Isaiah 40:28-31 New American Standard Bible 1995
28 Do you not know? Have you not heard?
The Everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth
Does not become weary or tired.
His understanding is inscrutable.
29 He gives strength to the weary,
And to him who lacks might He increases power.
30 Though youths grow weary and tired,
And vigorous young men stumble badly,
31 Yet those who [a]wait for the Lord
Will gain new strength;
They will [b]mount up with [c]wings like eagles,
They will run and not get tired,
They will walk and not become weary.
The Word of God for the Children of God.
Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.
A Holy Ignorance?
The people are lamenting, “My way is hidden from the LORD; my cause is disregarded by my God.”
Even when life appears cheerful, there is this undercurrent of sadness among the people.
It’s life in exile.
The people feel abandoned by God.
But Isaiah wants the people to reconsider what they already know, to hear what they’ve heard before.
“Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God.”
No one can even minimally fathom the mind and thoughts and the ways of God.
As a teaspoon cannot hope to take the measure of the oceans, so the ever so finite human mind of mankind cannot begin to fathom the mind of God.
There’s a vast gap between the Creator and the creation.
Life itself is full of mystery–a newborn baby, love, gravity.
Who can fully explain these things?
According to A Short History of Nearly Everything, “There are perhaps 140 billion galaxies in the still unfolding universe. If all the stars in the universe were only the size of the head of a pin, they still would fill Miami’s Orange Bowl to overflowing more than three billion times.”
Over the centuries, Christians have spoken of a “holy ignorance,” an ignorance that is deeply humbling.
It revels in the knowledge the unfathomable Lord has everything, including you and me, in his hands.
We need not fathom God’s ways in order to trust him.
It’s enough to know his heart.
But, Even In Our Ignorance We Will Still Have to Wait
A good friend often shares this reminder:
God is never late, and rarely early; He is an on-time God.
These are encouraging words for all of God’s people who believe in prayer and worship a sovereign God.
God doesn’t work on our timetable, but accomplishes all that He wills according to His own schedule.
No one likes waiting.
We live in an age of microwave meals, instant access to information, and next-day and even same day shipping.
The idea behind all our modern-day conveniences is that they will “save” time for us, but the reality is, we are far busier than our ancestors ever were.
We strive to accomplish more and more, to pack as much as we possibly can into the twenty-four hours allotted to each day.
And if by chance we must wait longer than we feel we should, we will grow ever more impatient, rude, and discontent.
I don’t believe this is the way God intended us to live.
Life in the Garden of Eden was simple, as Adam and Eve enjoyed the beautiful world the Father had created for them.
As each day ended, they had time to enjoy what surely was a spectacular sunset and looked forward each evening to walking with God in the cool of the day and enjoying His presence (Genesis 3:8).
Now, we’ll squeeze as much as we can out of every minute of everyday and drop exhausted into our beds, only to do it all over again the next day.
No wonder we find it difficult to wait on God.
How do you respond when God fails to answer your prayers, or your questions, or change your circumstances in what you feel is a “timely” manner?
Does it grow your faith, or challenge what you believe about Him?
Here are six things we need to consider as we wait on God.
1. Trust God Has a Path for You, Will Keep You on It
Psalm 25:1-5 New American Standard Bible 1995
Prayer for Protection, Guidance and Pardon.
A Psalm of David.
25 To You, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
2 O my God, in You I trust,
Do not let me be ashamed;
Do not let my enemies exult over me.
3 Indeed, none of those who wait for You will be ashamed;
[a]Those who deal treacherously without cause will be ashamed.
4 Make me know Your ways, O Lord;
Teach me Your paths.
5 Lead me in Your truth and teach me,
For You are the God of my salvation;
For You I wait all the day.
Proverbs 16:1-3 English Standard Version
16 The plans of the heart belong to man,
but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord.
2 All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes,
but the Lord weighs the spirit.[a]
3 Commit your work to the Lord,
and your plans will be established.
Proverbs 16:9 English Standard Version
9 The heart of man plans his way,
but the Lord establishes his steps.
It can be frustrating when we make plans that don’t work out.
We can’t see into the future; we can only make decisions based on what we know, what we’ve experienced, the good counsel, wisdom we find in and throughout God’s Word.
