Wait Upon the Lord

[crisipicada]

Waiting Upon the Lord, what does it mean?

Sometimes, in life, we get tired, we tend to surrender things and give up. There are times that we feel being so much neglected and forgotten. There are moments in life that we feel that we are alone and that we become so discourage. We feel frustrated because we do not get what we want or maybe we things that are supposed to happen did not realize and we feel dishearten. We ask ourselves, “is this all life could offer?” Is this life is supposed to be – failure, sadness, disappointing, frustrating – name it, and then you will always feel empty and dissatisfied about life.

Being Christian, God is personally involved in our lives. God uses His Word, the Bible, to reveal to us how He becomes so involved in our lives. God acts on our behalf, TO THOSE WHO WAIT in Him.

It is human nature to make things done as soon as possible. We want an abrupt result of what we are doing. We wants instant in all that we do,, We always wanted to rush things as possible. Like in dating relationship, many cannot wait for the proper time to fully develop and mature emotionally, spiritually and other aspect in life. Thus, waiting upon the Lord, always requires PATIENCE, Patience to wait for His timing and direction.

At work, it always a chain of command. We must follow instruction from most senior down to different departments as it is applicable. It is always a must, also, that the commander must always be informed in job related work. Sometimes, we make wrong choices in life because we are not following instructions or do things of our own while there are no instruction yet. Like in waiting upon the Lord, it requires FURTHER INSTRUCTION. Further instructions what you have been praying for, or what your concerns are all about.

At times, we are so much worried and troubled in life. Instead of trusting in God, we focus on the concerns and issues in life – this is true even to myself. It is important to trust the Lord because He is the ultimate Savior and Father – He knows what is best and what He is doing in our lives. God is always working in us and is personality involved in our lives. We must listen to His voice while reading the passage of His word, He is speaking to us. It is a must to trust Him to intervene in our lives, let go of the things as an immediate need, and it requires to remove all the deadlines. Sometimes, we pray to the Lord that we want to get married at a particular age, but God did not answer; we pray that we must catch the bus early in the morning so that we wont be late at work or school, then when we miss it, we get discouraged, never thought that the bus got accident. We must get rid of deadlines and pray to His guidance while waiting upon the Lord. Thus, waiting upon Him requires a CALM ACCEPTANCE of what God is doing.

Now, why we need to wait upon the Lord? What are the reasons behind to wait for Him?

God knows every situation in life. He knows our conditions in life. Like in any circumstances - like in a fire scene, the ground commander is assessing things what to do first and the next when there is a raging fire. It is important to know if there are lives must be rescued first or when the other building has not yet captured by fire, it is necessary throw water to that building, not the other that is on fire so that it wont transfer to other structure. Just like our Heavenly Father, HE IS READING CIRCUMSTANCES .


There are times that we are not patient enough. We want it right now. But God wants us to fully trust Him. Do not be in a hurry because God is never late, never ahead, He is always on time, thus GOD WANTS US TO TRUST HIM.

Sometimes God wont answer our prayers become of some hidden wrong motives in our lives. Sometimes we want to this and that because we want to be known or be popular. Sometimes God wont answer our prayers because of wrong hearts desire and not in accordance to His will. James 4:3, Ye ask and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lust. Other reason why we need to trust God because He is PURIFYING OUR MOTIVES.

Sometimes there are prayers that is not granted because it is not yet right time for us. There are times also God did not answer since we are not capable to do so. There are times that God did not answer prayers because He knows that at the moment we do not need it. Why we need to trust God, because HE IS PROTECTING US.

In this world, the people are looking in us. As Christian they are always expecting us to behave as perfect as we can. They will always looking for mistakes in our lives, since we claim to be Christian. It is important to rely on God’s promises to be filled with His Holy Spirit, because we cannot do good in our own. That is why we need to trust God because WE SEND AN AWESOME TESTIMONY.

We may get tired but God is not tired, He is working in our lives even we do not realize it.

Requirement to wait on the Lord will be continued….

[Edwin]

Isaiah 40:28; "Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neihter is weary? there is no searching of his understanding. 29; He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. 30; Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: 31; But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint."

God does not get weary, and He does not faint! We get tired, and there are times that we do faint figuratively and literally. I know how this feels tonight because today I worked harder physically than I have for a year, and then I walked with my doggies 6.5 miles after that, but it went okay. I probably didn't walk as fast, but I did many miles of walking carrying dirt that I was digging out of my cellar. The work is so hard, and the progress so slow, that I wonder if I will actually get accomplished what I need to, but we will see. My kids helped me get water in our house at the kitchen sink, with a temporary setup, and I have until August 1st to finish my digging then my son-in-law will help me with the construction of it, put the water system, including a hot water heater in the cellar, then plumb the entire house for water, and try to have it so that it will not freeze up when winter comes. It is a tall order, but I will try to do my part by finishing the digging, hopefully, and then he will help me with the rest, and we will see how it goes! We need to claim the Lord's help as our strength as we do what is needed during our day!

[DavidM]

What a well thought out post, crisipicada. James 4:3 is such a great reference to what you are saying. I just re-read that chapter to get the context...

7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

I pray for more of this brokenness and submission in my life. I pray that I never lose the desire to have a pure heart and motive before God. I pray that all of us sit at his feet and seek his wisdom, his peace in our hearts and lives from the Holy Spirit, and for him to purify our lives and motives. We are not able to do this ourselves because we will always taint it with our own desires. We have to humble ourselves and seek him.

How often have I chased after my own desire only to end up like Jonah?

crisipicada, your faith is more of an encouragement than you know.

