WAITING ON THE LORD

After we receive a promise from God there comes a time when it seems like nothing is happening or even the exact opposite of what we were promised seems to be happening. Then comes the temptation to go out and make things happen, we find ourselves being pressured to help the promise of God along, we often get this nagging feeling that we need to do something and if we aren't careful, we could very well try and make things happen on our own, only to birth unnecessary issues that we'll have to deal with later. Let's choose to wait on our Abba, He always comes through and He's always on time!

Source: Google Images

²⁸ Have you not known?
Have you not heard?
The everlasting God, the Lord,
The Creator of the ends of the earth,
Neither faints nor is weary.
His understanding is unsearchable.
²⁹ He gives power to the weak,
And to those who have no might He increases strength.
³⁰ Even the youths shall faint and be weary,
And the young men shall utterly fall,
³¹ But those who wait on the Lord
Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint. - Isaiah 40:28-31 NKJV

No amount of self-effort or self-dependency will bring the plans, purposes and promises of God in one’s life to fruition. If we have any natural talents, they will fail, if we have any natural strengths or traits, they too will fail. You don’t think so? Ask Abraham or Moses…I’m sure they’ll have a thing or two to say about that.

God promised Abraham that he would have a son from his own body and Sarah his wife would bear that child. I've wondered why did God wait until they were well over the natural child bearing age? I mean they were well beyond their 80’s. I don’t know all the reasons why, but one thing I know is that God was teaching them (and us today as well) to trust and depend on Him to fulfill His promises. We know how they tried to help the process along by bringing Hagar and later Ishmael into the picture, that didn't turn out well and even when Abraham pleaded with God to accept Ishmael, God basically said “no thanks, I made you a promise and I will fulfill it”. (Genesis 17:18-22)

As for Moses, when He was 40 years old he killed an Egyptian in an attempt to show his people, the Jews, that he wanted to deliver them from Egyptian slavery, that didn't turn out well…he ended up on the backside of the desert tending his father-in-law’s sheep and 40 years later God appears to him and basically says to him “let’s go Moses, it’s time” (Exodus 3). I mean really God...this man is now 80 years old, an old man…why didn't you use Him way back when he was 40…seriously?! But God’s ways are not our ways and neither are our thoughts His thoughts. At 80 years of age, Moses is no longer trusting in his natural abilities, if anything they should be on the decline, that's to be expected naturally.

Moses knows for a fact if it’s not God it’s not going to happen, he’s totally, completely, absolutely dependent on God. And God came through for him powerfully – He confronted Pharaoh and led the children of Israel out of bondage with mighty signs, wonders and miracles that left the surrounding nations trembling in awe of the God of Israel. He spoke with God face to face and then went on to author the first five books of the Bible and some Psalms too, all in God’s timing.

The kind of waiting that results in renewed strength isn't a passive, que será, será, what-will-be-will-be, kind of waiting. On the contrary, this kind of waiting is actively focused on the Lord, full of hope, and trust in Him and His promises.

Waiting on the Lord is actually fighting the good fight of faith, it is choosing to believe God’s Word over what the circumstances are screaming at us, it is choosing to see things the way God says they are and not as our senses seem to suggest, it is choosing to stand on His Word when the flesh is demanding we do something. Waiting on the Lord is fighting to rest in God and believe me, it’s a fight, but we cannot afford not to enter His rest!

As we wait on the Lord, we receive new strength to soar far above circumstances and situations that are trying to bog us down, we are empowered to run with the vision that God has given us and walk in the good works He has prepared for us to walk in without fainting.

Source: Google Images

Some practical ways of waiting on the Lord include, holding on to His promises regardless of how things look like in the natural, we do this by reading, studying, meditating on and confessing His Word all the while refusing to accept the enemy's thoughts of defeat, failure, hopelessness or condemnation. Remember, God’s Word is forever settled in heaven and He is well able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we can think or ask according to His power that’s at work in us.

Be fully convinced that your Heavenly Father is watching over His Word to perform it because He is! Be refreshed, renewed and energized as you actively wait on the Lord today!