When You're Stuck In The In-Between

“For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay.” – Habakkuk 2:3

A while back, I had made plans to spend the majority of my day off at the pool. I had been looking forward to this day all week, and therefore I made all of the necessary preparations that would allow me to enjoy this afternoon in the sun uninterrupted. I cleared my schedule. I packed up my favorite snacks, a good book, and my AirPods. I even went ahead and put on sunscreen so I would be completely ready to just kick back and relax once I found myself poolside.

But as soon as I walked out the door, I saw the lightening. Not long after it came the thunder, and the rain soon followed. In other words, I was stuck. I was so frustrated because I had been so excited about this relaxing day by the pool. But regardless of my own plans and preparations, there was nothing I could do about the fact that my plans were delayed by this storm. I was caught between doing what I wanted to do and dealing with the reality of what was in front of me. 

As I’ve reflected back on that particular day, I’ve realized that feeling stuck between where you are and where you really want to be is an experience that is quite common in life. Maybe you’ve found yourself in a similar situation. A storm hit your life out of nowhere, causing a delay in your plans and your intentions, and now you feel stuck waiting for the storm to pass.

The people of Israel experienced this frustrating feeling in a big way. They found themselves caught in the “in-between.” They had just been freed from their captivity in Babylon, and yet they were not back in Zion or Jerusalem and were stuck waiting for their city to be restored. God had promised to deliver them, and even though they were no longer slaves, they hadn’t been delivered back to their home yet. 

As we mature in our walk with Christ, we must learn how to live in that in-between, between God’s promise and God’s provision. Just as the prophet Habakkuk says, what God has promised will come at an appointed time. Even if that appointed time takes longer to arrive than we would prefer, it is worth waiting for.