Waiting God

8/8/2019 Waiting God

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Waiting for God He Acts on our BehalfAre you waiting for God? He acts on our behalf as we wait for Him. Since ancient times no one hasheard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who acts on behalf of those whowait for him (Isaiah 64:4).

A few years ago, my husband went in for his annual physical and the doctor ordered a routine chest x-ray. A lesion was found on his lung and a CAT scan was ordered. After the CAT scan, other tests weredone. We asked our church and family to pray as we waited in expectancy to see how God wouldanswer. During times of trial, depending on God to bring us through is sometimes difficult. However, wecan always reflect on other times of suffering and how we were kept by His power.

My husband has been going to a cardiologist for the last two years and the x-rays have been negative.The cardiologist continues to check on this spot on the lung every six months. As we await results wetrust God and know He is in control. Today we praise and thank God once again for a negative test. Healone has acted on our behalf as we wait for Him!

Waiting for God He Strengthens UsAs you are waiting for God, He strengthens you. But those who wait on the Lord will find new strength.They will fly high on wings as eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint(Isaiah 40:31).

I once heard an illustration about how God strengthens us during trials. It went like this: Did you knowthat an eagle knows when a storm is approaching long before it breaks? The eagle will fly to high spotand wait for the winds to come. When the storm hits, it sets its wings so that the wind will pick it up and liftit above the storm. While the storm rages below, the eagle is soaring above it. The eagle does not escapethe storm; it simply uses the storm to lift it higher. It rises on the winds that bring the storm. When thestorms of life come upon us, we can rise above them by setting our minds and our belief toward God. Thestorms do not have to overcome us; we can allow God's power to lift us above them. God enables us toride the winds of the storm that bring sickness, tragedy, failure, and disappointment into our lives. We cansoar above the storm. Remember, it is not the burdens of life that weigh us down, it is how we handlethem.

Waiting for God He Blesses UsWhen waiting for God, He blesses you. Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show youcompassion. For the LORD is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him (Isaiah 30:18).

What does it mean to be blessed by God while we wait on Him? As we wait on God and His timing, Hecan accomplish so much in our hearts. Often we find new purpose in life, receive answers to prayer, seeGod work, increase our faith, and most often we see Gods perfect plan fulfilled in our situation.Remember, waiting is not wasted time!

Hearing God's Voice - Are You Ready to Listen?Hearing God's voice is something we all long for-but did you know that it's not hard to do? In fact, Godwants you to hear His voice! He doesn't speak to us through a quiver in our liver or through vibes ormediums. Hearing the voice of God is as natural as hearing your best friend talk to you. What's more, wecan hear Him everyday and not just on special occasions or by chanting special incantations. He speaksto us in the natural moments of life. Do you want to hear God's voice? Then you must be ready to listen.

Hearing God's Voice - Why Do You Want to Hear Him?Why do you want to hear God's voice? That may sound like a silly question, but motives are important inanything we do. The Bible says this about God's Word: "For the word of God is living and active. Sharperthan any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judgesthe thoughts and attitudes of the heart." (Hebrews 4:12)

Do you want to hear God's voice? If you do, it's possible you're hearing Him already, for He may be the


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one giving you the longing to hear Him.

Hearing God's Voice in the BibleIn his book Knowing God, J. I. Packer says, "God has spoken to man, and the Bible is His Word, given tous to make us wise unto salvation."

The Bible itself declares, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word wasGod" (John 1:1). In another place, we read: "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching,rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness." (2 Timothy 3:16).

You may hear people say that the Bible is just a book written by men, but the Bible itself claims to beGod's Word! Can we rely on it? The evidence of history, archaeology, fulfilled prophecy and personaltestimony over thousands of years is overwhelming that the Bible is, indeed, God's Word. Do you want tohear God's voice? Then read the Bible. Find a good daily reading plan, and stick to it.

Hearing God's Voice through PrayerWhen you want to have a conversation with someone, how do you begin? Do you stand in front of theperson and hope they will talk to you? That might work, if the other person is outgoing enough, butusually we begin a conversation by opening our own mouths and talking, engaging the other person'sattention. It's the same with God! He loves to hear us talk to Him, and it's in those moments that we

prepare ourselves to hear the voice of God. Prayer is like saying, "Hello, God, it's me. I believe Youcreated me and that You know way more about how I should live my life than I do. I'd like to get to knowYou better. Here's what's going on in my life, and I 'd sure like Your thoughts on how to handle it. WouldYou please speak to me about this today?"

In an ordinary conversation, we speak, then listen for the response of the other person. It's the same withGod! Once we've prepared our hearts to listen through prayer, we're more likely to hear the voice of God.Does He speak to us through an audible voice? Some claim He does, but usually that's not the case. Wemay not actually "hear" the voice of God, but He speaks to us in many ways. Here are some of them:

y God speaks through His Word

y God speaks through our thoughts

y God speaks through conversations with others

y God speaks through circumstances

Hearing God's Voice through JesusThe Bible also tells us that Jesus is God in the flesh. Therefore, if you want to hear the voice of God, youmust study and know the teachings of Jesus. Here's how John describes Him: "That which was from thebeginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and ourhands have touched - this we proclaim concerning the Word of life." (1 John 1:1). You must also have apersonal relationship with Jesus. Have you ever tried to carry on a conversation of any depth with aperson you did not know? It doesn't usually go very far.

Shortly before He was crucified, Jesus met with His disciples to reassure them of what would happenafter He was gone. He promised them a helper: "And I will ask the Father, and he will give you anotherCounselor to be with you forever - the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither

sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you." (John 14:16-17). TheHoly Spirit, then, is the fulfillment of the way we hear God's voice!

Hearing God's Voice with the Help of the Holy Spirit"But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things andwill remind you of everything I have said to you." (John 14:26). The second chapter of Acts describes theevents that occurred on the day of Pentecost, after Jesus ascended into Heaven. Verse 3 says they wereall filled with the Holy Spirit, the Counselor promised by Jesus. This unique aspect of God's personalitydid not come to them as someone they could see and touch, but rather He came to live inside them. That


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same Spirit is available to you and me today.Are you a Christian? If so, you already have the Holy Spiritavailable to you. Ask God for a fresh filling everyday, and He will prepare your heart to hear God's voice.His Spirit, that still, small voice inside you, is the One who will remind you of what God said, and help yourecognize God's opportunities in your life.

Hearing God's Voice - Conclusion of the Matter

So we have the Bible, prayer, Jesus, the Holy Spirit and our own hearts to help us in hearing God's voice.Do you want to hear God's voice? That is the final question, for God responds to willing hearts. In thebook of Revelation, we read: "Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice andopens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me." (Revelation 3:20). God will never forceyou to obey Him, but waits for your willing response to His call. Are you hearing His voice right now?Don't let your final answer be the wrong one.

Unanswered Prayer Unheard AnswersAre you experiencing unanswered prayer? Does God turn a deaf ear to some of your desperate pleas forhealing, finances, or protection? We all experience irritation when our best efforts to communicate resultin an unsatisfactory response -- or worse, no response at all. We wonder, Did you ever receive mymessage? When we pray, we often equate the lack of immediate tangible results with God rejecting ourprayers. In James 5:13-16 we are urged to pray earnestly with the promise of powerful and wonderful

results. Why would God emphasize the importance of prayer and then choose not to respond with a joyful answer?

When answering prayer, God responds first to our attitude, much as a parent responds to a precious child(Psalm 103:13-14). Our childish actions and attitudes frequently affect a prayers desired results.Unforgiveness (Mark 11:24-25), selfishness (Proverbs 21:13), doubt (Matthew 21:21-22), greed (James4:2-3), pride (2 Chronicles 7:14-15), and stubbornness (Zechariah 7:11-13) hinder Gods desire to answerprayer.

Unanswered Prayer Unexpected AnswersPrayer is not a casual one-sided conversation. It is not back-up insurance guaranteeing a life free frompain and struggles. Prayer is actively acknowledging God as the source of all power and trusting that Hisanswers, whether expected or unexpected, will accomplish greater things (Isaiah 46:9-10; 64:4).

Matt and our daughter, Jackie, both musicians, became close friends. As a drummer, he would play back-up whenever she sang with the worship band. Matts deepest desire was to teach Gods Word andperhaps enter the ministry. Their common interests drew them closer. As a high-school junior, Jackiehoped to attend the same out-of-state university as Matt. Then, Matt was diagnosed with advancedlymphatic cancer. Jackie says, I had great faith that God would heal Matt. He had such a passion to be apastor, teaching others. I knew God wouldnt take his life because Matt could make such a difference inthis world. She prayed for his healing.

