Encouragement

WAITING TIME IS NOT WASTED TIME

by Ezekiel Olukolajo
02/05/24
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“WAITING TIME IS NOT WASTED TIME”

“And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle? They say unto him, Because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive. So when even was come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the labourers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first. And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny. But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a penny.And when they had received it, they murmured against the goodman of the house, Saying, These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day.But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny? Take that thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto this last, even as unto thee. Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good?” Matthew 20:6-15;

God has a way of compensating and making it up for those who have faithfully waited for Him. From Jesus’ parable of the labourers in the vineyard, there was this particular set of labourers (“eleventh hour labourers”) that were hired at the eleventh hour (that’s 5 O’clock in the evening, just an hour before the normal closing time of 6pm). There’s so much insight and great lesson in this parable, and the one being considered here is how God can choose to reward people who refuse to give up, who, inspite of all odds and challenges, keep holding on in hope.     

From the parable, the first important thing to note is that, this set of labourers that the Lord of the vineyard found at the marketplace at the eleventh hour didn’t just arrive there. From all indications, and in fact, from the word of the Lord of the vineyard, it’s clear that these labourers had been standing there for several hours, hoping and expecting someone to come hire them for work: “And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle?” Yes, it’s absolutely correct to conclude that the labourers had stood there all day under the scorching sun with the hope that someone would come hire them.

One of the commendable attributes I see in these eleventh hour labourers is that, despite the situation they found themselves, they totally refused to give up, even up till the very last hour. Standing the discomfort of the scorching sun for many hours doing nothing was enough to discourage and make them leave. However, these labourers refused to give up hope; they stood still in the marketplace, and endured till the eleventh hour with earnest expectation. Just consider this:  there are only twelve (12) hours of work in a day, yet, these labourers were determined to stay put till the final hour. For these men, the resolution would appear to be that of “it’s not over until it’s over”, for only this could have kept them waiting in the marketplace all day long. If these eleventh hour labourers had left in frustration of standing for long hours without being hired by anyone, the Master of the vineyard would not have met them; they would have missed their blessings forever. But, thankfully, the doggedness and perseverance of these men eventually paid off when the Lord of the vineyard showed to hire labourers at the unusual hour, the eleventh hour.

Another notable thing about the eleventh hour labourers was that it wasn’t their fault in any way that they tarried in the marketplace for so long to get hired. Talking about diligence, I think these men were diligent, in the sense that they were not sitting at home lazing around. The men stood all day long in the marketplace, but for some reasons no one can explain, they were not part of the labourers that the Lord of the vineyard found when He came to hire labourers during the earlier hours. 

It is noteworthy that, while the Master of the vineyard had a formal agreement of one penny a day with the labourers that were hired early in the morning, He had no formal agreement whatsoever with these “eleventh hour” labourers. He only told them “…Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive”. It’s clear that these men had no basis to claim any right or lay hold to anything as of entitlement under the circumstance they found themselves. Whatever the Master decided to pay would just be fine with them because they didn’t feel entitled, but considered it a great favor to have been hired in the first instance at such an implausible hour. 

Finally, the day was done, the Master was ready to pay all sets of labourers who had worked in His vineyard for the day. When payment was about to be made, alas, it was the ‘eleventh hour’ labourers group that was paid first. Apart from being paid first, these labourers also received a full day wage of a penny, just like their counterparts who were hired during the early hour of the day. Even though these men worked for only one hour, the Master, out of His generosity decided to pay them for twelve hours! Technically, the Master paid these men for the one hour they actually worked in the vineyard, including the eleven hours they spent waiting under the sun in the marketplace. At the end of the day, these men, who worked, but an hour, were fully compensated by the Master of the vineyard for the time they spent waiting, thereby not losing or missing anything.

Here’s good news for everyone out there that’s patiently and faithfully waiting on the Lord for one thing or the other. One amazing thing about the Almighty God is that He usually compensates and makes it up to those who have faithfully and committedly waited for Him. In fact, the Bible is filled with the testimonies of how God came big for everyone who waited for Him at one time or the other without losing hope or giving up. For everyone who waits on the Lord, the waiting time is not a wasted time! Just like the “eleventh hour” labourers refused to give up or lose hope, but waited till the last hour in expectation that someone would still come and hire them, you’re encouraged to keep hope alive and not give up on the Lord, God will come through for you soonest. 

The major problem with many people is that they leave too much in a hurry, and give up too soon. They hurry out before their blessings and breakthroughs come. I submit that waiting can really seem so long, and it’s not an easy thing to wait. However, for everyone who waits on the Lord, what God eventually gives, is really worth waiting for. Consider these: Hannah waited for several years to have a son. God gave her Samuel, a great Prophet in Israel, one son that was worth more than ten! Zacharias and Elizabeth waited till their old age to have a son. God gave them John (the Baptist), who became the forerunner of the Lord Jesus. Of John, Jesus said there’s no one Prophet born of a woman that is greater than him! Abraham waited till age ninety-nine before Isaac came. Isaac was the child of promise who eventually became a great nation. God is known to always come big for everyone who waits for Him! The man that was sick of the palsy for thirty-eight years had waited for so long at the pool Bethsaida. He had limitations which obviously made it difficult for him to receive healing through the window of the troubled water, yet refused to leave but stayed there until the day Jesus found him there. Jesus had compassion on him because He knew he had been there for long. The Bible says “he that endures to the end shall be saved”.     

Remember, God gives answers in three ways: He says “YES” and gives you what you want; He says “NO” and gives you something better; He says “WAIT” and gives you the BEST!

Ezekiel Olukolajo
© February 2024