[Edwin]

Yes, DavidM, all of us have sinned and come short of the glory of God. All of us are undone, and need a savior, our Lord Jesus Christ. God had laid on Jesus the stripes of the punishments that we should have gotten. We can not make ourselves good enough for God, but He accepts us as we are. We come to Jesus, He saves us, and then He asks us to do some things in cleaning up our lives as you mentioned in your post. If God falls on us we will be destroyed, ground to powder, but if we fall on God, we will be broken, and reformed into the image of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

[crisipicada]

What a well thought out post, crisipicada. James 4:3 is such a great reference to what you are saying. I just re-read that chapter to get the context...

7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

I pray for more of this brokenness and submission in my life. I pray that I never lose the desire to have a pure heart and motive before God. I pray that all of us sit at his feet and seek his wisdom, his peace in our hearts and lives from the Holy Spirit, and for him to purify our lives and motives. We are not able to do this ourselves because we will always taint it with our own desires. We have to humble ourselves and seek him.

How often have I chased after my own desire only to end up like Jonah?

crisipicada, your faith is more of an encouragement than you know.

Am glad to know that it becomes and encouragement to you and to the readers here. Let the Holy Spirit work in our lives and God will be glorified. Philippians 4:13, We can do nothing in ourselves but we can do all things through Christ who strengtheneth us.

[Edwin]

There isn't anything good in us. We have nothing to offer apart from God. There is nothing that is impossible with God. We trust in God and He can use us for his purposes and His glory. Our acceptance before God is not because of how good we are, but it is because of God's mercy and His grace, and what He has done for us, in sending His Only Begotten Son to the cross to die for your sins. Jesus truly paid it all, and all to Him we owe!

[crisipicada]

I have learned so much in life when I got saved. To wait upon the Lord sometimes is hard but as much as I commit to Him my life and pray that He will increase my faith and trust to Him, it really makes my life more less stress and I am counting and trusting to Him. When I pray, I claim His promises like - Lord, you said, you will not leave us nor forsake us, and I pray please be with me. I feel the presence of God in my daily walk. Sometimes, what I wanted and expected to happen wont happen, then I just say it to myself," Lord I know that you have a purpose on this and thy will be done". Then I feel relief with worries. It is always good to wait upon His timing.

[Edwin]

Yes, Crisi, it is hard to wait on the Lord sometimes. We have a tendency to want to do things our way, and sometimes to do things ourselves rather than trusting the Lord to help us. I think waiting on the Lord does help us with our stress. Like the song goes, "Why worry when you can pray, trust Jesus, each and every day," and right now I can't remember more of that song, but it has a good message to trust in Jesus, and don't worry. We do have our concerns and we lay them on Jesus because He is concerned about everything that concerns us! Sometimes we do have our own ideas about what should happen and when, but then sometimes we have to resign ourselve to God's will, and realize that God knows what is best for us!

[jadegil6]

A story you might appreciate:

P.U.S.H.

A man was sleeping one night in his cabin when suddenly his room filled with light, and God appeared.

The Lord told the man he had work for him to do, and showed him a large rock in front of his cabin.

The Lord explained that the man was to push against the rock with all his might...

So, this the man did, day after day. For many years he toiled from sunup to sundown, his shoulders set squarely against the cold, massive surface of the unmoving rock, pushing with all his might!

Each night the man returned to his cabin sore and worn out, feeling that his whole day had been spent in vain.

Since the man was showing discouragement, the Adversary (Satan) decided to enter the picture by placing thoughts into the man's weary mind. (He will do it every time!)

"You have been pushing against that rock for a long time and it hasn't moved." Thus, he gave the man the impression that the task was impossible and that he was a failure.

These thoughts discouraged and disheartened the man.

Satan said, "Why kill yourself over this? Just put in your time, giving just the minimum effort, and that will be good enough."

That's what the weary man planned to do, but decided to make it a matter of prayer and to take his troubled thoughts to the Lord.

"Lord," he said, "I have labored long and hard in Your Service, putting all my strength to do that which you have asked.

Yet, after all this time, I have not even budged that rock by half a millimeter. What is wrong? Why am I failing?"

The Lord responded compassionately, "My friend, when I asked you to serve Me and you accepted, I told you that your task was to push against the rock with all of your strength, which you have done.

Never once did I mention to you that I expected you to move it. Your task was to push.

And now you come to Me with your strength spent, thinking that you have failed. But, is that really so? Look at yourself.

Your arms are strong and muscled, your back shiny and brown; your hands are callused from constant pressure, your legs have become massive and hard. Through opposition you have grown much, and your abilities now surpass that which you used to have. True, you haven't moved the rock.

But your calling was to be obedient and to push and to exercise your faith and trust in My wisdom.

That you have done. Now I, my friend, will move the rock.."

At times, when we hear a word from God, we tend to use our own intellect to decipher what He wants, when actually what God wants is just simple obedience and faith in Him.

By all means, exercise the faith that moves mountains, but know that it is still God Who moves the mountains.

When everything seems to go wrong.................................Just P.U.S.H.

When the job gets you down...............................................Just P.U.S.H.

When people don't do as you think they should.................Just P.U.S.H.

When your money is "gone" and the bills are due..............Just P.U.S.H.

When people just don't understand you..............................Just P.U.S.H.

P = Pray

U = Until

S = Something

H = Happens

[Edwin]

Yes, Sir Michael, sometimes what the Lord asks us to do seems about as rediculous as pushing on that rock, but the Lord knows and He tells us to do things for a reason. Often times we look so hard to try to figure out where the Lord wants us to be, and what He wants us to do, and often times He wants us right where we are, and doing just what we are doing, only serving Him with all our hearts while we are there and doing that!