Why Wait?

Why do people wait on God? What do they mean by that?

“Well, I’m just waiting on the Lord.”

If one is actually waiting on the Lord, they are not likely to say that.

Here is what I mean.

If they are waiting on God to do something for them, I mean truly standing in faith, then they are rejoicing in the hope faith brings, and en-dunimating their faith with the anointing of the Holy Ghost. That’s not likely to come out of their mouth as a “Just waiting.” It’s much more likely to sound like a “Glory to God, I always have victory in Jesus!”

If they already know the mind of God, it could be they didn’t like what God said, and are waiting on him to change his mind. God said “No,” they know God said “No,” and they know it is an outright sin, but they continually pester him to say “Yes.” This isn’t just a double mind, it’s outright rebellion. It is tempting Christ. Not smart. Eventually, someone will say yes, but it will be a different lord than Jesus. And they will follow it, instead.

Sometimes, they already know the mind of the Lord, but just don’t want to do it. So they wait for God to do it for them. This is also a double mind. It’s like the young man whose girlfriend wants to get married, but he just doesn’t want to do that yet. So, he waits for certain things to be “just right” first. Those “things” are just excuses. The truth is, he’s afraid to commit. That’s when, suddenly, he’s “waiting on God.”

People in this position are like the rich man who came to the Lord that he might have eternal life (Matthew 19:16-22). Jesus said, “Sell what you have, give to the poor, and come, walk with me.”

The rich man now had a choice. He knew the mind of the Lord, but he didn’t want to do it. And that is often what people mean when they say they are waiting on God. God told them what to do, and it filled them with sorrow. It meant they had to give something up, and they didn’t want to do it. So, they are “waiting on God.”

Perhaps the best prescription would be to repent, and do what Jesus told the rich man to do: Physically get rid of everything that competes for your heart, and go follow close after Jesus. Pour that alcohol down the drain, and spend your whole day prayerfully reading your Bible, instead. Give your TV away, burn those magazines, sell your fancy car, whatever it is that causes your heart to stand in they way of committing to the Lord.

Then you will be truly waiting on the Lord:

Isaiah 40:31
But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

The Hebrew word translated “wait” here means to bind yourself to, to entwine yourself with. To be twisted together with him. To become one with him. Those who do this are not likely to say they are waiting on the Lord
if you were to ask them what they are doing. They have too many other things to talk about.

Then there are those whom God has called into a work, but it isn’t happening. They are waiting on God, but God is waiting on them. God’s call is a seed. He expects you to water and nurture that seed, until it grows into the fruit bearing work he commissioned. Perhaps the heat of the day - those obstacles the devil throws in front of us - has persuaded them to back off. Perhaps the cares of this life or the lust for money are competing for their heart, and the call is being choked. (Matthew 13:18-23.) But, those who are good ground are not likely to say they are “just waiting.” They may not have fruit yet, but thriving plants still have blossoms you can smell.

So why wait? It’s time to mount up with wings as eagles. It’s time to bind ourselves to the Lord, follow close after him, and learn of him, for his yoke is easy, and his burden is light.

Copyright © 2012 Burley Ward. All rights reserved