Psa 40:1 : I waited patiently and
expectantly for the Lord; and He inclined to me and heard my cry.
Practically every person I know
is waiting for something or the other in their lives. One
of the greatest tests we face as a Christian is the test of waiting. There are people who are waiting for the answers to many prayers; some are
waiting for their dear ones to be saved
by accepting Jesus; Some are waiting for a life
partner, some for their broken marriages
to be restored, yet others are waiting to receive their promise child, yet others to see the
hand of God moving on their children
and their salvation; Some are waiting for a healing
for their illnesses; People are waiting to be filled with the spirit of God; Some are waiting to get a good job; Many are waiting for a promotion or a deliverance in their jobs;
Some are waiting for their ministry doors
to open; Some are waiting for God to spark a revival in their midst.
Whatever stage you are in, dear friend, the bible offers precious
comfort for those who are facing the stress of waiting.
A word of Caution – Don’t fail this test !
The word of God is replete with examples of people failing their tests
of waiting.
- Saul presumptuously offered a sacrifice when he was tired of waiting for Samuel (1 Sam 13:8-10) and the Lord removed the kingdom from him and gave it to David.
- In another instance, when Moses was in the mount of God receiving the law from the Lord, the children of Israel grew tired of waiting for Moses to come back and they asked Aaron to make them an idol (Ex 32:1).
- While Abraham was waiting for the promised child, he tried to help God by fathering an Ishmael (a son of the flesh - who was not even considered as a son by God because God called Isaac as Abraham's only son - Gen 22:2 )
- And then we have Peter, who got tired of waiting and went fishing along with 6 other chosen ones (Jn 21:3) and would have lost his calling but for the mercy of the Lord.
The period of waiting is a time when the believer may lose his patience
and he will try to help God or produce an idol or act presumptuously and do his
own thing. Be careful that this is not your response in this season of waiting.
Wait patiently & Expect Him to act
Ps 40:1
says: the psalmist waited patiently and
expectantly for the Lord. There is waiting and there is "patient and
expectant" waiting. The Lord wants us to cultivate an expectancy and
patience while we are waiting for the Lord. Dear child of God, these are
the
basic qualities of faith - and if you believe in the Lord Jesus, you
need to possess these qualities and nurture & grow them. Faith in
God demands that
we accept His sovereignty and we know that His plans for us are good even when
we don't see our life going the way we like to.
Wait for the Lord – Not for His gifts
The other thing is: Often, in our lives, we are waiting for certain
things to happen. If you introspect with an honest heart, we are not waiting
for God but we are waiting for the physical & spiritual gifts that the Lord
can give us! There is a huge difference. We become tired and weary and bitter
in our waiting period because our focus is on the circumstances and not on the
Lord. The Word says: if you are waiting upon the Lord, you will renew your
strength and you will mount up like eagles and we shall not be weary. (Isa 40:31) The Lord says: they that wait on the lord
shall not be ashamed ! (Psa 25:3) The Lord
says: Blessed are they that wait for Him. (Isa 30:18)
Wait on the Lord and He shall save you ! (Prov 20:22)
It’s worth the wait
When I meditate on "waiting for the Lord", I am reminded of
some of the barren women who waited before the Lord gave them a child. (Sarah,
Rebekah, Rachel, Leah, Manoah’s wife, Hannah, Elisabeth,
etc) There are many profound lessons for all of us who are waiting for an
answer to prayer in any topic. Was it too difficult for the Lord to grant them
their prayers instantaneously ? The reason for the Lord choosing to make them wait was:-
1) They were trained to exercise prayer & faith
in those times and were transformed
in the periods of waiting.
2)
The children that they were
waiting for, grew up to be mighty giants
of Faith who did exploits for the Lord. Great
things take time to forge in the Lord’s hands.
And as Rom 8:28 says, all things work
together for the good of those who love God and who are called to His purpose.
Wait on the Lord and Keep His Way ! And He shall exalt you to inherit
the land - Psa 37:34 - Be patient, dear friend,
in the times when you are waiting. Do not depart from the way of the Lord and
He shall honor your patience with an eternal reward ! Lam
3:25-26 reminds us that the Lord is good to those who wait for him. Wait
on the Lord and hope in His word ! (Psa 130:5).
And He shall turn to you and hear your cry!
God Bless !
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