In September of Jackies senior year, Matt died. Jackie responded with anger and disbelief with God forseemingly not answering her prayers: Initially, I blamed God. Later, I blamed myself, thinking I didnt prayhard enough, or maybe I accidentally missed praying one day. Following graduation, Jackie beganattending a Christian university. Through friends, she began releasing the pain and grief locked inside,eating away at her in solitude. Once I actually voiced my suffering to another, the healing began, and Iexperienced Gods love and strength again (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17).

Matt had taught all of us that he valued his eternal relationship with God more than any temporary life hehad on earth. We had all prayed for Matt to live, and God answered with a wondrous YES! (John 11:25).In the last semester of our daughters junior year in college, she met Michael. I was first attracted toMikes intense love for God. I knew God was accomplishing His plans in all our lives. Today, Michaelserves the Lord, teaching and sharing Gods love with intense passion. And when Jackie sings of Godsgreatness, her devoted husband, Michael, accompanies her on the conga drums (Jeremiah 29:11).


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Unanswered Prayer Understanding AnswersSometimes, God will answer, No to our desperate prayers. Any delay or unexpected outcome must notdishearten us. What is Gods true purpose in answering our prayers (John 14:13)? What does God wantto complete in us through prayer (John 16:2324)? God wants us to bring our every need to Him as Heanswers (yes or no) according to His character and will. God will never grant requests contrary to His will.While receiving a Yes usually makes us happy, God never promised us happiness. Happiness is basedon circumstances. God wants us to have everlasting joy -- especially when He responds, No, it will bedone in My time, not yours. No, I will reveal My glory.

In Luke 22:41-44, Jesus agonized over the events leading up to His death. In fervent prayer, His greatestdesire was to give preeminence to Gods will, not His suffering and pain (Hebrews 12:2). When we praywithout ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18), God always responds, and every answer brings joy.

http://www.allaboutprayer.org/unanswered-prayer.htm

Power Of Prayer - How powerful is it?The power of prayer should not be underestimated. James 5:16-18 declares, "The prayer of a righteousman is powerful and effective. Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain,and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and

the earth produced its crops." God most definitely listens to prayers, answers prayers, and moves inresponse to prayers.

Jesus taught, "I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to thismountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you" (Matthew 17:20).2 Corinthians 10:4-5 tells us, "The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On thecontrary, they have divine powerto demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and everypretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make itobedient to Christ." The Bible urges us, "And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayersand requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints" (Ephesians 6:18).

Power Of Prayer - How do I tap into it?The power of prayer is not the result of the person praying. Rather, the power resides in the God who is

being prayed to. 1 John 5:14-15 tells us, "This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if weask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us - whatever we ask - weknow that we have what we asked of him." No matter the person praying, the passion behind the prayer,or the purpose of the prayer - God answers prayers that are in agreement with His will. His answers arenot always yes, but are always in our best interest. When our desires line up with His will, we will come tounderstand that in time. When we pray passionately and purposefully, according to God's will, Godresponds powerfully!

We cannot access powerful prayer by using "magic formulas." Our prayers being answered is not basedon the eloquence of our prayers. We don't have to use certain words or phrases to get God to answer ourprayers. In fact, Jesus rebukes those who pray using repetitions, "And when you pray, do not keep onbabbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them,for your Father knows what you need before you ask him" (Matthew 6:7-8). Prayer is communicating with

God. All you have to do is ask God for His help. Psalm 107:28-30 reminds us, "Then they cried out to theLORD in their trouble, and he brought them out of their distress. He stilled the storm to a whisper; thewaves of the sea were hushed. They were glad when it grew calm, and he guided them to their desiredhaven." There is power in prayer!

Power Of Prayer - For what kind of things should I pray?God's help through the power of prayer is available for all kinds of requests and issues. Philippians 4:6-7tells us, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving,present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard


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your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." If you need an example of a prayer, read Matthew 6:9-13.These verses are known as the Lord's prayer. The Lord's prayer is not a prayer we are supposed tomemorize and simply recite to God. It is only an example of how to pray and the things that should go intoa prayer - worship, trust in God, requests, confession, protection, etc. Pray for these kinds of things, butspeak to God using your own words.

The Word of God is full of accounts describing the power of prayer in various situations. The power ofprayer has overcome enemies (Psalm 6:9-10), conquered death (2 Kings 4:3-36), brought healing (James5:14-15), and defeated demons (Mark 9:29). God, through prayer, opens eyes, changes hearts, healswounds, and grants wisdom (James 1:5). The power of prayer should never be underestimated becauseit draws on the glory and might of the infinitely powerful God of the universe! Daniel 4:35 proclaims, "Allthe peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing. He does as he pleases with the powers of heaven andthe peoples of the earth. No one can hold back his hand or say to him: 'What have you done?'"

http://www.foundationsforfreedom.net/Topics/WaitingOnGod/

WaitUpon017.html

Waiting on God is the special process through which the Lord

causes our eyes to turn to Him for help in time of need. By

extending the duration or distress of our trial even a little bit, our

weaknesses become apparent.

It is at this point our hearts become desperate, our faith is proved, and

our hope is purified. The process is so common that the phrase "Wait

upon the Lord" or "Waiting on God" is regularly used.

We need to wait on God for a spouse, for a job, for healing, for wisdom,for ministry, etc. We might say that it is Satan tempting us, and in some

cases he is, but at the same time it is God who is testing (proving) us. Heis bringing us a step closer to Himself.

Waiting on God is a crucial step in which our dependence upon God

grows.

Without this deeper awareness of God in our lives, God restrains Himselffrom giving us more grace. Blessing without humbling brings increasedsusceptibility to temptation. This is the reason growth comes with tests.Humility keeps us from pride which makes us selfishly ambitious where

we would otherwise forget the Lord.

Waiting for the Lord is not easy. Our heart is often crying out in


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agony. We feel oppressed and constrained. We yearn for freedom andprovision. Waiting upon the Lord for needed supplies is one common area

in which He trains us. We have to be needy so that we are forced to lookto the Lord for help. Our other resources are stripped away. Someoneyesterday said to me, "But I don't like what the Lord is bringing me

through." How true this is. We squirm, squiggle and squeak.

Waiting upon the Lord are times in which we do not have

resources, answers, or direction. Instead we are often confused,poor, broken and limited. Our hope is focused on what happens after that

season of humility, where we will experience a period of God's blessing.

If we live by confidence in our own resources and abilities, will we not

become self-confident? What glory does that bring to God?! But throughthis process, God enables us to depend upon Him so that we know it isonly He who does wonderful things in our lives.

Ultimately then, waiting upon God protects us, deepens our trust in Him,forces us to seek His ways and brings Him the most glory. They are timesthe Lord is testing whether we are really seeking Him and His ways.

I can remember experience after experience where I have cried out toGod for help and deliverance. When going through those times, I think

that if I could just get out of this one pit all would be well. However, notlong after the Lord delivers me from one set of problems, I find myself inanother whole set of problems. And again I am seeking His help with the

same kind of desperate prayer.

It began to dawn on me that God has carefully planned out these 'pauses'in life in order to renew, strengthen, humble and focus us on God. This is

much like the recommendation that one go around a fruit tree and cut offits roots - shocking it so that it will grow stronger and healthier roots. Inthis respect 'Waiting upon the Lord' is similar to pruning.

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FUNCTIONAL DEFINITION OFWAITING UPON GOD

Waiting upon God is exercising confidence

in God's timing and help during difficult times.


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Confidence in God not in my own resources

Purpose of this study of waiting upon the Lord:

y That we may fully understand this regular process that God brings

His people through.y That we might learn how to embrace the Lord rather than to shun

Him in these times.y That we better identify with God's goal that we trust Him more and

bring Him more praise and glory.y That we know how to encourage other people when they are

confused by this process of waiting upon the Lord.

Ultimately then, waiting upon God protects us, deepens our trust in Him,

forces us to seek His ways and brings Him the most glory

Purpose

Waiting and Planning provides 8 principles from Isaiah 29-32 on how tomake good plans that resolve the tension between self-reliance andtrusting God.

There is a tension between taking control and letting God care forthings. Some would say that unless we take control, we are not putting

to use our good resources. On the other side, we have those who insist

that we need to actively wait for God to work. We suggest that there isno need to discard one view to gain the other.

The two thoughts can be nicely weaved together. Waiting on God is thebuilding material of good plans. The passages on planning through Isaiah29-32 will give us at least 8 principles in making good plans that will help

resolve this tension.

