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Waiting on the Lord — 16 Comments

  1. Thank you Richard
    for explaining more the abstract notion of 'waiting on the Lord' which I found helpful. Everyday I ask for the holy spirit to enter into me so I can serve Him in my daily mundane life.
    Last week I went to pay for my car insurance, the secretary was a family friend and definitely a non believer. I chatted on about Christmas and the baby Jesus and watched as her eyes glaze over with disinterest. Then I said (God given I believe) As a kid, I truly used to wonder what happened to the gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh that was given to Jesus by the wise men. And continued, because now she looked interested again, that it was not until I was grown up that I read somewhere that they was probably used to financially fund the emergency trip to Egypt - and that satisfied my curiosity. She nodded and turned back to her work and left me feeling that I had done my duty in spreading the word or as you so well put, - 'waited, on the Lord' even in my mundane life.
    Godbless today, Mrs A Stolz

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  2. Wait is not a word that most people want to hear. Life is much too hectic and busy to consider waiting as an acceptable way of life. I would venture a guess as to what waiting on the Lord means to many. For some it is a meaningless clique, with little or no actual thought involved. If you are concerned about your eternal future and as 1Peter 3:4,9, maintain, concern is about how and when, ones salvation and determination, may include waiting on the Lord. Our individual relationship with God may provide the answers to our questioning.

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  3. Dear Richard,

    What an amazing post because I woke up this morning with this verse on my mind: Psalm 27:14 (NKJV)
    Wait on the Lord;
    Be of good courage,
    And He shall strengthen your heart;
    Wait, I say, on the Lord!

    That verse came in answer to my prayers for certain sufferings I am experiencing.

    Previously, when I studied out the concept of "wait on the Lord" , I found some of the same meaning you did.

    However, you have a clarity and expression of understanding that is beautiful! You give the idea of "waiting" a depth of meaning that I can grasp. Here's the part that is especially helpful:

    "Waiting on the Lord is serving the Lord in whatever role he has chosen for us, in spite of what we want or think. It is faithfully discharging the duties of one who is called by Christ to serve in trial, hardship and persecution. It is being willing to let Christ teach us lessons of humility, reliance on our Heavenly Father, and even serving the best interest of one we might call our enemy. Waiting on the Lord is dying daily to what we think we need to have, need to do and need to say, and being a blessing to those God places in our lives, even those who would curse and abuse us."

    Thank you so much for a special blessing from this post!

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  4. Thank you, Richard, for addressing this topic. Aside from the sit-back-in-the-pew attitude, what concerns me most is the signs-watching attitude which too often leads to conspiracy thinking. People who are keen on conspiracy watching have told me that they are doing what Jesus said. They are "watching" current events and "waiting" for Jesus to come.

    I decided to check my Bible to see what Jesus said about 'watching" and "waiting," and, as far as I couuld tell, the context always had something to do with obedience - to keep on doing the Master's work while waiting for Him to return. I did not find any evidence that we are to watch current events or politics, even though much of our evangelism seems to imply that.

    And now I see many of my Facebook friends involved in almost frenzied political postings to demonstrate that their favorite politician has a positive role to play in world events while another politician is supposedly the tool of Satan.

    The way I see it, "by beholding, we become changed" - either into the image of Christ by beholding Him and doing His work or into the image of the people we "behold" or pay attention to.

    By the way, I really appreciate your waiter/servant analogy. It is so fitting!

    (10)
    • You bring out some very good points, Inge. Some folks seem to thrive on end time conspiracy theories. The long wait for Christ's return has produced in many folks a spiritual vacumn that becomes filled with all kinds of endless end time speculations. The focus is on events rather than on doing the Master's work. Randy Roberts, who is senior pastor of Loma Linda University Church, wrote a book titled "Watching and Waiting". The focus he stresses is to go about doing God's work to show His love to others as we patiently await Christ's return. "The last message of mercy to be given to this world is a revelation of his character of love."COL 415

      (4)
  5. A very timely message. Luke 19:13 has very clear instructions:

    And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come.

    (7)
  6. Thank you for this helpful forum! After reading the last post, I am wondering why we, as Christians cannot watch and follow the political scene and world events while being obedient and doing His will?

    I admit to being pulled into this frenzied election coverage, and feeling passionate about the events, but knowing what's going on politically energizes my belief...prophecy is being fulfilled now in real time!

