Tag: wait for the Lord

Wait for the Lord

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. 8 You 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!

Do Not Take Revenge but Trust God

Do Not Take Revenge but Trust God

We’re meditating upon the awe-inspiring statements in Scripture that remind us that God Himself fights on our behalf!  Hallelujah!

You must not fear them, for the Lord your God Himself fights for you.  (Deuteronomy 3:22 NKJV)

One man of you shall chase a thousand, for the Lord your God is He who fights for you, as He promised you.  (Joshua 23:10 NKJV)  God has PROMISED to fight for us!

Deliver me from my enemies, O my God; defend me from those who rise up against me.  (Psalm 59:1 NKJV)

Do not say, “I will recompense evil;” wait for the Lord, and He will save you.  (Proverbs 20:22 NKJV)

Don’t take revenge in any situation.  Do not be fearful.  Patiently trust in and wait upon the Lord to save, fight for, and deliver you.  According to these verses, God has promised to do all of these things–and more.  Be wise, and heed His advice—you’ll be glad you did!

Blessed Are All Who Wait for Him, Part 1

Blessed Are All Who Wait for Him, Part 1

Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; He rises to show you compassion . . . Blessed are all who WAIT for Him.  (Isa 30:18 NIV, emphasis added)

Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and WAIT for the Lord.  (Ps 27:14 NIV, emphasis added)

From the fullness of His grace we have all received one blessing after another.  (Joh 1:16 NIV)

In Isaiah 30:18 (above), the author mentions that God rises to show us compassion or mercy.  He has done that through the gift of salvation and many answered prayers for each one of us.  In John 1:16 (above), the author states that we have all received blessings from God.  All believers have experienced the goodness and generosity of God and of His love. 

What do the verses above mean when they talk about “waiting for the Lord”?  I believe that they can refer to two different concepts.  The first is about waiting for the Lord to answer our prayers and supplications.  The second is about “waiting on God”—spending time in His presence and waiting to hear His voice and His wisdom.

As we wait for the Lord to answer our prayers, it’s a good idea to encourage ourselves with Scriptures that demonstrate that God has already provided the answer to our needs.  For instance, if our need is for healing, meditate upon the many verses in the Bible that show us that God is our healer and Jesus purchased healing through the atonement. 

For Scriptures about healing, see:  Prov 4:20-22; Deut 7:15; Exod 15:26; Jer 30:17; Isa 53:4-5, 58:8; Ps 30:2, 41:3, 103:3, 147:3; Mat 4:23-24, 8:2-3, 17, 9:20-22; 1 Pet 2:24; and Gal 3:14. 

If you have a need in some other area, find Scriptures that support the concept that God has already given us all that pertains to life and godliness as well as the fact that he withholds no good thing from His people. 

For encouraging Scriptures, see:  2 Pet 1:3; Ps 23:1, 34:10b, 37:4, 84:11; 1 John 3:21-23, 5:14-15; Rom 8:32; Mat 7:7, 11, 19:26, 21:22; Mark 9:23, 11:23-24; Lk 17:6; Joh 14:13-14, 15:7, 16; Col 1:12-14; 1 Cor 1:20; and Eph 1:3.

Today’s reflections have given us some worthwhile ideas on how to wait for the Lord to answer our prayers, and to do so with an attitude of faith.  

(Parts 2 and 3 on this topic will be posted soon.)