Making Plans the Wrong Ways

y Hiding Plans from God (29:15)

y Rejecting God's Plans (30:1-12)y Implementing Our Plans (31:1-3)

y Exposing Foolish Planners (32:5-7)

More Discussion


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http://www.foundationsforfreedom.net/Topics/WaitingOnGod/WaitUpon010.html#Anchor-More-10572

MAKING PLANS

The Wrong Way

"Once I have my plans allthought through, then I'll

make sure everythingis okay with God by

praying about it."

Making Plans the Right Ways

y Finding God's Plans (29:16)

y Accepting God's Plans (30:18-22)

y Seeing God's Plans (31:4-9)y Affirming Noble Plans (32:8)

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l#Anchor-More-10572

MAKING PLANS

The Right Way

"I know how easy it is to get carried away with my own plans. I willseek His will rather than my own. I want His will and really need

God's wisdom. I must start praying seriously about what He wantsregarding this one matter."

Testingreveals

whetherthe

objectisupto

itsoriginal

standards.

Ourresponseto stress

reveals

towhat

degreewe trust

and

dependuponGod.


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Hiding Plans from God

(Isaiah29:15)

Woeto those who deeplyhide their plans from theLORD, And whose deedsare done in a dark place,And they say, "Who sees

us?" or "Who knows us?"(Isaiah 29:15).

Our society is known as a

busy generation. Wecan'ttaketimeto be quiet. One

ofthe reasons for this isour desireto hide our plansfrom God. Distractions

such as busyness orentertainment hidethem.

They deliberately find

themselves super busymaking and carrying outplans. They actually forgetthat God has an opinion.

They areconfidentthey cancarry outthe plans.

"Who sees us?"

They think no one observestheir subtle plans.

"Who knows us?"

They areconfidentthat no

one really understands theirmotivations.

Finding God's Plans (Isaiah 29:16)

You turn things around! Shall the potter be

considered as equal with theclay, That what ismade should say to its maker, "He did not makeme"; Or what is formed say to him who formed

it, "He has no understanding"? (Isaiah 29:16).

Do we really wantto know and do His will? Wediscover that if man really wants to know and do

God's will, then he must believethat God's plansare higher and better. These plans need to berevealed to him.

If we do affirm to seek His will, then we needHim to direct our paths. Wecan ask ourselves,

"How much do we struggletrying to discern it?What kind of prayer have we really maderegarding this issue? Are we open to not doing

it?

In theend, we must beconvinced that He has a

plan and thatHis timing, design, provisionand ultimately His plan is better than

anything we could come up with.

Rejecting God's Plans

(Isaiah30:1-12)Accepting God's Plans (Isaiah30:18-

22)


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"Woeto the rebellious

children," declares theLORD, "Who execute a

plan, but not Mine, Andmake an alliance, but not of

My Spirit, In order to addsin to sin; Who proceeddown to Egypt, Withoutconsulting Me, To takerefuge in the safety of

Pharaoh, And to seekshelter in the shadow ofEgypt! (Isaiah 30:1,2).

God spoke, but His Wordwas rejected. There weremany false prophets andgovernment leaders

suggesting an alliance withEgypt. Butthere werethefew true prophets likeIsaiah (Is 8) and Jeremiahwho spoke out on how God

told them notto make analliance.

Our planning often is

differentthan the Lord's willbecause it looks attractivein some aspects. In thiscase, they gained security

and self-confidence from aworld power siding withthem.

God in His extraordinary

mercy could have madeEgypt rejectIsrael'sproposal for an alliance andthereforecaused the

Israelites to only have Godleft as an alternative. ButHe letthem go their own

Thereforethe LORD longs to be gracious to you,

And therefore He waits on high to havecompassion on you. For the LORD is a God of

justice; How blessed are all those who long forHim. O people in Zion, inhabitant in Jerusalem,

you will weep no longer. He will surely begracious to you at the sound of your cry;when He hears it, He will answer you. (Isaiah30.18-19). And your ears will hear a wordbehind you, "This is the way, walk in it,"

whenever you turn to the right or to the left.(Isaiah 30:21).

God wants so much to bless His people, and yet,

as long as they have unrepentant hearts, He willnot bless them. God's plan is always better. IfGod's people do not live by faith in His love,then they will not understand how God's

graciousness is just waiting to beexpressedtoward them. Those peoplethat long for God(wait for Him) arethe samethat haveconfidence in His goodness.

Notice how once His peoplecry outto the Lord,He will surely bring help. Oncethey cry out, they

find three significant means to wait upon Godand find His help.

He will be our Teacher and Leader (20).He will reveal His will, "This is the way, walk init" (21)

They will destroy and put away their idols (22).


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way. By relying on othersthan God had planned, theyshowed they were not at all

interested in God's ways.


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Implementing Our

Plans (Isaiah31:1-3)

Woeto those who go downto Egypt for help, And relyon horses, And trust inchariots becausethey aremany, And in horsemen

becausethey are verystrong, Butthey do not lookto the Holy One ofIsrael,nor seek the LORD! Yet He

also is wise and will bringdisaster, And does not

retract His words, But willarise againstthe house ofevildoers, And againstthe

help ofthe workers ofiniquity. Now theEgyptiansare men, and not God, Andtheir horses are flesh and

not spirit; So the LORD willstretch out His hand, Andhe who helps will stumbleAnd he who is helped will

fall, And all ofthem willcometo an end together.(Isaiah 31:1-3).

When a person rejectsGod's way, he must out ofnecessity rely on thingsto support their plans.Noticethey rely on horses,

chariots and the nation ofEgypt. God in His Law

purposely told them nottohave horses and chariots.

Man's resources, then, inmany cases become snareskeeping them from trusting

God and doing what is not

Seeing God's Plans (Isaiah31:4-9)

Return to Him from whom you have deeply

defected, O sons ofIsrael. For in that day everyman will cast away his silver idols and his gold

idols, which your hands have made as a sin. And

the Assyrian will fall by a sword not of man, Anda sword not of man will devour him. So he willnotescapethe sword, And his young men willbecome forced laborers. "And his rock will pass

away because of panic, And his princes will beterrified atthe standard," Declares the LORD,whose fire is in Zion and whose furnace is inJerusalem. (Isaiah 31.6-9).

God completely defies any ofthe false alliancesHis people have madeto getthem out oftrouble. God personally makes itclear only He,butcertainly He, will deliver His people from

Assyria their invader.

God makes it very clear that our plans and ourattempts to combatting impending problems are

utter foolishness in light of His greater purpose.


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best for us.


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Exposing Foolish

Planners (Isaiah

32:5-7)

No longer will the fool becalled noble, Or the rogue

be spoken of as generous.For a fool speaks nonsense,And his heart inclinestoward wickedness, To

practice ungodliness and tospeak error againsttheLORD, To keep the hungryperson unsatisfied And to

withhold drink from thethirsty. (Isaiah 32.5-6).

Fools only breed poorplans. These poor plans

will inevitable beexposedfor whatthey are, butsometimes this takes longerthan wethink. These fools

become desperate in theirprideto save his plans byhiding their folly. We haveseen many examples ofthis

in America from theSavings and Loan fallout,Enron's corruptness,political bribes andscandals, etc..

Let's list what it says aboutthe fool.

y The fool will nolonger becalled wise

y The fool will nolonger be seen as

generousy The fool speaks

nonsense

Affirming Noble Plans (Isaiah32:8)

Butthe noble man devises noble plans; And by

noble plans he stands. (Isaiah 32.8).

Noble men make noble plans.

Noble plans transcends time and will testify toGod's faithfulness in heaven.

The greatestthings will bethosethings doneaccording to God's will. We see many mediocrethings being doneeven by thechurch. This isbecause oftheir reliance on self and others but

not God.

God madethechurch to be vulnerable so thatshe would regularly call outto God for help. Wecan get by for a long time withoutthinking

clearly what God wants. Why is itthat adenomination will justclosechurches ratherthan examining her innards? Their follycondemns them.

The noble man trusts alone in God. There are

men who had more money go through theirfingers than George Mueller, butthe affect of

their money pales in contrastto the man whotrusts in God. God is every seeking those menwho wait upon Him for doing greatthings.

More on the Book ofIsaiah


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y The fool's heartinclines towardwickedness

y The fool practices

ungodlinessy The fool speaks error

againstthe Lord

y The fool keeps thehungry and thirstyunsatisfied

More Discussion

The problem in a society full of resources is that we can easily operatewithout waiting upon God. Just think about credit for an example. If aperson wants money or a machine, he just goes and get it even if hedoesn't have the money. $30/month for three years the ad goes. Because

he is so accustomed to borrowing, he overrides God's means of usingresources to guide him.

