Wait for the Lord

A challenge for many of us is the instruction to “wait for the Lord.” Waiting can be a hugely difficult challenge.

The word “wait” means to hope, to anticipate, and to trust. Waiting requires faith, patience, humility, meekness, long-suffering, keeping the commandments, and enduring to the end.

Here are only three Bible verses about waiting for the Lord:

In the path of your justice, Lord, we wait for you; with all our being, we long for your name and your acclaim. (Isa 26:8 CEB)

Notice that we wait for the Lord IN THE PATH OF HIS JUSTICE! With every fiber of our being, we long to bring glory and honor to the Lord’s Name.

O Lord, be gracious to us; we have waited for You. Be our strength every morning, our salvation also in the time of trouble. (Isa 33:2 MEV)

In this Scripture verse, Isaiah reminds the Lord that he has waited for the Lord. He asks for the Lord’s strength every day, and for salvation in times of trouble. We know that the Lord heard and answered those prayers.

Therefore be patient, brothers and sisters, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it, until it gets the early and late rains. ⁸You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near. (Jam 5:7-8 NASB)

In the book of James, we’re reminded to be patient and wait for the Lord. We’re reminded of the patience of the farmer, who waits for the harvest of the seeds he planted. We are encouraged to be patient, just like that farmer. And we are encouraged that the Lord’s deliverance is close at hand. Be strong and steadfast; hang on!

Waiting on God

We are in need of waiting on God in many circumstances of our lives. Often, we must wait for answered prayer and deliverance. We must wait for relief from pain or sorrow. We must persist in faith as we wait for healing of relationships or lab test results or any other of a myriad number of circumstances that require patience.

And it will be said on that day, “Behold, this is our God for whom we have waited that He might save us. This is the Lord for whom we have waited; let’s rejoice and be glad in His salvation.” (Isa 25:9 NASB)

Let us rejoice in His salvation as we wait. Remember, it is for our God that we wait—for the ONLY One who is able to save us, heal us, and to deliver us.

Yes, Lord, in the path of your judgments we wait; your name and your Law are the soul’s desire. (Isa 26:8 ISV)

God’s Word, His Name and His Law are the important considerations upon which we concentrate. Let us continue to value them highly, and rely upon God to sustain us.

O Lord, be gracious to us; we have waited for You. Be our strength every morning, our salvation also in the time of trouble. (Isa 33:2 MEV)

He, alone, can give us strength for the battle and grace to persevere. He is our Savior in times of trouble.

Now may the Lord direct your hearts toward the love of God and the endurance of Christ. (2 Thes 3:5 NET)

Let us remember the love of God which is never ending and never failing. Let’s pay close attention to the endurance of Jesus as He made His way to the cross.

Christ endured. That means that He persevered and persisted in His assignments on earth. It called for great fortitude and inner strength on His part coupled with the grace of God and the faith of God.

These are the same tools upon which we must rely in every spiritual battle of life. Let us not be weary in doing well. Glory to God!

Clothe Ourselves with Virtue

How can we clothe ourselves with virtue? For that matter, how can we “put on love” as instructed in Colossians 3:14? And note that Romans 13:14 tells us that we have “put on Christ,” as does Galatians 3:27.

And what virtues are we encouraged by God’s Word to put on?

¹²Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. (Col 3:12 NIV)

And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. ¹⁵Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. (Col 3:14-15 NIV)

Your love must be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good. ¹⁰Be devoted to each other with mutual affection. Excel at showing respect for each other. (Rom 12:9-10 ISV)

. . . with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love . . . (Eph 4:2 NKJV)

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. (Gal 5:22-23 NASB)

Wow! This is an impressive list of virtues and good traits to pursue and to practice.

In the natural realm, when we want to be clothed, it is a conscious act of the will. Our clothes don’t fly through the air and attach themselves to us, right? We have to physically maneuver ourselves into the clothes, and then button or snap or zip them into place. And we have to choose exactly what items we want to wear each and every day.

As believers and followers of Jesus, we must be just as deliberate about what virtues we choose to use in every circumstance and situation in our lives. We must decide to be peacemakers, just as we must choose to be kind, humble, gentle, patient, peace-loving, joyful, faithful, and self-controlled.

As we make the decision each new day to follow Jesus, we must make the decision in every circumstance and life situation about how to react to our current challenges or trials.

In answer to our prayers to Him, the Lord will give us the grace and power that we need to weave these virtues into our lives. The Holy Spirit will guide us if we yield to Him in humility and obedience.

The Holy Spirit is the only One who can teach us and transform us into the image of Christ. And best of all, He can be trusted to guide us lovingly and faithfully. Hallelujah!

Witnesses, Races & Crowns

Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us . . . (Heb 12:1)

The witnesses spoken of in the above verse are already in heaven (saints from the Old Testament). We are instructed to lay aside every weight (cares of this life, family concerns, money issues, etc.) and sin, and to resolutely run the “race” that is set before us. The race is the Christian life which is a marathon, not a sprint. This is why we must run it with fortitude, patience and faith.

