I. God's waiting,

1. The first thought is--why should He wait--why does He not act at
once? Because something in us hinders. We cannot enter into spiritual
blessings till we are made capable of them by faith. It would not be for
our good to receive some temporal blessings till sorrow has done its
work on us. The great thought here is that God has a right time for
help. He is 'a God of judgment,' _i.e._. discerns our moral condition
and shapes His dealings thereby. He never gives the wrong medicine.

2. His waiting is full of work to fit us to receive His grace. It is not
a mere passive standing by, till the fit conditions are seen in us; but
He 'is exalted' while He waits, _i.e._. lifted up in the manifestation
of His might, and by His energy in preparing us for the gifts that He
has prepared for us. 'He that hath wrought us for the self-same thing is
God.' He who prepares a place for us is preparing us for the place. He
who has grace which He is ready to give us here, is making us ready for
His grace. The meaning of all God's work on us is to form a character
fit to possess His highest gifts.

3. His waiting is very patient. The divine husbandman 'waiteth for the
precious fruit of the earth, being patient over it.' How wonderful that
in a very real sense He attends on our pleasure, as it were, and lets us
determine His time to work.

4. That waiting is full of divine desire to help. It is not the waiting
of indifference, which says: 'If you will have it--well and good. If
not, it does not matter to Me.' But 'more than they that watch for the
morning,' God waits 'that He may be gracious unto you.'