But our problem has escalated by all sorts of

personnel, governmental, charitable and otherresources. They are not necessarily bad in

themselves, but they can in many cases be receivedin spite of God's help. Man can raise money for all sorts of odd things intoday's world! This is true in the church too. Good programs havesubstituted God's people waiting upon God. They work. They use proven

methods.

And so seminaries have trained men to depend on these proven or'scientific' means to preach, raise money, counsel or even evangelize. As

they see it works,theywe become self-confident and then influence otherpeople to trust that method.

The 'God' factor is virtually eliminated. We need to be very carefulnot to fall into this snare. It can happen to churches, Christianorganizations or in the lives of individuals. God wants people to pray and

wait upon Him. If they don't, they forget Him and certainly will minimizeHis ways.

Life without God is secularism. We can understand secularism within


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the society overall but when it is in the church, it is outright scary! Butthis is where the Western church is as a whole. As affluence and

knowledge has become readily available, man basically thinks he can doanything that he desires.

He is right to a degree, of course. With the resources that the Lord hasgiven to him, man can do a lot. The church can do a lot, but it will not bedone to God's glory.

There have been a few good strands of faith passedalong in the church, but they are much too small andfar too few. A key area that the church has become

worldly is in the handling of finances. Just think howcommon it is today for a church to get a mortgage.

God's people for the most part do not even know what the scriptureteaches about covetousness and owing others, but even when they do,most play it down. Church loans are man's means of arrangingfinancingforof his own projects. I have known of several church building

projects. Each time there has been great turmoil and divisions. Onlywhen the people are led together in faith, are they joined together in thiskind of project.

In Christian living, we try hardto please the Lord. We end up

falling into some regular sinsuch as gazing at pornography,indulging our appetites, birthcontrol or being worried. Wechange the standard to

accommodate our abilities. Wethen set goals that we canreach. We are proud of the

things we have accomplished.

As a result of this, we hearcatch phrases that seem to justify our sins. "Everyone does it." "What iswrong with that?!" Instead of scrutinizing the scriptures for standards asthe Bereans, we just go full steam ahead in our self-confidence.

Behind all of this is ourdesire to live in a world in which we cancontrol things. The world does this because they don't believe there is

Path ofSpiritual Decline

y We focus on what we might do

y We do notthink wecan carry outGod's design

y We lower our standards

y We adopt lesser goalsy We accomplish themy We are proud of our

accomplishments

y Weencourage others to do the same


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anything else to trust in or live for. The church does it because of thatreason as well as because of imitation. They don't know anything better.

The church might seek for power, but it is not in godly living. Godlyliving, however, is what enables us to draw close to the Lord. Godly

people live by God's standards in God's power for God's glory.They are preoccupied with God and His purposes and ways ratherthan man's.

"May those who wait for Thee not be ashamed through me, O LordGOD of hosts; May those who seek Thee not be dishonoredthrough me, O God of Israel" (Psalm 69:6 ).

We have forgotten what it means to wait upon God. Those that wait uponGod hold to His standards. They know that they can not accomplish what

God wants without God's extraordinary grace. Because of this, they seekHis face. They confess their sins. They call upon the Name of the Lord.Worldliness has a specific term right now called pragmatism. We need torepent from this and wait upon God!

Steps to Waiting on God

Isaiah 38

Paul J. Bucknell

_________________________

Waiting Upon the Lord| Waiting & Planning | Steps to Waiting | Fail to Waiting

Biblical Perspective on Waiting| Waiting for Ministry|Waiting for Revenge

Waiting for a Wife | Trusting through Treachery| Waiting for Christ's Return

Study Questions | Testimonies on Waiting Upon the Lord| Godly Man Index

Purpose

Steps to Waiting on God uses the story of King Hezekiah in Isaiah 38 whoall of a sudden heard about his oncoming death. We find three keyprinciples to shape our own decision making. Part of the Waiting On Godseries.

We have often heard the phrase 'waiting on God.' We know it isimportant but are not sure how it fits into our Christian lives. Sometimes


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the actual word 'waiting' or the phrase 'waiting on God' or 'waiting uponGod' is used in a scriptural passage.

At other times, however the teaching is present without the expresswords 'to wait upon the Lord.' This slice into Hezekiah's life is like that. It

gives us practical steps to waiting on God.

HEZEKIAH

A CRISISFOR TESTING

Hezekiah gives us an example of waiting on God. He just heard someshocking news.

In those days Hezekiah became mortally ill. And Isaiah the prophet theson of Amoz came to him and said to him, "Thus says the LORD, "Set

your house in order, foryou shall die and notlive.' " (Isaiah 38:1).

Hezekiah heard that he was going to die.

This left him desperate just like it would leaveyou or me - absolutely shaken. The time framefor waiting here compared toAbraham is much

shorter. We are talking about days rather thandecades with Abraham. The training is different.But Hezekiah's matter was urgent. How would

Hezekiah respond?

We should note that God left no other door openfor Hezekiah than absolute rejection of God. God simply announced

through His prophet that he was going to die. There was no offer ofpromise that if he did this or that, then God would heal him.

We often read this story as if God had given him a promise. But this isnot the case here. So how did Hezekiah respond? How would you haveresponded?

Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall, and prayed to the LORD, andsaid, "Remember now, O LORD, I beseech Thee, how I have walkedbefore Thee in truth and with a whole heart, and have done what is good

in Thy sight." And Hezekiah wept bitterly. (Isaiah 38:2,3, NASB).


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This announcement brought Hezekiah down on his knees to wait upon theLord. He desperately prayed. Although his circumstances would be much

different than ours, I believe we can see three important principles towaiting upon the Lord.

y TrustIf we do not trust God, then we will get bitter. We will believe Hislove or doubt it. This is the ultimate test. The testing forces us tomake an importantdecision on how we will relate to the Lord.

If we believe the Lord doesn't care for us, then we will turn todespair (I am doomed), self-help books (own resources) orbitterness.

Previous trust is important to establish a trust decision during acrisis. Hezekiah made this trust decision. He turned to God rather

than away from Him. If we can't clearly think at such a time, justremember to turn toward the Lord.

y Reject

We must consciously turn away from using other resources that wecould turn to. We need to reject paths without God. The text issilent about this. But from this silence, we see that Hezekiah did not

pull our his kingly reserves and see what could be done. This isbecause he believed God's message. Hezekiah would die. This wasthe end of his life.

He realized that he had nothing else to trust in. He could havetested God's Word by seeking medical help or the sage ofphilosophers, but he didn't. If we are a bit confused as to what the

next step is, remember that we are not to first look at ourresources. We need to reject them, even consciously if needed. Weneed to trust in the Lord for His methods.

y PrayMy advice to people seeking God's will is to pray and stop thinking;

pray and stop planning; pray and stop talking. Did you ever talkwith someone who was willing to talk to everyone but God aboutHis problems?!

Prayer is prayer. We are called to talk to God about our problems so

we can sense what we should do. To be true, prayer does take onmany forms and means, but essentially it is talking to God about


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your circumstances. We need to seek the Lord in prayer. Hezekiahhad two parts to his prayer.

o He asked God to remember him.Hezekiah needed God to remember his own plight. No one

else could change things. Does anyone believe that God didnot remember his situation? I doubt it. God knows everything.We can't say He forgot someone like we sometimes do. Morethan this, King Hezekiah stated asked God to remember himnow. He really believed the prophet's word about his

impending death. His window of life was short. He neededinstant action.

o He told God about his life.

This might sound a bit strange, but Hezekiah wanted God to

remember what kind of life he had lived up to this point. If forany reason it was blocked from God's mind, Hezekiah believed

his life was important enough to tell God about it. This wasessentially telling God about his life and goals. He was nodoubt hoping that God would reevaluate his circumstances.

However, Hezekiah came short of asking God for healing. Thisdidn't seem to make a bit of difference.

Hezekiah's prayer ended with bitter tears as his

amen. The words he sent before God were soaked in

tears from his heart. Various people will praydifferently but all must pray if they are to wait upon

God.

The Lord heard his desperate prayer. He did not need to wait long on God

for an answer, but He did wait. He received an additional 15 years of life.

The principles above highlight that this waiting upon God is a process.

This would not be the first or last time for him or us to wait upon God.

God develops these life encounters so that we will be protected,

strengthened, redirected and recommitted

After his illness and recovery, King Hezekiah wrote a poem of

thanks to God.


