Page 33 - Lenten Devotional 2021 updated 01-21

Day 20 - Anticipation is Making me Wait

Scripture:
I waited patiently for the Lord; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.
Psalms 40:1
O taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man trusteth in him.
Psalms 34:8
Reflection:
Do you recall that Heinz ketchup commercial with the song, ‘Anticipation,
Anticipation is making me wait?” In different adaptations of the commercial,
there were entire families, mostly with kids, readying themselves to eat all kinds
of foods. The idea was based on the thought that if you put Heinz ketchup on the
food, it would make it taste so much better. However, because the ketchup was
so thick, it took a while to come out of the bottle. The advertisers took a flaw in
the product packaging and created an entire campaign centered around it being
something worth waiting for.

That is what God’s promises are to us; they are worth waiting for. If you take
the name of Jesus and put it on anything, you know that God is going to fix it.
When we cry out to the Lord, laying aside every weight and every sin He will
incline unto us and hear our cry. He is a faithful and just God who feels every
pain that we feel. He is the one who wipes away our tears and wraps His love
around us. He is everything we need. We are the flawed product, and it is Him
when added to our regular ‘ole selves, make us so much better.

The anticipation of His forgiveness; the anticipation of His love; the anticipation
of His grace and mercy; the anticipation of His favor; the anticipation of His
fellowship and the anticipation of His return makes us sit right down and wait on
the Lord for however long it takes. The anticipation is making us wait because
we know what the outcome is going to be. While you are waiting, indulge into
the heart of who He is and get your fill.
.
Prayer:
Dear God, we adore you. You are our reason for waking up. The very though or
anticipation that we are going to be in your presence once again, gives us the
courage and faith to wait on You. You are the only help we know. We appreciate
how kind you’ve been, and we love the way you love us. Strengthen our minds
and keep them stayed on you. Show forth your will in our lives and help us to
stay on track. Please continue to grant us patience as we wait and allow us to
tarry under the shadow of Your covering. Keep us and we will be kept. We love
you, in Jesus name. Amen.

About the Contributor:

Min. Bobbi Walston McCoy, MPA, Mt. Zion AME Church

A 40-day Journey through a Season of Fasting and Praying 40