Wait!

Wait!

Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord. Psalm 27:14 KJV

Context:

David, the man after God's heart, is credited with writing the words of this psalm. David knew God intimately, and that is why his words spoke very personally about who God was to him. It is my personal experience of God that will lead to a public walk with Him. I cannot give what I do not have, and I cannot call on resources I have not spent time cultivating and storing up. That is why it is very important to first cultivate the inner man of the heart, because the heart is the place of cultivation, preparation and manifestation. Whatever it is that God will do, the heart is his canvas. How's your heart?

It is the heart that must decide on the things it considers important and of eternal value. It is the heart that must choose its focus: worship, daily devotion and service are first settled in the heart. Dwelling in God's presence is a decision of the heart. Seeking God the way he wants to be sought is a decision of the heart. Deceit and hypocrisy are also decisions of the heart. God will not force himself on me, or compel me to choose him; that decision must flow out of a heart that knows and appreciates all it has received. 

Message and Response:

In the midst of all the drama going on in the world, today's extract is quite instructive. What lessons would God have me learn:

1. WAIT ON: it is tough to hear the word wait, when all that makes sense is haste and hurry. The world around us is not slowing down, and the world measures success by visible, tangible metrics. It peaches the value of the physical, because it is the only language it understands. For the man who wants to wait for the Lord, you cannot afford to be distracted by the world's definitions and standards. When God says wait, it is because he is the one who gives speed and accuracy, which will count. Joseph went from prison to the palace in the space of 24 hours. Simon the reed became Peter the rock, along with other disciples after waiting for enduement of power by the Holy Spirit. Waiting from God's perspective never ends in shame or regret. Is there anything God has asked you to wait for? Wait! 

And it is a picture of a waiter, waiting on the customer's instructions, so he can immediately attend. I am at the beck and call of the master, whose word must be my command. I have no other place to be, because it is the master's patronage and commendation that will move me on to the next level. My reward and wages are tied to the recommendation of the one I serve. If he says I have done well, it does not matter what anyone else says. If he does not approve of me, it also does not matter what anybody says. I must therefore live for the commendation of the only one whose view counts. All other views are just distractions. 

2. THE LORD: this is equally important, as it also matters who it is you are waiting for. Who asked you to wait? Was it really God? The one who does not have God must fight for himself. You have to be sure; it cannot be an assumption that it was God, or an uncertainty about the one directing your life. You have to be sure. Whatever this Lord ordains, he is able to sustain. If he did not birth it, he is not under any obligation to preserve it. Can I say, with every sense of certainty, that the Lord is the author and sustainer of my present life's pursuits and priorities? If he is not, it is not too late to get it right. 

3. BE OF GOOD COURAGE: Oh, things that will shake your faith will come, if they have not yet come. Tests are a part of my growth and maturity, and I cannot shortchange the process. As one test ends, another is loading. How do I claim maturity for the next level, if I am not fully prepared for that new level? The world itself has tests and exams for people; imagine then how it also applies to all who want to walk with God. However, before the tests come, God charges me to be of good courage. He speaks to my heart, because he knows that if he is able to capture the heart, storms, winds and waves have no impact. Courage does not mean the absence of things that could lead to fear, but it is the decision to focus on the God who rules and reigns over the things that could lead to fear. 

When the points above are aligned, then there is strength for my heart. My heart is at peace, because I have sorted out its allegiance and focus. Waiting is easy once my heart is settled on the eternal. I am not bothered about the things I do not have. I am not distracted by another person's story, but encouraged to seek God for who he is. I am not fussy about another man's hustle, because now I know that waiting on God gives me haste and access which no man can give me. Lord, teach me to wait on you, in line with your will. Help me to look away from the deceit of hurry, haste and hustle, and to hope in you alone. I know that no one who puts his trust in you is ever put to shame. His time of favour is here.