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A writing of Hezekiah king of Judah, after his illness and recovery:I said, "In the middle of my life I am to enter the gates of Sheol; Iam to be deprived of the rest of my years." I said, "I shall not seethe LORD, The LORD in the land of the living; I shall look on man

no more among the inhabitants of the world. "Like a shepherd'stent my dwelling is pulled up and removed from me; As a weaver I

rolled up my life. He cuts me off from the loom; From day untilnight Thou dost make an end of me. "I composed my soul until

morning. Like a lion--so He breaks all my bones, From day untilnight Thou dost make an end of me. "Like a swallow, like a crane,

so I twitter; I moan like a dove; My eyes look wistfully to theheights; O Lord, I am oppressed, be my security. "What shall I

say? For He has spoken to me, and He Himself has done it; I shall

wander about all my years because of the bitterness of my soul. "OLord, by these things men live; And in all these is the life of myspirit; O restore me to health, and let me live! "Lo, for my ownwelfare I had great bitterness; It is Thou who hast kept my soul

from the pit of nothingness, For Thou hast cast all my sins behindThy back. "For Sheol cannot thank Thee, Death cannot praise

Thee; Those who go down to the pit cannot hope for Thyfaithfulness. "It is the living who give thanks to Thee, as I do

today; A father tells his sons about Thy faithfulness. "The LORDwill surely save me; So we will play my songs on stringed

instruments All the days of our life at the house of the LORD."(Isaiah 38:9-20).

"Failing to Wait"

Genesis 16, 17, 22

Paul J. Bucknell

_________________________





Purpose


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Genesis 16,17, 22 teaches the consequences of failing to wait for God'splan through Abraham's example.

"And I will

bless her,and indeedI will giveyou a son

by her.Then I willbless her,and she

shall be amother ofnations;kings ofpeoples

shall comefrom her."

ThenAbraham

fell on hisface andlaughed,

and said in

his heart,"Will a childbe born to a

man onehundred

years old?And will

Sarah, whois ninety

years old,bear a

child?" And

Abrahamsaid to God,"Oh thatIshmael

might live

beforeThee!" ButGod said,


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If you are sensitive to the word 'failure,' more than likely youhave faced a lot of criticism in your life. Failure is one word

these people stay far away from. They often areperfectionists.

They don't dare to fail. Some of it is that they don't want toface criticism but more of it might come from the sense ofneed to prove how good they are. "I'll show them how good Ican be." But not everyone can always succeed. Sometimes

even the perfectionists fail. If their pride is burst, then theycan feel totally worthless.

We often think God treats us in ways that we have beentreated by our parents. How fortunate we have in Abraham'slife how God deals with failure in our lives. Abraham failed to

wait upon God, a mess developed, and yet God helped himback up again to keep waiting until the promise was fulfilled.

ABRAHAM

CONSEQUENCESFOR NOT WAITING

Abraham stopped waiting. He had a son by another woman. The reasonsfor this were many.

Abraham had waited a long time for the fulfillment of God's promise to

him. Years and years went by as people laughed behind his back aboutGod's promised son to him. And even when he did take that bold step ofgoing into his wife's handmaid, his wife encouraged him to do it. (1)

So Sarai said to Abram, "Now behold, the LORD has prevented me frombearing children. Please go in to my maid; perhaps I shall obtain childrenthrough her." And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai. (Genesis 16.2)

Abraham and Sarah were past time to bear children and had given upwaiting upon God. But once they took the matter into their own hands,

they actually failed God. This not only brought a lot of extra turmoil intohis marriage but brought long lasting consequences. Ishmael was bornand from him arose Israel's permanent enemy right up to this day. (2)

"No, butSarah your

wife shallbear you ason, and

you shallcall hisname

Isaac; and Iwill

establish My

covenantwith him for

aneverlasting

covenant

for hisdescendantsafter him."

(Genesis17.16-19).


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ABRAHAM

WAITINGFOR TRAINING

God didn't leave Abraham in his failure. After he failed God, the Lord in

His goodness clarified matters. Even after a good while, Abraham still sawthe fulfillment of the promise in Ishmael. But God rejected Abraham's

assertion and instead reinstituted and clarified the promise.

"Abraham said to God, "Oh that Ishmael might live before Thee!"But

God said, "No, but Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shallcall his name Isaac; and I will establish My covenant with him..."(Genesis 17:19).

They again were positioned to wait for God's timing of fulfillment.

We can see through this that God was training Abraham and Sarah infaith. They of course thought God's promise would have been fulfilledlong ago. But God knew even when He gave the original promise that itwould be many years later before it was fulfilled.

However, He put no time clause in it. He never told Abraham. God wasmore interested in developing Abraham's faith rather than protecting him

from scoffing. When the real test came to offer up Isaac, Abraham passedwith flying colors. God brought a host of blessings into this world throughthat faith of Abraham.

Then the angel of the LORD called to Abraham a second time fromheaven, and said, "By Myself I have sworn, declares the LORD, becauseyou have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your

only son, indeed I will greatly bless you, and I will greatly multiplyyour seed as the stars of the heavens, and as the sand which is on theseashore; and your seed shall possess the gate of their enemies. "And in

your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you haveobeyed My voice." (Genesis 22:15-18).

God was looking for that faith and found it. We can further learnfrom this that even if we have failed to wait as God wanted, we shouldget up, pick up the pieces, and by God's grace He will give us another tryat it. He is our Father and is training us. But oh, may we live and not fail.

We have enough bad consequences surrounding our lives that we neednot any more!


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More-> "Doing things in ways that you shouldn't" - (Genesis 16-17)

C.) Procedure Detour (Genesis 16-17)

Doing things in ways that you shouldn't!

1. The difficulty

The problem and the temptation are seen in Genesis 16:1,

Now Sarai, Abram's wife had borne him no children,

and she had an Egyptian maid whose name was Hagar.

Every crises that we face in life also offers its own temptation. In their

case, Abram simply didnt have any children after many years of being

married. Along with the personal frustration was the social stigma stillseen in some societies. They faced rejection from others because of it.

The problem, however, was much greater than just Sarahs. Notice

Yahwehs repeated promises to Abram.

And the LORD appeared to Abram and said, "To yourdescendants I will give this land. (12:7) And I will make your

desendants as the dust of the earth... (13:6)

Abraham's Life Detours

Intro & Objectives

A) Place Detour (Genesis 12;20)B) Person Detour (Genesis 13-14)

C) Procedure Detour (Genesis 16-

17)

Assignment

If it was in modern times,

Abram and Sarah mighthave joined the list of

many others in seeing

whether they could help

the fertilization process

along. They would check

out the best hospitals but

discover meager results.

Or perhaps they would

not have. They knew

something that many of

us do not know.

In Genesis 16:2, Sarai,his wife, said, Now

behold, the LORD hasprevented me from


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The very blessing that brought Abram to the land was the promise of a

great nation. But what good is it to have a land but no descendants?! The

lack of a child became a severe test of Abrams faith. It is like saying to a

boy with only one arm that he would become a great baseball player. The

promise in a sense teased Abram and provoked him to understand more of

God. We can sense Abrahams perplexed state a bit more from Genesis

15:1-6,

2 And Abram said, "O Lord GOD, what wilt Thou give me, since Iam childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?" 3

And Abram said, "Since Thou hast given no offspring to me, oneborn in my house is my heir."

It would have been easier if God had never spoken to Abram, but He

had. In fact Abrams name means father. His destiny was wrapped up in what he did not have.Abram did believe God as verse 15:6 says, but God was developing and greatly testing this faith.

The real quality of endurance is not waiting up to almost when fulfillment would come but rightup to when the full time had come.

2. The detour

There was a common practice in those parts recorded in ancient records found by Haran. If therewas infertility, then it was legal and acceptable for the husband to impregnate his wifes slave

girl. When the time of birth came around, the wife would be there at the birth and receive thebaby, and they would treat it as her own. This is what is Abram did in Genesis 16:3-4.

And after Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan, Abram's wife Sarai took Hagar the

Egyptian, her maid, and gave her to her husband Abram as his wife. And he went in to Hagar,and she conceived; and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her

sight.

We should remember it was not that they were impulsive. It seems that Sarah had mentioned thisoption ten years prior to him following up on it as 16:3 says. But as often happens, time tests our

faith. We ask, Did God really mean that? Maybe I misunderstood Him.

Reflections

Dont always follow the advice of your wife.

The husband is responsible to do the right thing.Respect Gods hand in fertility.

Remember it is God Himself who makes our situation harder at times.

bearing children.

The Lord was in chargeof her fertilization. But

if she really believedthis, would she then

have given Hagar hermaid to Abram to lie

with?!

We can sense the doubtsand frustrations in thischapter.


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3. The consequences

Self-reliance is our biggest problem. This is especially true in a materialistic and wealthy society.

