Christian Living

Wait Upon Our Sovereign God

by Thomas Kirkpatrick
08/30/21
Free to Share
Author requests article critique

  Message Writer
  Hire Writer

Tweet

“Wait for the LORD; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the LORD.” (Psalm 27:14)

There have always been trying times in the world since the beginning when man’s sin fractured the world. There have in the past been worse trials, and in the future, there will be greater trials. Like the scars of our lives, the present trial is the one we become focused upon. That is right, as this trial is the challenge we must face at present. Is today’s trial the only one we should remember, as the past trials give us lessons to aid our management? Trials of the past build our strength to face them and not be overtaken. Trials of the past remind us of the faith we have in our Lord, who has always been faithful and true to lead us. He has used our trials to strengthen our faith, and we are closer to Him, and that result is a great blessing.

We know that these birth pangs the world must go through are not a surprise to us. When the Lord Jesus walked on this earth with us many years ago, He warned us and encouraged us, as He has faced them and knows how to overcome them. Jesus is grace, and He is perfect wisdom, and when we follow Him, we, too, will overcome the world’s tribulations. “These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

When God’s elected people, the Israelite nation, were in the wilderness wandering, He was not withholding His promises to them but was preparing them to receive the promise. God will always answer the prayer of a repentant soul and not forsake them. People have a problem with waiting upon the Lord for His answer. God will answer in one of three answers, yes, no, and not yet. Sometimes we come to realize that our petition was not the right thing for us and give Him praise for His wisdom. Sometimes in the rightness of time, we can receive what we have asked. Maybe we tend to put the cart before the horse. It could be that our prayers are not accordingly a measure of His glory and will not serve His purpose. But our Heavenly Father of faith has answered.

But we must always show humble, earnest perseverance in the desires of our hearts and give assurance our intentions are pure and are according to His will for our lives. “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” (Philippians 4:6)

We must understand that our walk with God is in our time; it is a daily walk. The Lord will answer in His time, which is eternal and all-knowing of the end from the beginning. Therefore, the Lord answers at the right time. “So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” (Matthew 6:34)

The text from Psalm is an assurance to David, as he was writing to encourage himself. David was the King of Israel and was responsible for leading God’s nation in a hostile world. David also had rebellions within his own family to contend with. I believe the Lord God gave David this insight to fortify his faith in God. This short verse has four sound principles that are encouraging. David is the believer that is in the conditions of waiting upon the Lord. David realizes that he must stand in his faith with good courage. Courage is our support as we go to the throne of God’s grace. David then comes to the proper conclusion of his stance with “yes,” he will wait on the Lord. Perseverance is the measure of our sincerity. Are we earnest enough to receive the blessing and responsibility of answered prayers? Then David again repeats the command “wait.” When we wait upon the Lord, we receive the reward.

When we wait upon the Lord, we need to know why. One reason is that when we make decisions in life, we seek competent counsel. When we make investments, purchase property, or plan a vacation, we seek counsel about the best choices. To find competent counsel, we want the best we can find. There are good councilors available but the best in our Lord. God is all-knowing. He already knows how the venture will work out and knows how it will affect our lives.

As I have said, God’s timeline is different than ours, and what we are asking for will happen in His timeline, which will be right for us. Living in a microwave world, we want what we want now. Now may not be the best time for what we want, and God knows when, if at all, is the right time. What we are asking must be in His plan and purpose for our lives, and we may need preparation for that. The Lord is the perfect counselor as we are not able to think as He. We are not even capable of having the wisdom that God has. “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the LORD. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8-9)

Faith is essential to God, and it is not possible to please Him without faith. “And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.” (Hebrews 11:6) Jesus said His disciples had weak faith when they were frightened by the storm. (Matthew 8:26) Going through trials in our life is a way our faith through those trials is strengthened. While waiting upon the Lord, look back at previous trials in your life and be encouraged by how they strengthened your faith. Firm faith will help you to hold fast to your hope found in the Lord Jesus Christ. Knowing that the answer from the Lord will make you stronger in the faith of His promise. “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13)

Our patience in waiting upon the Lord will also renew our strength to accomplish the good work that we are to accomplish. (Ephesians (2:10) I call it a time of rest in the Lord and recovery. “Yet those who wait for the LORD Will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary.” (Isaiah 40:31)

The Psalm tells us to be strong. Before David wrote this Psalm, Joshua led the Israelite nation in their conquest of the Promised Land. The Lord God was giving Joshua competent counsel telling him to be strong and courageous. “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9) When we follow the lead of the Holy Spirit and do as He leads us, we have no reason to be afraid. We have no reason to be timid, as the power of God has prepared the way for us, just as He did for Joshua. It is true if God is for us who can be against us, “For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline.” (2 Timothy 1:7)

As we wait to receive the answer from the Lord, it is not a time to be idle. It is a time to exercise our faith and prepare to receive that answer to our prayer from God. It is a time to be thankful that His answer is coming at the right time for us, and we must be ready to glorify Him. It is a time of rest in the Lord and recovery by meditating on His Word. It is time to fill our life with Him in prayer. Jesus told His disciples to watch and pray on the evening of His crucifixion, and they slept. “Keep watching and praying that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Matthew 26:41) I can only imagine the strength they did not have when they fled.

From the beginni9ng to this day and beyond, the trials of this world will become more intense. For those of us who read, believe, and live God’s Word, we know these things must come to pass. It is no secret to us. “But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these.” (2 Timothy 3:1-5)

Our calling is to speak His truth to every ear that will hear and every heart that will receive. That they too may find their hope in the Lord Jesus Christ. That is our commission to plant the seeds of truth across the world. God is a loving just God with a heart filled with loving-kindness. We believe it and therefore know it in faith. In that faith, we share it with the world. My brothers and sisters in Christ, be the message. “Therefore the LORD longs to be gracious to you, And therefore He waits on high to have compassion on you. For the LORD is a God of justice; How blessed are all those who long for Him.” (Isaiah 30:18)

Thomas Kirkpatrick

First Baptist Church of Durant, April 29, 2020