult period of my life.

Please understand that I had not been neglectful of my relationship to Him before the diagnosis. I spent time in prayer and meditation every day. I needed it—indeed, I depended upon it. However, during my recuperation, I was forced by circumstances beyond my control to slow down and stop doing many legitimate things I had been doing. God did not abandon me or ignore me during this time of relative inactivity. In fact, He blessed me with even more of His presence and peace. I adjusted my life to accommodate more of His presence. I encourage you to do the same thing.

The second principle that I rediscovered is one that children learn (or should learn) when they are very young. It is this: in conversation, there is something known as turn-taking. What that means is when two or more people are talking, the most effective communication happens when only one is speaking at a time. One person speaks, and when they are finished with their thought or point, another person speaks, and so on, until the conversation either comes to a conclusion or some other factor (such as a time limitation) brings it to an end.

Some people have never learned when to stop talking. They have an endless supply of opinions, and they feel as though they have an obligation to share all of them with you, all the time, and every time you see them. You have surely encountered people like this. You rarely have time to submit a thought or an idea of your own. They are fascinating in that they can talk and talk without pausing, even to take a breath. Communication is nearly impossible with people like this, since they do all the talking and others are forced to do all the listening.

Many people are like this in their relationship with God. They do all the talking, and God has to do all the listening. I am convinced that the reason God doesn’t talk to some people is that they never give Him an opportunity.

Here is a principle that will work for you, regardless of whether you are talking with God or with another person. You already know what you know. Chances are good that what you need to know is in the mind or heart of someone else. Be quiet, and give them a chance to speak to you. You will be amazed at how your life will change and your effectiveness will accelerate when you give others a chance to have input into your life. This applies to communication with God even more than it does with other people. Prayer is good, but it involves more than just talking. It also involves listening. We should make our requests known to God, but more than that, we should give Him our presence —our unfettered and undivided attention—and allow Him to speak to us. Psalm 25:3 says, “Yes, let none who wait on You be ashamed; let them be ashamed who transgress without cause.”

I encourage you to take a few moments to read in the Psalms where the term “wait” is used when it refers to waiting on God. I think you will be surprised and blessed to see the benefits that accompany waiting on His responses to be heard and His purposes to be fulfilled.

There is value in waiting. Resist the impulse to get everything you think you need immediately. Allow God the opportunity to speak to you at a time and in a manner of His choosing. Allow me to concur with the psalmist in Psalm 27:14 (KJV): “Wait, I say, on the Lord.”

Yours for the Harvest,


Dr. Rod Parsley

Founder & General Overseer