When someone keeps you waiting on purpose it is show of power. A flexing of the muscles. It is an indirect way of saying, "I control my time and resources not you or anyone else." Some interviewers will keep a person waiting on purpose just to see how they will react. Here is perfect example of it in the scriptures:
" 'But when Paul appealed to be held in custody for the Emperor's decision, I ordered him to be kept in custody until I send him to Caesar.' Then Agrippa said to Festus, 'I also would like to hear the man myself.' 'Tomorrow,' he said, 'you shall hear him.' So, on the next day when Agrippa came together with Bernice amid great pomp, and entered the auditorium accompanied by the commanders and the prominent men of the city, at the command of Festus, Paul was brought in." Acts 25:21-23 NAS
Festus was playing a game with Paul and likely with Rome as well. He didn't play that game with Agrippa or better yet his giving of access to Agrippa was a way of showing respect. He still made even him wait a day to see Paul.
Women have done it to potential suitors for centuries. For some it is a game they play and for others it is a way of putting on the brakes to see what a fellow's real motives are. I would say in purity it is a good thing to do. If you don't know a man very well let him wait a while sometime and see how he reacts. I'm not saying someone should make playing games a lifestyle. You only need to test a piece of jewelry once to see if it is really made of gold after that you don't need to kept testing it.
For some it is a tool to be used in conquest to incite indignation and destabilize. Forced waiting also can be used as a cooling agent. It can be like waiting for a cup of coffee to cool a bit before drinking it or waiting a day before for spending a large sum of money on an impulse purchase.
Lastly, There are times when power isn't involved at all. A thing may just not be ready yet. I'd rather wait for the french fries to be well done and crispy then for a person to pull them up out of the oil early and try and do me a favor of some kind. Sometimes it just 'ain't soup yet' and it is better to wait for it.
"Therefore the LORD will wait, that He may be gracious to you; And therefore He will be exalted, that He may have mercy on you. For the LORD is a God of justice; Blessed are all those who wait for Him. For the people shall dwell in Zion at Jerusalem; You shall weep no more. He will be very gracious to you at the sound of your cry; When He hears it, He will answer you." Is 30:18-19
Notice the LORD here is all capitalized because it is using His most secret and intimate of names. All three principles are in motion. God is waiting in His power. God is letting things cool down. He is timing things for the best possible result.
You may ask, 'Is God manipulating me by making me wait?'. Well, For one thing that would be his right if he wanted to. Maybe our old sin nature needs to cool down in the grave. Perhaps that area of our life needs a good old fashioned death, burial and resurrection. Three long days in the grave can do our soul a whole lot of good sometimes when we are functioning in an energized momentum.
An intimate relationship has no need of muscle flexing. Humility and meekness remove that strategy from our play book. A believer is confident of God's power and control therefore there isn't a need to exercise his or her own.
You will notice in the book of Acts Paul is unruffled by these dealings between Festus and Agrippa. He has great grace for the situation. Paul could be very objective and content. Here is how that interaction ended.
"Then Agrippa said to Paul, 'You almost persuade me to become a Christian.' and Paul said, 'I would to God that not only you, but also all who hear me today, might become both almost and altogether such as I am, except for these chains.' " Acts 26:28-29 NKJV
Paul just kept stirring the pot as he waited. Let's do that! Let's stir the pot while we wait knowing that when God's meal is done is is going to be really good.
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