03/15/2018
What are you doing as you wait on God? Do you even know what you are waiting on? We have all been through times when we aren’t really certain what we would like the Lord to do for us, or what we would have Him do in our lives and faith, but being adrift on a sea of uncertainty is not good. So when you find yourself becalmed on a motionless ocean, then pray for a breeze, a direction, and wait on Him. Then as you wait go about the tasks of living in the faith that Jesus. And God’s Word have taught.
“Let integrity and uprightness preserve me; for I wait on thee.”
Psalms 25:21 KJV
Right now my church is approaching a season of uncertainty. Our Senior Pastor is retiring, and the search for a new one is beginning. I have confidence that God will bring the right person to our pulpit, but in the meantime, as I wait, I continue to do those things of faith that I know. I pray that God will bring forth a His chosen candidate, and I let my spiritual integrity and uprightness, preserve me.
What does that mean to me? It means that I continue to seek the Lord in prayer, it means that I continue to read the Word of God, it means that I continue to love my God with all my heart, and to love my neighbor as myself. It means that I continue walking in the footsteps of Jesus Christ as I trek silently in prayer behind Him... it is holiness in a time of quiet and anticipation.
Waiting is not our strong suit, and continuing on in those things of faith that we have been taught, continuing to live our spiritual lives without fear, undue excitement, or variance in outward manner, is extremely difficult for us. This is especially true when there is change, or turmoil in our churches or lives. We see this all the time... a family loses a child, and the marriage dissolves, or a church loses a key spiritual figure, and there is a surge as people leave for other churches. Times like this are hard, and they require a more focused prayer life, and increased faith as we wait upon the Lord to bring us peace, or new direction.
Any school teacher can tell you that the closer it gets to Christmas, the more unruly their classes become. With each passing day it becomes more difficult to keep the students focused on classwork, and the excitement brings chatter, and fidgeting, to a fever pitch... they can hardly wait. Well, this is true in our spiritual lives as well; we ask God to provide, and then instead of going about our faith as normal, instead of continuing to remain in prayer, we begin to fidget, get excited, or in some cases lose hope, and faith in God’s ability, or desire, to answer us. Think back on the Israelites as they waited for Moses to come down from the mountain...
“When the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people gathered themselves together to Aaron and said to him, "Up, make us gods who shall go before us. As for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him."”
Exodus 32:1 ESV
They couldn’t wait... the anticipation grew too strong, the need for action overwhelmed them, and even Aaron became caught up in it. So a golden calf was constructed, and the people began to worship it. Have you ever had prayer that didn’t seem to be answered? Have you been waiting for God to deal with a problem, life change, some crisis of faith, or upheaval in your church, and suddenly had the temptation of the golden calf come upon you? How did you handle it? Did you continue to pray, and fall back on your faith, or did you take matters into your own hands?
Our natural inclination is to do such things as divorce our spouse in the midst of marital problems, to leave our church when some moment of change impacts us, or any number of other solutions that we tend to take into our own hands. We need to decide what we will pray for in times such as these, and make certain we are praying within the will, and Word, of God... then have the faith required to wait. We need to be able to go about life with integrity and uprightness as we wait on God to move, or listen for His voice.
Perhaps the new Pastor my church selects won’t be to my liking, and I must decide what to do next. If this is the case, how long will I pray and wait before I take matters into my own hands and seek out another church? Will it be a month, a year, forty years, and what will I do as I wait... will I sow seeds of discord, or go about my walk with Jesus? These are not questions easily answered; they will come from much prayer, and God’s will as He speaks to us. Maybe he will tell us something similar to what He told Joseph after the Magi had left, and uproot us...
“Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him."”
Matthew 2:13 ESV
Or maybe God will tell us to stay put in that place to which He called us, and endure...
“So, brothers, in whatever condition each was called, there let him remain with God.”
1 Corinthians 7:24 ESV
The point here is that we should wait on God to move in regards to our lives, or to tell us how to move as we remain in His will; and through all of this we should continue praying, and practicing our faith until he does. Placing our lives in the hands of God is an act of great faith, but leaving our life there in the face of uncertainty, conflict, and suffering, takes not only faith, but perseverance, patience, obedience, and righteousness.
So decide where you are, and what you would like for God to do for you, and pray about it. Then, listen, and wait, as He works in and around you. Wait, and, as you wait, go about your life faithfully.
Prayer:
Lord I thank you for answered prayer in the face of the many challenges of life and faith. I thank you for the integrity and uprightness that you have taught me during my walk with you and your Son Jesus Christ. Help me to know how to pray, and open my eyes and ears to your answer. Let me feel your hand upon my shoulder as you move me to the right, and to the left, even as you guide me. Hear me Father when I come to you in uncertainty and need direction. Hear me Father when I cry out to you in suffering, and need your deliverance. Hear me Father when in doubt my faith becomes frail and needs your strengthening. Hear me Father in all things as my prayers abound and continue unabated before you; then speak to me and act in my life. I will praise you Holy Father, and wait patiently as you work your will in me. You are my keeper, my deliverer, my strong tower in the face of overwhelming odds, and in you I entrust my life, now, and for eternity. I pray for this world, my country, my city, community, and my church. I pray Father for my family, friends, and even enemies... help me to know how to pray for each, and give me persistence in prayer, and patient faith as I wait upon on you. Great are you Holy Father, and great is your Son Jesus Christ... lead me always in faith, prayer, and as I wait, for your will is ever perfect.
Rich Forbes