Now, if we are expecting what we are not observing, we are awaiting it with endurance.
Paul To The Romans 8: 25, Concordant New Testament
If there is one phrase I learned well in the halls of the institutional church it is to wait upon the Lord. This is what we say when we are faced with a life crisis or when we are eagerly awaiting something. Wait on the Lord, and everything will be fine. Sounds good, right? That is, until we realize that our vision of patience sometimes does not agree with that of the Lords. Many well meaning Christians will agree that Gods timing if far different from our own. So much so, that we may often feel as if the Lord has somehow forgotten us and our situation. Of course, this will never be the case. For we have been assured that the Lord will be with us always {Psalm 139:1-4, Isaiah 41:10, Matthews Account 28:20}. Could it be that there is a disconnect between our own timing and Gods? Well, the scriptures seem to think so {Isaiah 55:8-9, Peter To The Dispersion (2) 3:8}. So what can it mean, then, for us to wait upon the Lord? Are we to be steadfast in our patience and wait until the Lord opens whatever door He will? Or, are we to wait until He leads us through our spirit in the direction He has chosen for us? I would lean on the latter personally. Because I have been in those trenches, waiting on the Lord while whatever situation I was waiting on seemed to drag on endlessly. Yet the advice I so often received from the church? Wait on the Lord. We're bombarded with the words of our pastors which proclaim that those who wait upon the Lord will soar like eagles {Isaiah 40:31}. A former church I attended once had a statue of an eagle raised outside its entrance with that very scripture inscribed. As a young Christian, my thoughts were always that waiting on the Lord was a chore which we endure. Of course, this was before I realized the truth of being one with Christ. For those in the mainstream church, waiting on the Lord may be just that, a task we endure. The idea is that God is somehow grading us on our patience before He acts in our favor. I lost count of how many times my patience ran out and I gave up on waiting on the Lord. I've even had pastors proclaim that perhaps God was testing me to see if my faith was solid. To the young Christian, this can be pretty daunting.
The Lord is not tardy as to the promise, as some are deeming tardiness, but is patient because of you, not intending any to perish, but all to make room for repentance.
Peter To The Disposition (2) 3: 9, Concordant New Testament
I will say that my own view of waiting on the Lord has changed since my own realization of Christ in me which was spoken to by the apostle Paul in Galatians {Paul To The Galatians 2:20}. I have come to realize that as I wait upon the Lord I might not be waiting for a physical sign, but for a leading in my spirit from Him. If I am one in the Lord, then He is definitely able to speak to me as to what He desires for me. But, will I perceive and listen to His words? I believe that THIS is the key to our waiting upon the Lord. Yes, God could create a physical event which will be designed to convince us of His leading. I once knew a man I worked with who told me a story of how he was helped out of a situation by a neighbor without even asking. He simply referred to it as a "God thing." Yes, God is able to do just that. He is able to present us with a situation in which we cannot deny that He brought about for us to see. Yet, the Father is also able to speak to our spirit and guide us where He wants us to go. I realize that this is less dramatic than a physical sign, but perhaps far more effective. In order to understand this, one must first understand that our identity does not reside with the physical world, but with the spirit realm {Paul To The Corinthians (2) 3:18}. That is, our outer flesh body does not define who it is we are. Therefore, we are definitely able to discern the voice of the Father in us. The main question, then, is will we listen?
~Scott~
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