Waiting on God
-obtaining fresh supplies and gathering new strength from heaven.
Merry Monday by Parris Bailey
“Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation. On you do I wait all the day!” Psalm 25:5
I should have realized when I was at Bible School in the 70’s that Frank and I had a problem with waiting. After getting the same scripture “stand still and see the salvation of the Lord” over and over again, I begin to see the light. Ohhhhh, instead of running headlong into something, maybe I should learn to step outside and see God in the mix. It has been a painful learning curve!
To wait on God is to say His will is my rule. We must learn to wait on God though the day be long, or through the stormy day, and through the dark day. When tropical storm Lee blew in over the weekend, I really wasn’t too concerned. But when the storm hit, I found my self without electricity and very little food. We have gone from a smoke filled city that made us feel like we were in 120 degrees heat to torrential rains and wind. At one point in the storm I found myself a bit overwhelmed. Sitting up in my bed with no electric brought back “Katrina memories” and it was at this point I needed to get my bearings once again. In fact, when God touched me in revival he wanted my life not to be centered on “the moment” but fixed on Him. I had to learn that He could be enough for me. The verse in Is. 40:28 always ministers to me, “Dost thou not know, hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, Jehovah, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not nor tireth? There is no searching of his understanding. He giveth power to the faint; and to him that hath no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and shall tire, and the young men shall stumble and fall; but they that wait upon Jehovah shall renew their strength: they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not tire; they shall walk, and not faint.”
When we learn to wait on the Lord one footnote says, we “obtain fresh supplies” from heaven.
Adam Clarke puts it this way; “But they that wait for Jehovah. Hebrew writers employ the phrase, “exchanging strength,” to denote “gathering new strength,” and thus “being restored.” The Prophet therefore shows, that godly persons, who shall hope in God, will not be deficient in strength; and he confirms what he formerly said, “In rest and silence shall be your strength.” (Isaiah 30:15.)”
Matthew Henry says,”But those that wait on the Lord, who make conscience of their duty to him, and by faith rely upon him and commit themselves to his guidance, shall find that God will not fail them. They shall have grace sufficient for them: They shall renew their strength as their work is renewed, as there is new occasion; they shall be anointed, and their lamps supplied, with fresh oil. God will be their arm every morning. If at any time they have been foiled and weakened they shall recover themselves, and so renew their strength. They shall change their strength, as their work is changed–doing work, suffering work; they shall have strength to labour, strength to wrestle, strength to resist, strength to bear. As the day so shall the strength be.”
How about you? Do you feel Jesus is asleep on your boat? Waiting is not weakness, we are obtaining fresh supplies for the day, we are exchanging our weakness for His strength and getting restored. He becomes in me “the will and the do”. After 38 years I am thankful that we are still “standing still and seeing the salvation of God”.