We have so many ways to help God out. We pride ourselves on what we can do. We likeAbram are rebuked for not doing what we could do through faith. Every imitation of God's work,

however, is a poor imitation of Gods best.

Like my peach tree that looks so nice with blossoms and later on peaches, a disease gets to them

and they wither and drop off. Things get worse until by Gods grace He steps in. Until weconfront our sin, problems get worse and worse. When one does not do things in Gods timing

and ways, then all sorts of bad things happen. Notice four consequences of Abraham's 'work ofthe flesh.'

Ishmaels descendants became a major threat to Israel (of Isaac the Promised son).

Further difficulties in Abraham and Sarahs marriage developed (cf. Genesis 16). Abraham was unable to see Gods faithfulness in his own life.

Poor testimony to the world. (I didnt think there was such a God.)

The Middle East conflict arises every time Israel is revived. After thecaptivity, Nehemiah faced great hostility (Nehemiah 2:19 Geshem the

Arab). After the United Nations chartered Israel back into existence in 1948,the Middle East has been filled with hostilities.

This is true spiritually too. One important principle highlighted in Galatiansis that the flesh is opposed to the spirit. Truly Abrahams work of the fleshhas produced a long-lasting illustration that we can well see even today an

amazing 4,000 years afterwards. We should not shun either side, though.Both groups need to hear the gospel. Both sides will eventually drop their

hardened hearts and come to Jesus Christ. This is one of God's goals for soblessing these two groups.


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Reflecting on An Important Spiritual Principle

We have before us a very important spiritual principle important for every Christian. A person

wanting to know God has two big hurdles. The first is when one becomes a Christian. In thiscase, he must not think he can be accepted because of his works. He has sin and cannot be

accepted by a holy God. He has to believe or have faith in Christ to become God's child. this ishurdle #1.

Hurdle #2 is just as diabolical as the first but often goes undetected in the Christian church. Inthis case a person who has come to know God by faith resorts to working by the flesh, i.e. by his

own works and resources, rather than by faith. Paul in Colossians 2:5-7 summarizes this nicely.

For even though I am absent in body, nevertheless I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see yourgood discipline and the stability of your faith in Christ. As you therefore have received Christ

Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him andestablished in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude.

The clearer we identify these two sides and purposely align ourselves with one, then the easier

life will be. This does not make the battle easy necessarily, but it does remove most of theconfusion where God's army suffers the greatest casualties.

4. Gods solution

God of course wants us to endure the test and withstand the enemys testing. It is good to

summarize some of the suggestions of the world and compare them to what the Lord says. This

incident Abraham and Sarai had with Hagar and Ishmael highlight these differences.


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Abraham and Sarah Spiritual Principles


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World's

ways seem

best

16:2 Sarah recommended thisworldly way of getting Gods work

done. Abraham, at first, thought Godwould do it through his own son. But

time and others wore him down to

allow the worlds way to become apossible solution.

The world confidently tells us this or thatway is best. Gods says the worlds ways

are never best. Eventually Hagar and herson Ishmael were thrown out. They could

not live together. Work done in the flesh

will one day be revealed for what theyare: empty pursuits. Gods work done inHis way will never lack supply.

Seems

compelling

Genesis 16:3-4a

"And after Abram had lived tenyears in the land of Canaan ..."

God purposed that Abram wait manyyears before Isaac was born. After

10 years he tried to hurry things. Thelast 14 years was proof that hurrying

of Gods plans takes only more time!(A:86 Ishmael (16:16)> A:100 Isaac

(21:5))

The world places much urgency onmatters. But God is not in a rush. One

finds much pressure from the world to doit their way. God is in no time pressure.

We seem to think we are doing God agreat thing by speeding up plans for His

kingdom, but in fact we slow things

down.

God in fact usually first destroys the

vision we have of something and thenlater builds it up on His own terms.

Self-reliantThe custom of the world tells us that

the son born to the wife's maidwould become her own son. Legally

yes, but everyone knows it is only agame.

"And he went in to Hagar..."

The world only considers something it

can do. God however often givesassignments beyond what we can do. The

world focuses on what it can accomplishin its own wisdom and through its own

resources. With Gods way, miracles arecommon place because man cannot do

them on his own. Isaac was a miraclechild.

PridefulAbraham and Sarai truly believed

they were doing God a favor.

God broke this dream in a flash.Hagar despised Sarai and they could

not live together any longer.

"She (Hagar) fled from herpresence." (16:6)

The world prides itself on doing

everything that it could. Gods wayhowever always exalts Himself. Man feels

good by emphasizing that he dideverything that he could with his talents,

money and reputation. We could praiseAbram because he used his resources and

never did anything illegal. Mans wayexalts man; Gods way always promotes

God.

RelativisticThe reason Abraham waited so longto take Sarah up on the suggestion

was that he doubted this was God's

The world suggests to go counter to Godsprinciples in His Word. God says He

never wants us to go counter to Hisprinciples in His Word. The world


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way.

In Abrams case marriage principleswere broken. Deep down they knew

it, but they chose to violate them.

Gods ways are always in accordwith His Word.

including much of the professing churchtoday believes in relativism.

Living by

senses

Abram received so much mocking

because of his name meaning'father,' and his 'God-given' plans on

coming to this land - as manydescendants as the stars in heaven.

As we read these verses we can feelthe clash between what one felt and

what God wanted.

The world lives by what it sees, feels andsenses. Gods ways are by faith. Man

focuses on and is limited to what ishappening around him; he is pragmatic.

The world is fixed on copying others. Godhowever works in creative and various

means all within the bounds of His Word.

In summary, we, the circumstances, and they all find that what they did was a colossal mistake

that could not be easily forgotten. If Abraham waited a bit longer, all would have been well.Abraham doesn't have another chance to avoid these detours, but we do.

Will we stay on God's path? Let's plan to. Detours are big messes that God somehow works out

in the end but always at great expense.

Purpose

A careful study on what the Bible says about the theme 'waiting on God'or 'waiting upon God.'

Is waiting upon God biblical?

There are some teachings which we will at once say, "This is what we are

suppose to do." But the fact is, we have never even looked over thebiblical support for what we are doing or even asking others to do! Let us

now do that with the phase 'waiting for God." We have two questions.

y Whatdoes the Bible say about waiting on God?y Whatdoes it practically mean?

What does the Bible say about waiting on God?

First of all we should recognize that there are many things people wait forin the scriptures. We see them waiting for some person or for the


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salvation of God. We will use some of these other usages to help definewhat it means to actually wait upon God.

In this section, however, we are focusing only on those verses thatinstruct us by example or precept that we ought to wait upon the Lord.

Let's look at forty plus times the words 'waiting' upon God is used. Thetotal list is at the bottom.

Firstly, we see that the phrase or notion of waiting upon Godwas new

from David's time onward. The Psalms use it about 25 times whileIsaiah 11 times. The other prophets scarcely used it. The NT follows thattrend by rarely using the phrase 'wait upon.'

The phrase seems to have originated with David. He not only experiencedgreat difficulty in his life but discovered that he could wait upon God for

help. This is not to say Abraham didn't wait for a son or Moses for helpfor his people, but the thought wasn't so fully developed. Besides this, adepth of spiritual life could be expressed in the Psalms.

They enable us to look at a person's inner life. The historical biblicalbooks just didn't describe this inner life experience. They looked atoutward events rather than inward thoughts. The prophets at times did

focus on the turmoil of the person, especially Isaiah and so we see thisphrase scattered through these books.

The NT only uses the phrase referring to the second coming of Jesus.However, the phrase 'believe in' is very common, such as 'believe in theLord.' But the meaning and emphasis of 'believe in' is quite different than'waiting upon.' Believe and trust emphasize the confidence and faith in an

object.

'Waiting for' definitely exudes this sense of confidence, but it is more than

this. 'Waiting for' focuses on the sense of expectation one has on theobject. When one 'waits on the Lord,' a person is dependent upon thatperson or something that the person will do. Beloware the four major

Hebrew words for 'waiting for.' Let's look at the ways the scripturesdescribe how God's people waited upon their Creator.


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Wait for Thee (Thee refers to God, Lord).

Ps 25:3 Indeed, none ofthose who wait for Theewill be ashamed; Ps 25:5

Lead me in Thy truth and teach me, For Thou artthe God of my salvation; ForTheeI wait all the day.Ps 25:21 Let integrity and uprightness preserve me, For Iwait for Thee.

Wait for the LORD ( refers to Yahweh).

Ps 27:14 Wait for the LORD; Be strong, and let your hearttakecourage; Yes,wait for the LORD.

Ps 33:20 Our soul waits for the LORD; He is our help and our shield.Ps 37:7 Rest in the LORD and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of

him who prospers in his way, Because ofthe man who carries out wickedschemes.