As we wait, we must trust that God’s Spirit will speak to us, directing our steps, and that He is able to orchestrate events so that things work out exactly as He alone desires and has planned for us.
Have you ever found yourself in a traffic jam, frustrated and anxious that you are going to be late, only to find out later that the delay was a blessing in disguise, perhaps keeping you from a greater tragedy?
Instead of seeing a perpetual array of roadblocks and delays as frustrations or failures, trust that God is working behind the scenes for the perfect outcome, according to His plans for you.
2. Remember God Is Good, and Desires Good for You
Psalm 27:13-14 New American Standard Bible 1995
13 [a]I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord
In the land of the living.
14 Wait for the Lord;
Be strong and let your heart take courage;
Yes, wait for the Lord.
We all would prefer to avoid any kind of suffering or trials.
Perhaps you’ve planned a long-awaited trip, bought the tickets, and packed your bags, only to get sick, or have something come up that demands your attention and cancels your plans.
Without a steadfast solid belief in God’s character, His divine interruptions can derail us spiritually.
Waiting on God for healing or for any change to better and easier circumstances requires us to remember He is essentially good in His nature, that His goodness is eternal and infinite.
Romans 8:28 New American Standard Bible 1995
28 And we know that [a]God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.
All His actions toward us are good and designed to accomplish good in our lives.
3. Know That God Is Aware of Your Heart’s Desires
Psalm 37:3-9 New American Standard Bible 1995
3 Trust in the Lord and do good;
Dwell in the land and [a]cultivate faithfulness.
4 Delight yourself in the Lord;
And He will give you the desires of your heart.
5 Commit your way to the Lord,
Trust also in Him, and He will do it.
6 He will bring forth your righteousness as the light
And your judgment as the noonday.
7 [b]Rest in the Lord and wait [c]patiently for Him;
Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way,
Because of the man who carries out wicked schemes.
8 Cease from anger and forsake wrath;
Do not fret; it leads only to evildoing.
9 For evildoers will be cut off,
But those who wait for the Lord, they will inherit the land.
These scriptures remind us that God is not “playing” with our feelings when He causes us to wait.
He knows us intimately and designed us personally.
As our Creator, He knows what satisfies our hearts, meet our deepest needs.
Whether it’s a relationship, a job, or something more tangible and physical, trust that what God provides for you will be worth the wait.
Ultimately, He meets the desires of our heart with Himself as we deepen our relationship with Him.
4. Be Assured God Sees You, Is Thinking about You
Psalm 40:1-5 New American Standard Bible 1995
God Sustains His Servant.
For the choir director. A Psalm of David.
40 I waited [a]patiently for the Lord;
And He inclined to me and heard my cry.
2 He brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the [b]miry clay,
And He set my feet upon a rock making my footsteps firm.
3 He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God;
Many will see and fear
And will trust in the Lord.
4 How blessed is the man who has made the Lord his trust,
And has not [c]turned to the proud, nor to those who lapse into falsehood.
5 Many, O Lord my God, are the wonders which You have done,
And Your thoughts toward us;
There is none to compare with You.
If I would declare and speak of them,
They would be too numerous to count.
When God isn’t answering our prayers as quickly as we’d like, it can seem like He doesn’t hear us.
We may feel forgotten, as if He doesn’t care.
According to His Word, this is never true.
God’s thoughts toward us are too numerous to count.
Speaking of His beloved city, Jerusalem, and His people, the children of Israel, God says,
“Can a woman forget her nursing child and have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, but I will not forget you. Behold, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands; Your walls are continually before Me” (Isaiah 49:15-16).
All who have put their faith in God’s Son, Jesus Christ, are His beloved children.
God inscribed us on the palm of His hands with the scars from the nails that held Jesus to the cross on our behalf.
Never doubt that God sees you while you are waiting on Him to act.
5. Trust That God Is Present with You
Psalm 46 New American Standard Bible 1995
God the Refuge of His People.
For the choir director. A Psalm of the sons of Korah, [a]set to Alamoth. A Song.
46 God is our refuge and strength,
[b]A very present help in [c]trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change
And though the mountains slip into the heart of the [d]sea;
3 Though its waters roar and foam,
Though the mountains quake at its swelling pride. [e]Selah.
4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
The holy dwelling places of the Most High.