“If I bear witness of Myself, My witness is not true. ³²There is another who bears witness of Me, and I know that the witness which He witnesses of Me is true. You have sent to John, and he has borne witness to the truth.” (Joh 5:31-33)

In this passage of Scripture, Jesus says that His witness is John, the Baptist. Let us ask ourselves, who will be our witnesses?

Every believer whom we have ever known who is already in the heavenlies, is our witness. Other witnesses will include everyone who has ever known us, as well as our own family and extended family members. What will they be able to say about us? Will they be able to testify that we are Christians and that we lived as Christians? Will our spouse and our own children be able to give a good testimony about us? These are vital points to consider and reflect upon.

Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. (1 Cor 9:24)

Run your race in such a profoundly beautiful way that you will assuredly receive your crown in heaven which is the prize for which we strive.

For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise . . . (Heb 10:36)

We need to endure and persevere in faith and strength, so that we may receive these blessed promises. Hallelujah!

Check Out Your Clothes!

Do you realize that the Bible is concerned with how we clothe ourselves? Isn’t that an interesting and provoking idea?

For example:

We are invited to clothe ourselves with Christ in Romans 13:14.
We are instructed to dress modestly, with decency and propriety but also to clothe ourselves with good deeds in 1 Timothy 2:9-10.
Colossians 3:12-14 directs us to clothe ourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. It also prompts us to put on love which is the personality trait which binds all the others together in unity.

Out of all of these instructions, the encouragement to perform good works is probably one of the most frequently mentioned.

. . . having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation. (1 Pet 2:12 NKJV, emphasis added)

. . . who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works. (Tit 2:14 NKJV, emphasis added)

This is a faithful saying, and these things I want you to affirm constantly, that those who have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable to men. (Tit 3:8 NKJV, emphasis added)

The only way to truly clothe ourselves with good works and holy virtues is through the empowering and enabling grace that we receive through our ongoing relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, our Savior and Redeemer. Walk in the “Clothing of Salvation”:

The love of God,
The grace from God,
Faith in God, which is a gift from Him (Eph 2:8-9)
The LIFE of God, which is the indwelling Holy Spirit (Pro 12:28; 1 Cor 6:19)

Cling to your relationship with Jesus even as a drowning man clings to a life preserver thrown to him by rescuers. Jesus provides new grace and strength for each new day, and He will never leave you nor fail you. Glory to His Holy Name!

The Gifts That You Were Given

Happy beautiful day to you! We rejoice and are glad in this day! (Ps 118:24)

As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. (1 Pe 4:10 KJV)

Even so you, since you are zealous for spiritual gifts, let it be for the edification of the church that you seek to excel. (1 Cor 14:12)

Every believer has received gifts and talents from the Lord. God wants us to use the gifts that He has entrusted to us for the strengthening and encouragement of fellow believers. God wants us to be good stewards or managers of these precious gifts.

Your gifts may be extensive; you may have gifts such as: faith; musical ability; artistic talent; patience; organizational ability; mercy; mathematical aptitude; peace; perceptiveness; or whatever. Invite the Lord to show you how He would like you to use the gifts that He has given you in order to bless other people and to further His kingdom.

If you have a calm and peaceful spirit combined with good note-taking skills, your boss may direct you to attend most meetings with him. He may not realize why! He may say that he wants you to take notes, but it may really be that he just feels better and thinks more clearly when you’re there! In reality, you carry a beneficial atmosphere (of calm and peace) into the room. These are God’s divine gifts, and they work supernaturally.

Don’t forget that, as you mature spiritually and chronologically, more gifts will bloom in your life. Seek the Lord’s guidance, and He will teach you the best use of all of your gifts!

(This is a reprint of an article published by this blog on 05/01/2016.)

Lay Aside Every Hindrance

Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Heb 12:1-2)

A hindrance is something that holds us up or slows us down. In this verse, we’re told to lay aside every “weight.” This passage reminds us to put aside every hindrance, weakness or barrier that would attempt to slow us down in our race to eternal salvation.

We must run our race with patience. How do we run with patience? We run resolutely, persistently, and uncomplainingly.

The Lord Jesus gives us stamina, purpose and fortitude as we trust Him to strengthen us, and to pour out His grace upon our lives. Jesus is called the “author and finisher” of our faith. We must cling to Him and to our faith in His finished work.

Jesus is our example, and He didn’t weaken, yield or hesitate in His destined path to the cross on Calvary. Jesus knew Who He placed His trust and hope in; Jesus placed it in His loving, heavenly Father who would never fail. We need the same life mindset that is expressed in the following Bible verse:

For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day. (2 Tim 1:12)

Commit your faith, your life, and your path to the Lord Jesus, the faithful One.

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. (Heb 13:8)

Preparation for Glory

One of the purposes of our lives here on earth, aside from sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ, is to prepare us believers for future glory. At times, our preparation will seem very difficult to bear up under.

For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison. . . (2 Cor 4:17)

The apostle and his fellow sufferers compared their current light suffering with the reward that, by faith, they knew awaited them in heaven. They considered the heavenly crown awaiting them to be far more significant than their current afflictions.