Ps 37:9 For evildoers will becut off, Butthose who wait for the LORD, theywill inheritthe land.

Ps 37:34 Wait for the LORD, and keep His way, And He will exalt you toinheritthe land; When the wicked arecut off, you will see it.

Pr 20:22 Do not say, "I will repay evil"; Wait for the LORD, and He will saveyou.

Isa 8:17 And I will wait for the LORD who is hiding His face from the house ofJacob; I will even look eagerly for Him.

Isa 40:31 Yetthose who wait for the LORD will gain new strength; They willmount up with wings likeeagles, They will run and not gettired, They will walk

and not become weary.

Wait ... (for Thy Name, God, Him, etc.)

Ps 52:9 I will give Theethanks forever, because Thou hast done it, And I willwait on Thy name, for it is good, in the presence of Thy godly ones.

Isa 49:23 And you will know thatI am the LORD; Those who hopefully wait forMe will not be putto shame.

Isa 64:4 For from of old they have not heard nor perceived by ear, Neither hastheeye seen a God besides Thee, Who acts in behalf ofthe one who waits for

Him.La 3:25 The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, To the person who seeks

Him.Ho 12:6 Therefore, return to your God, Observe kindness and justice, And wait

for your God continually.


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Mic 7:7 But as for me, I will watch expectantly for the LORD; I will wait for theGod of my salvation. My God will hear me.

Zep 3:8 "Therefore, wait for Me," declares the LORD, "For the day when I rise

up to the prey...

New Testament and Waiting upon the Lord

Php 3:20* For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also weeagerly wait

for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ;1Th 1:10* and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead,

that is Jesus, who delivers us from the wrath to come.

What does wait upon God practically mean?

We have focused on waiting on God or the Lord above. But we must

realize as these following verses indicate that they are waiting upon theLord for something. Belief speaks about trust in. Waiting, however,usually focuses on some one to do something. In this case, they are

waiting upon God to do some special thing. Let's take a look at a fewverses below.

The Text The Phrase the Purpose

Isaiah 25:9 we havewaited that He mightsave us

Psalm 104:27They all wait for

TheeTo give them their food in due

season

Psalm 106:13 They did notwait for His counsel

Psalm 119:43 For Iwait for Thine ordinances


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Psalm 119:81 Iwait for Thy word

Isaiah 42:4thecoastlands will

wait expectantly for His law

Lamentation

3:26hewaits silently For the salvation ofthe LORD

Genesis 49:18 Iwait ... O LORD For Thy salvation

Jude 1:21 waiting anxiouslyfor themercy of our Lord Jesus

Christ

When we wait upon the Lord, we find ourselves looking to Him to help forsome specific need. There is a conscious expectation that He will help us

out in that special need. We do not have control over the circumstancesand therefore are looking to His provisions, His protection, etc.In eachcase, though, it is good to notice our special need, recognize that

He can help us in that area and then cast our hope in Him.

Waiting upon God is not only biblical but a necessary part of the Christian

life for the growing Christian. "Wait for" is an active display of faith inGod during impossible situations.

Waiting for a Wife

Genesis 6:1-3, Ezra 10-11

Paul J. Bucknell

_________________________


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Purpose

Biblical Perspective of Finding a Spouse is found here as we discuss'Waiting for a Wife' from studies on both Genesis 6 and Ezra 10-11. Whatkind of wife should men look for? Also a word to single women. Included

is a chart, "What kind of wife am I looking for?"

Enjoy life with the womanwhom you love all the days of your fleeting life

which He has given to you under the sun;

for this is your reward in life ...(Ecclesiastes 9.9)

The Biblical Perspective ofFinding a Spouse

y The Selection Process (Genesis 6:1-3)y Intermingling Unto Death (Ezra 10-11)y Whatkind of wife am I looking for?y A Quick Wordto Single Women

There is no doubt that waiting on God for the right wife iscrucial to living a godly and good life.

There are many women out there. Many are attractive. A good many aretalented. Some are rich. These traits are trivial to our most basicquestion. Will we wait for God's woman for us? We will see in our

following discussion that once discretion is lost in choosing marriagepartners, then the whole society quickly deteriorates. Whenever theselection process of spouses is minimized, then the society reaps the

consequences. It heads full steam into a world of sensuality.

One Crucial Question

Several scriptures highlight the problems that occur when a man

recklessly chooses a woman as a wife. When a man is quick in making adecision after his desires, then he shows that his understanding ofmarriage is shallow. He is not thinking of preserving or establishing someheritage but fulfilling his desires. The godly man must wait upon God


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for the wife God has for him. The opposite of this occurred in twodifferent passages that we will now look at. Let us first look at Genesis 6.

The Selection Process (Genesis 6:1-3)

Now it came about, when men began to multiply on the face of the land,and daughters were born to them, that thesons of God saw that the

daughters of men were beautiful; and they took wives forthemselves, whomever they chose. Then the LORD said, "My Spiritshall not strive with man forever, because he also is flesh; neverthelesshis days shall be one hundred and twenty years." (Genesis 6:1-3, NASB).

Their decisions for choosing their wives were faulty for several reasons.

y The sons of God were markedly

different than the sons of man.Up to this point there was a special

distinction between the men whosought after God and the ones whohad forgotten God. They were known

more by their commitment to Godthan their father. This tension topreserve our godliness is the verysame tension we face in our secular world today. These men should

have paid more attention to their heritage and preserved their

distinct vision. Without a vision of godliness, they got lost in otherthings which they saw.

y These God men "saw that the daughters of men werebeautiful."

They were not careful enough to govern what they saw. Some mightthink this is unstoppable but it isn't. If we are going along fine and thenjust start gazing at the women that cross our paths, whether in a

magazine or on the street, we are in extreme danger. We will start

comparing them and being subtly enticed by these women.

The only way that we are able to compare is to notice their different parts

and gauge what pleases our eyes. Once we notice their beauty, wedeliberate on it, and our minds are influenced. This is the reason we cannot look at any pornography or any programs that entice us to pay

attention to women's physical features. Remember that these women arepaid a lot of money because they do entice!


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"They took wives for themselves."

Let us assume here that each man just took one wife, but

I doubt it. Notice here once beauty became their focalpoint, then this is what their decisions of life were made

upon. Theylost the ability to reason and reflect. Theflesh seized control, and they never got it back. By theway, we are not saying that a beautiful wife is bad! Sarahwas beautiful.

The issue is that beauty controlled them. The way shetalked, looked, walked, simply enticed his attention.Reason and God's guidance took a far second place to the

woman's beauty. Women became too compelling for himto think otherwise.

They became indiscriminate in their choices.

"Whomever they chose." This is a clear statement that themen of God took wives that did not share similar

perspectives. Genesis goes on describing the headlong fallof the society after this point. Not much dirt is needed tomake the clean dirty. This is true with holiness too. It

stands as the highest priorityto train our sons anddaughters to spiritually judge things rather than physically

or emotionally 'feel' things.

The LORD responded to this right away.

He did not have to wait for a generation to prove His thesis. Once thegodly seed is lost among the ungodly, then there is no godly seed left.

God had no choice but to shorten life expectancy in order to preserveman, otherwise the ungodliness would soon destroy the world.

A godly person must marry a godly person. Balaam's big payload cameabout because of insight into this very principle. Godliness must beprotected. A church must carry on discipline. A family must have rules. A

government must have laws to preserve itself. If what distinguishes God'speople is lost even for just one generation, then it is gone.

y Once

beauty

became their

focal point,

then this is

what their

decisions of

life were

made upon.

They lost the

ability to

reason and

reflect.

The flesh

seized

control, and

they never

got it back.

They lost it

all.


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Intermingling Unto Death (Ezra 9-10)

(Marrying a Non-Christian)

Ezra's response in chapters 9-10 all too clearly confirms the absolute

finality of deadly compromise. There is no way to get it back. Once theseed of godliness is lost, it cannot be recovered. Whatever has been lost

must be judged. Ezra heard it like this.

"Now when these things had been completed, the princes approached

me, saying, "The people of Israel and the priests and the Levites havenot separated themselves from the peoples of the lands, according totheir abominations, those of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites,the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the

Amorites. "For they have taken some of their daughters as wives forthemselves and for their sons,so that the holy race has intermingledwith the peoples of the lands; indeed, the hands of the princes and

the rulers have been foremost in this unfaithfulness." (Ezra 9:1-2).