5 God is in the midst of her, she will not be moved;
God will help her [f]when morning dawns.
6 The [g]nations made an uproar, the kingdoms tottered;
He [h]raised His voice, the earth melted.
7 The Lord of hosts is with us;
The God of Jacob is our stronghold. Selah.
8 Come, behold the works of the Lord,
[i]Who has wrought desolations in the earth.
9 He makes wars to cease to the end of the earth;
He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two;
He burns the chariots with fire.
10 “[j]Cease striving and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the [k]nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”
11 The Lord of hosts is with us;
The God of Jacob is our stronghold. Selah.
Waiting is hard at any time, but never harder than when we feel we are waiting alone.
God said it was not good for man to be alone; that’s why He created Eve, so that Adam would have a companion (Genesis 2:18).
Our brothers and sisters in Christ, our family, and our friends can make our burdens lighter as we wait, but the ultimate Helper we need is God Himself.
We must believe He is present, and that He is with us in our waiting.
Knowing and believing that God is present with us gives us hope and courage while we wait for Him to act.
Speaking to His disciples in anticipation of His return to heaven, Jesus promised, “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you” (John 14:18).
He was speaking of the Holy Spirit who would be sent by the Father to indwell His followers. God is always present with us; He is in us, and He waits with us.
6. Ponder and Meditate on God’s Word, Which Will Sustain You
Psalm 119:9-16 New American Standard Bible 1995
Beth.
9 How can a young man keep his way pure?
By keeping it according to Your word.
10 With all my heart I have sought You;
Do not let me wander from Your commandments.
11 Your word I have treasured in my heart,
That I may not sin against You.
12 Blessed are You, O Lord;
Teach me Your statutes.
13 With my lips I have told of
All the ordinances of Your mouth.
14 I have rejoiced in the way of Your testimonies,
[a]As much as in all riches.
15 I will meditate on Your precepts
And [b]regard Your ways.
16 I shall [c]delight in Your statutes;
I shall not forget Your word.
Waiting patiently for the Lord to act requires occupying our minds and hearts with something greater.
Our focus must not be only on what we need God to do for us, but on who He is and what He has already done.
Waiting will not seem like waiting if we sustain our souls with the abundant spiritual nourishment we find in His Word.
Instead, we will find that the waiting becomes a place of joy and peace, trusting that our Father is perpetually working, and he will answer at just the right time.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Psalm 27 New American Standard Bible 1995
A Psalm of Fearless Trust in God.
A Psalm of David.
27 The Lord is my light and my salvation;
Whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the [a]defense of my life;
Whom shall I dread?
2 When evildoers came upon me to devour my flesh,
My adversaries and my enemies, they stumbled and fell.
3 Though a host encamp against me,
My heart will not fear;
Though war arise against me,
In spite of this I [b]shall be confident.
4 One thing I have asked from the Lord, that I shall seek:
That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,
To behold the [c]beauty of the Lord
And to [d]meditate in His temple.
5 For in the day of trouble He will conceal me in His [e]tabernacle;
In the secret place of His tent He will hide me;
He will lift me up on a rock.
6 And now my head will be lifted up above my enemies around me,
And I will offer in His tent sacrifices [f]with shouts of joy;
I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord.
7 Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice,
And be gracious to me and answer me.
8 When You said, “Seek My face,” my heart said to You,
“Your face, O Lord, I shall seek.”
9 Do not hide Your face from me,
Do not turn Your servant away in anger;
You have been my help;
Do not abandon me nor forsake me,
O God of my salvation!
10 [g]For my father and my mother have forsaken me,
But the Lord will take me up.
11 Teach me Your way, O Lord,
And lead me in a level path
Because of [h]my foes.
12 Do not deliver me over to the [i]desire of my adversaries,
For false witnesses have risen against me,
And such as breathe out violence.
13 [j]I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord
In the land of the living.
14 Wait for the Lord;
Be strong and let your heart take courage;
Yes, wait for the Lord.
Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.
Loving God, Living God, Loving Hope, Living Hope, Loving Living Life His Way! "Many things are possible for the person who has hope. Even more is possible for the person who has faith. And still more is possible for the person who knows how to love. But everything is possible for the person who practices all three virtues." - Brother Lawrence (1605-1691), Practicing the Presence of God (1692). 