Waiting Upon the Lord

Sometimes I think I almost understand what Paul was going through during his dramatic conversion (Acts 9:1-22). You know God wants you to do something, but you don't know what. So you sit around blindly, without direction or purpose, while you wait upon God to open up His will and plan to you. Been there? While we are waiting upon the Lord, we are not to sit idly by and do nothing. Rather, we should go about our lives, continuing to labor for Him and to serve Him, continuing to pray and study His Word, and continuing to believe that He will, in His time, reveal His purpose.

It is so easy to try to make things happen and to force God's hand. We end up making mistakes and we fall out of His will. We fail the lesson of patience He is trying to teach us, and the whole process ends up taking much longer than if we had just continued waiting. Paul, who had to wait upon the Lord, spoke much about the issue of patience. "We glory in tribulations," Paul wrote, "knowing that tribulation worketh patience. (Romans 5:3). To the Hebrews, Paul said, "For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.... Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us." James also wrote much about patience. "The trying of your faith worketh patience..... Let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing..... Be ye also patient, stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh."

Waiting upon the Lord is essential in your Christian walk. If you are to walk in obedience to God and if you desire to walk in His fullness, you must learn to wait upon His timing. As we learn this discipline, we must realize it means that we have to trust Him, even when, as Paul, we are helpless and able to do nothing..... nothing, but wait.

It is not always easy, but we have this precious promise. "We count them happy which endure," James wrote. "Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy." (James 5:11).

David wrote in the 40th Psalm, "I waited patiently for the Lord; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry." David went on to add, "He brought me up also out of an horrible pit (is that where you feel that you are?), out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings." God heard David, and saw that he was waiting patiently. God brought David out of the pit, and set his feet upon a rock. David was able to walk upon something sure and solid. God established David's goings. He knew where to walk, he knew where to go, and he had something sure to walk upon! As as he walked, God "put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God!" The end of David's waiting was not just for him, but for others as well. "Many shall see it," David said, "and fear, and shall trust in the Lord." (Psalm 40:1-3).

Lord, waiting is not easy, but we have seen the end of the Lord! You blessed Job with double of what He had previously! David saw the end of his waiting! You gave him direction, purpose, and a sure foundation on which to place his feet! And You gave him a new song and praise in his mouth! Lord, You can do this for us too! Help us to wait, so that others around us will see, and will fear, and will come to trust You!

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