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. (Rom 8:18)

According to the verse above, our earthly problems will seem mild and temporary when we view them from the safe haven of eternity with Jesus. At times, it will help us to endure when we focus upon unseen realities that exist in the spiritual realm.

. . . knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. ⁴But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. (Jas 1:3-4)

When our faith is put to the test, the Word reminds us to patiently endure—or to cling to the truth of God’s Word. Remaining steadfast in faith through a time of suffering will result in our faith becoming more mature, deep and strong. When we live in this way, we are following Christ’s example.

. . . though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered. (Heb 5:8)

This verse is referring to Jesus Christ, our Savior. This passage reminds us that our Savior learned, through suffering, all about the unique obedience needed to qualify Him as our High Priest. (See Commentary on Hebrews 5 by A. R. Fausset, Jamieson, Fausset & Brown)

The point of this article is to meditate upon the fact that Jesus—the Savior of mankind—endured great suffering for our sake. He didn’t grumble about it but focused upon His love for His Father and the end result of His obedience which was the reconciliation of mankind to God the Father. At the cross, Jesus could say, “It is finished.”

My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials . . . (Jas 1:2)

God Comforts the Disheartened

Our God cares deeply about each and every one of His children. He cares about every facet of our health, and He ministers His love to us. But how can we grab hold of His love? How can we receive His help?

One way is to meditate upon His wonderful promises to us, so that we may come to know Him fully. Here are a number of Bible passages that speak about how God demonstrates His love to us, especially when we’re downhearted or depressed.

We need to use our faith in order to rest upon these promises. Ask God to help you and to infuse you with fresh faith for the battle.

Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you. (Deut 31:8 NLT) The Lord never leaves us—nor will He fail us.

The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles. (Ps 34:17 NKJV) We need to KNOW that God not only hears our prayers, but responds to them.

I waited patiently for the Lord; and He inclined to me, and heard my cry. ²He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock,
And established my steps. ³He has put a new song in my mouth—praise to our God;
many will see it and fear, and will trust in the Lord. (Ps 40:1-3 NKJV) We do need, sometimes, to wait for the Lord’s solutions to materialize in the natural realm. But this verse assures us that our deliverance shall come, and that it will motivate us to sing a new song! And our deliverance shall be so mighty that everyone will notice it, and rejoice with us in the Lord! Some people will even be fearful of the Lord, when they see what He has done.

Why are you in despair, O my soul? Why have you become restless and disquieted within me? Hope in God and wait expectantly for Him, for I shall yet praise Him, the help of my countenance and my God. (Ps 42:11 AMP) This passage reminds us that we need patience, and that as we wait for God’s solution, we should praise the Him.

Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that in due time he may exalt you. ⁷Cast all your anxieties on him, for he cares about you. (1 Pet 5:6-7 RSV) Throw all of your worries down at the feet of Jesus, and acknowledge that He loves you and is working on your behalf. As we respectfully wait for God to lift us out of trouble (which is called humility), He loves the fact that we put our trust in Him at all times—despite what things may look like in the natural realm.

It’s impossible to please God without faith because the one who draws near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards people who try to find him. (Heb 11:6 CEB)

Our faith tells God that we believe in Him, in His existence, in His promises, and His reliability. Our faith pleases God, and He deeply rewards ALL those who find Him in the midst of life’s difficulties!

The Christmas Gift

Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. (Mt 1:18)

Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, ⁵to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child. ⁶So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. ⁷And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. (Lk 2:4-7 NKJV)

Jesus was born as a helpless infant, as every human being since Adam and Eve have been. He submitted to His Father’s will to become our Messiah, and He grew in size and strength as all babies must. (Lk 2:40)

It’s good for us to recognize that God, the Son—who is Jesus—submitted and yielded to His Father’s plan in all of this. It required submission and humility on His part because Jesus had to have patience. He had to wait for 30 years to be acknowledged as an adult before He could even begin His work and ministry!

Jesus was not only God’s gift to us, but since Jesus is a member of the Godhead, He was also a partner in the giving process! We might say that He is the Christmas Gift as well as the Giver!

One of the traits of Jesus is that He gives good things to men. He was an unexpected gift that mankind wasn’t looking for, and one which we shall never deserve. Nevertheless, He was integral to God’s plan of salvation, and so He came according to the Scriptures.

His gifts to us are so copious, according to the Bible, that we can’t list them all! A good beginning is to state the two most obvious gifts of: salvation and freedom. We’ve received freedom from: A) sin; B) guilt; C) the fear of death (1 Cor 15:56); and D) the fear of punishment.

An additional gift that Jesus gave to us is the expectation of the many blessings of our salvation, among which are:

1) Love (Rom 8:39; 1 Jn 4:8);

2) Joy (Lk 2:10; Gal 5:22);

3) Peace (Isa 9:6; Jn 14:27); and

4) Truth (Jn 14:6; Jn 18:37).

This holiday season, let’s take time to meditate upon the many gifts of our salvation that we have already received thanks to the perfect love and obedience of Jesus, God’s precious Gift!

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Tag: patience