There is a song from my childhood that my parents would sing to my siblings and
me from time to time. The words say, “Have patience, have patience, don’t be in
such a hurry. When you get impatient, you only start to worry. Remember,
remember, that God is patient, too. And think of all the times when others had to
wait on you!” Sometimes, these words are easier said than done.
The holiday season provides many opportunities to exercise patience. Some
might wait for the time when we will travel to visit loved ones. Others might be
waiting for family members to arrive (or for them to go back home). We anticipate
decorating the home, eating the meals, and attending the parties. We wait to
give and receive presents. We wait for children to go to bed before Christmas
day. There was a great deal of anticipation for those who waited for Jesus to
arrive on earth.
The Israelites waited for hundreds of years for the promised Messiah to come.
Prophets such as Isaiah and Micah told of the One who would rescue God’s
people from their sins. Granted, the Israelites did not always wait entirely
patiently. At times, they faced consequences for their impatience.
As we look at the biblical accounts of Jesus’ arrival, there are several other
individuals who awaited the Messiah. Mary followed in obedience as she trusted
the Lord’s plan for her to carry Jesus in her womb. There must have been many
occasions for her to have fears and worries. Yet, she patiently obeyed.
Luke 2:22 – 35 tells of Mary and Joseph taking Jesus to the temple shortly after
He was born. They met a man named Simeon. The Holy Spirit had promised
Simeon that he would not die before he saw the Messiah. Simeon had to wait
patiently for this promise to come true. While they were at the temple, they also
met an elderly woman named Anna. She lived at the temple and worshipped
God. She, too, waited for Jesus’ coming with much anticipation. She showed the
kind of patience that the prophet Isaiah describes:

Therefore the Lord longs to be gracious to you,
And therefore He waits on high to have compassion on you.

For the Lord is a God of justice;
How blessed are all those who long for Him.

Isaiah 30:18

Praise God that we have a Savior! We no longer have to await the coming of the
Messiah. Now, we have hope as we patiently await His return (Romans 8:25).
Thankfully, we have a heavenly Father who is patient with us. He is slow to anger
and desires that all may come to know Him (2 Peter 3:9). He hears our cries
when we wait patiently upon Him (Psalm 40:1). As we approach Christmas and
celebrate Christ’s birth, let us remember the anticipation with which we patiently
await Christ’s.