All of God's marvelous works of bringing His people back into the land

was going to be made irrelevant if the people started to intermarry thepeople in the land. The leaders were accelerating this process by settingthe terrible example. In 10:1 they said it might not be too late if theyactually put these ungodly wives away along with their children. There

was no "Let's convert them" campaign. Worship is influenced by heartlove. They could not just say, "No more." They would all perish within a

generation if they did not cut off this intermingling. Fortunately, theyfollowed through with this.

The scriptures say a lot about who we marry. It is not a trivial matter.

Below are some other suggestions in finding the right wife.


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What kind of wife am I looking for?

A man mustthink concretely, "Is this the woman I want to sacrificiallydevote myself to all my life?"

He should not marry a woman unless he is willing to bind himselfto her.Once married, then he must remain dedicated to loving her no matter how

bad she is. Here is a listto help us avoid getting married to the wrongwoman.

The right block amplifies thethought on the left.

# Only marry a woman if yourparents approve.

# Parents' decision is scripturaldictate.

#Learn to lovethe qualities that God

loves.#You will choose what you like.

# Get out of any pornography and

lust.

# Porno makes the physical

compelling.

#Stop watching the standard movies

and programs.

#Need to stop being trained by the

wrong thing.

# Pray regularly for God's provision.# God's pick is more importantthan

your own.

#Pay attention to character qualityrather than beauty.

#Her character shapes the quality ofrelationship.

# Observethe way she responds

(attitude) to her parents, especially

her father.

# Her relationship with her parents

reflects how she will respond to her

husband.


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#Grow in your own character so she

will like you!

#Are you whatthis woman deserves

and likes?!

Wetend to go in the direction that we like. We will choose what we deepdown are looking for. Unless we havechanged our values to match with the

Lord's, then we will be going after things thatthe Lord is not pleased with.

Justthink. If your mind wanders from woman to woman now, do you really

think you are looking for a woman who is trained by God? No. The onethat

entices you will hold your attention. Use any pre-marriagetime leftto train

yourself in self-control, obedienceto parents and devotedness to serving

others.

A Quick Word to Single WomenWhen the husband is committed to his wife with constant love, then she

has no fear of abandonment. She grows from her anticipation in whatnext step of love the husband will show. The woman that is seeking ahusband needs to think quite carefully about the man that she will in the

future train herself to respond to.

She should ask, "How mature is he? How much does he care about God's

ways? Does he lead a spiritual life? Does he respect his parents? Do I likehis leadership?"

In SummaryWe need to do everything to instill a great vision for passing on godlinessto our children. Our sons must be trained in areas of self-control or theywill not have control over lust. Otherwise they will fall in with the world.

Positively, when a godly man and woman are matched up, it becomes a

beautiful place where more godly people will come from. Our eyes mustbe shielded from all the 'beautiful' women around us. They are made to

entice us to look at women through the 'fleshly' eye. We are allsusceptible. We all must be careful. By God's grace we will stand strongand raise a new generation of godly men and women.

=> Trusting Through Treacherous Times


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Purpose

Testimonies on how a person needed to wait on God in difficultcircumstances. Exciting stories show how to practically wait on God!

y Share why you had to 'wait upon Him' during a certain period in life.

y Howdoes one waiting upon the Lord destroy ungodly self-

confidence?

Share why you had to 'wait upon Him' during a certain period in life.

y Unplanned Sabbaticals

The Lord has at differenttimes in my life at otherwise very busy ministry timestaken me and put me aside. Usually it was about 1 year in length. It did notseem to be for discipline purposes but instead thatI would spend moretime

with Him and family. Ministry during thosetimes took different shapethanpreviously.

Each timeI had to combat feelings of insignificance. From busy public ministry

with so many rewards to silent retreats where one wanders how long one will bein such a place. The key was for meto keep diligent with the small things theLord puts in front of you. He is perfectly arranging things to test and to train

and ofcourseto serve.

y INSPIRATION

Today was a special day. In some ways it was typical. I greatly needed the Lordto help me we ideas. This is especially needed when on the lastcouple days of a

long project. I felt like not doing it. In this caseI needed material. I prayed forhelp.

He provided the rightthoughts so Icould know and find some past material that

Icould work off of. OnceI saw the former material, He brought in all the

eagerness and excitementthat was stored up there. This happened two times

even asI

was closing up this series on Waiting on God. My heart if overfilledwith joy in His ways.


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Planning a Big Project

Back in 1985 I had a chance to take a course on church planting. It wasexcellent. Very practical. I was soon heading back to Taiwan as a church

planter and not sure how God would lead. I needed to wait upon Him.The most difficult and yet joyful point was that we worked closely withthe already established church. Part of the course required writing out a

goal and strategy on how one was going to start a church. I was veryfamiliar with what we wanted to do. Part of Fengshan was newlydeveloped and for 50,000 people only had one small church.

I prayed and developed two plans, one being my dream plan. This wouldhave us living there, working closely in a big team with nationalcoworkers and other mission workers. Everything seemed green light

except we couldn't get into that community.

Because of this the church changed its plans from starting a church to

just an evangelical event. What seemed so good and possible wasseemingly becoming impossible. We had no other recourse. My wife and Ispent numberous times walking around that large area looking for a placeto rent. It was a hot and humid summer. We just couldn't find anything

on the lower floors that could double up for a church meeting place.

On one hot afternoon, when I suggested that we go back. My wife asked

if we covered that one area. I didn't think so so we walked another mile

in hope of finding something. A shop keeper said they just heard of oneowner wanting to move out. They said they were on the first floor.

We found that the Lord had provided that place for us. We weredisappointed with the red incense that was all over the walls and ceilingfrom their idol worship, but we knew it was a place that the Lord opened

up for us. Within literal weeks, we moved in, the evangelistic campaignstarted, and we had a team of 10+ coworkers, many of which wouldcome down just on the weekend to help!

God made us desperate so that we would see how powerful He was. Histiming was perfect..


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How does one waiting upon the Lord destroy ungodly self-

confidence?

Birthing More Than a Child

Our problem is doing things on our own. If we can do them on our own,

then we don't depend upon God. This leads to the path where we justdon't think we need God to live. The advantage of living by faith in what

God provides is that He brings us through narrow passes. Time aftertime, we are brought close of running into debt. Sometimes it is just daysor hours to spare.

We have been used to receiving a salary. 'Guaranteed income.' We justdon't have the same opportunities of learning. For example, we had ababy and though we had her at home, the bill was around $5,000. We

had some coverage that would cover $2,000, but we just didn't have thatextra cash. We asked and saw that the Center would give us reduced costbut it wasn't too much. Meanwhile we kept praying.

One day we received this postcard from a man saying, "We are workingwith doctors and hospitals on some of the larger bills. Please wait forus

to contact you with any discoutns before paying these bills." The nightbefore Thanksgiving we receive this phone call saying that they agreed totake another $1200. off the bill which brought the bill to just what wecould afford!

I should mention we as a whole family would be praying before and afterthe baby that God would provide. How amazing that with small gifts and

two large discounts, one because this man was able to bring down thediscount more, God cared for the costs of His little girl.

We all learned how to wait on God. We couldn't do it but God was able.As these experiences pile up, we find that we become more and moreGod-dependent. When we are faithful; He is faithful.

Are You Hungry For God?

... Waiting Is A Magnet ThatWoos His Presence.

God is a rewarder of those who wait for Him. Let yourself be known by Him; give Him access to your

heart. He will take care of the rest. He promised.


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Waiting On God

Be Still AndWait On The Lord

Generally, we can measure the value that people put on something by the amount of patience exhibited

when trying to acquire it. Although people are often unwilling to stay very long in a church service, they

will spend the night waiting to get tickets for the Super Bowl or the World Series! God knows our frame ofmind (see Ps.103:14). He knows that when we practice the godly attribute of patience solely to capture

His presence, then we have placed a great value on what is nearest to His heart. Patient waiting draws

the Spirits presence to us.

Waiting is a magnet that woos His coming. The Holy Spirit spoke to a noted prophetic minister, and

personal friend, John Paul Jackson, and said, Tell them, if theyll wait, I will come. Worship is tied

closely to this. Even a casual reading of the Gospels reveals that worship was the attitude and posture of

many who came to Jesus for a supernatural touch. They often bowed down in reverent worship before

making and receiving their request. As you wait upon the Lord and worship, let your faith go up to Him

and expect great things! He loves to bless those who anticipate great results from Him by faith. Waiting

expectantly and worship fit together like a hand in a glove.

Once we learn to tap into this inner spiritual well of quietness and contemplation in the very presence of

our Beloved, we will discover a source of peace, strength, and stability that the world knows nothing

about. We find this theme over and over in Isaiah.

- You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You. Isaiah 26:3

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Waiting God

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