Rejoicing While Waiting on the Lord

He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might He increases strength. Those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint' Isaiah 40:29, 31

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say rejoice!' Philippians 4:4.

Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the Lord!' Psalm 27:14.

'When you pass through the waters I will be with you. When you walk through fire you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior' Isaiah 43:2-3.


Notice the pattern yet?

When we wait on the the Lord, when we rejoice in Him, He gives us strength and protection. Trusting Him and waiting on His timing is our proper position before God. Scripture is full of these promises of His great grace. Take time to be holy. Take time o worship Him. Take time to pray. Practice His presence and He will increase your strength. Wait on Him and He will lift you up and restore you and answer your prayers.

But all these things and this relationship are dependent on putting God first in your life. 'Set your mind on things above, and not on things of this earth' Colossians 3:2.

This verse does not mean you should neglect your earthly duties. It means that our focus in all earthly endeavors should be on God, on glorifying His name. This way we rejoice, knowing that we are in the proper position before our Creator, and that He who created us and sees our devotion will bless us. The devotion is not so that we might receive these blessings, however--but to be filled with the Holy Spirit. This should be our highest desire. 'And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him' Colossians 3:17.

When your heart is right before God (waiting, rejoicing, glorifying Him) you create a place for the Spirit to dwell, and open the door for Him to come in. Once you have the Spirit, you will no longer worry, doubt, fear. You will instead glorify Him in all you do, until even your rejoicing is a prayer before Him.

I leave you with this: 'My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth' Psalm 121:2.

Since it is He who created everything, you can never ask too much of Him. Dare to go before the throne of God, go boldly, showing that you trust fully in His mercy and power.

Abiding in God

John 15:7-8 says: 'If you abide in Me, and if My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.'

Here we have the Christian faith explained in a simple and clear manner.

A propositional blessing is offered: ‘If you abide in God, and if His words abide in you, then when you ask something of Him (according to His will, as outlined in 1 John 5:14-15) He shall do it for you.

The purpose, however as explained in verse 8, is not to give you everything you want, but to glorify God, and to teach us to bear fruit. This is also how we know if what we ask is according to His will. If what you ask for will glorify Him, then it is most likely according to His will. The answer is given also to make disciples out of us. When we are in line with God’s will, we are at peace with Him. In this place of peace and rest (Psalm 37:7) we know that what we seek is according to His will, and that He will provide.

The question then becomes: ‘How do we reach the place where we are patient in the Lord?’ Like many things in the believers’ journey, the answer is simple but hard. We must endure trials. Many passages address this uncomfortable but vital feature of the life of faith. We will address them in the next post.

For now, meditate on the wonderful truth of God’s living Word, that if you abide in Him, and if His words abide in you, then He will do for you what you ask. Do not doubt, only believe. He is able. He is mighty. We serve a mighty God! Who is with you in the darkest valleys? He is with you.'

May God bless you and keep you.