    It makes me realize how important it is to hear God's voice...time is limited!

    (1)
  7. In Matthew 25 Jesus presents 3 parables that define how the Lord's people will be watching and waiting during the times He spoke of in Matt 24.

    1. Each must be filled by the Holy Spirit to illuminate God's Word.(this implies full repentance of sin, or the Holy Spirit cannot come)
    2. Use the talents given to each servant for serving our Master's purposes for giving them.
    3. Serve the real needs of our fellow man.

    (1)
  8. The Adventist Redoubt movement is troubling to me because the focus appears to be self-serving. It looks to me like those in this movement have taken Mathew 24:15-22 out of the context of Mathew 24:13-14, 44-47 and 28:18-20. I have found it difficult to reason with the underlying (and even unreasonable) fear of the end times that many of these people have – they are driven to self-protection instead of selfless mission. The similarity to the fearful servant of Mathew 25:24-25 has compelled me to pray that God will drive out the demon of fear in these people and give them the assurance of knowing the love of the Heavenly Father and his Son, who said, “I will be with you always, even until the end of the world.” [Mathew 28:20b, CEV]

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    • Ah ... I had not heard of the "Adventist Redoubt movement," so I had to do a little looking up.

      For those similarly uninformed, the Adventist Redoubt movement is a movement to get out of the cities and into the wilderness, preferably in Idaho, Montana, Wyoming and adjoining portions of eastern Oregon and eastern Washington. The emphasis is on preparing to be self-sufficient in the time of trouble. Some plan on living in a commune type of arrangement. In fact I ran into claims that a couple of Adventist billionaires had bought up hundreds of thousands of acres in that part of the USA.

      It is the Adventist parallel to the American "Prepper" movement which includes people preparing to flee their city homes to a wilderness hide-out stocked with water, food and guns in the case of societal collapse and a government takeover, minus all constitutional safeguards.

      While I had not heard a name attached, I have run across the attitude of making physical preparation for the time of trouble. What has concerned me is the obvious self-dependent self-centered attitude - the focus on saving self. I believe that such an attitude is not Christian whether it is saving self for eternity or saving one's physical self in the here and now.

      I believe that eternal salvation is a by-product of accepting Christ as Savior and submitting to Him as Lord of our lives. That results in active service. As for preparing physically for the time of trouble, we have the promise that our bread and water shall be sure. Of course, following instructions to live simply and debt-free with a family garden will also have the side effect of being reasonably well prepared for many kinds of trouble.

      That said, I must confess to coming from a background of living relatively frugally in the country with a big garden and a stocked pantry and we find the idea of living off-grid with solar power appealing - which are some of the very things preppers are aiming for. We've lived that way most of our lives (except for the solar power). But there are disadvantages to living too far "out in the country." It's more difficult to meet people to make friends with them and interact with them in a saving way.

      I believe we need to listen to the Lord very closely re what we are to do right now. Some of us may move close to "civilization." (We plan to.) Others may be led to abandon a second job and live more simply in the country, especially if small children are involved. After all, God planned the original home as a garden. But the bottom line is always to focus on fulfilling the gospel commission in whatever position we find ourselves.

      (1)
      • I've known a few such people, but we are told to "take no (anxious) thought for tomorrow". We have also been counseled that anything laid up for the time of trouble will be taken away. Such a movement is similar in character and purpose of building the tower of Babel after God's promise to Noah.

        Yes, isolation for self-preservation cannot lead to serving our fellow man.

        (2)
        • Hadn't thought of that attitude being similar to building the tower of Babel, but I can see the similarity.

          On the other hand we *are* counseled to move out of the cities for our own safety, and there's certainly nothing wrong with that. Rather it can be a matter of obedience. But it's the attitude that goes with it that makes the difference - as in so many other things.

          Are we looking first and foremost for self-preservation, or do we trust the Lord, move forward in obedience, and look for ways we can spread the gospel in a new location?

          There are many "dark counties" that could be helped by a godly family moving in. And these counties do have properties with a a country setting.

          (0)
          • The same Author has urged some without young families, who are strong in faith and understanding, to go to the cities as witnesses. Not to live in them, but to dwell nearby and work within. Our Light cannot be seen by others if kept covered in obscurity and isolated retreat.

            If we desire to know our duty, God will make it known to any who ask with intention to follow God's guiding(Ps 32:8). It depends on our motives for mingling doesn't it? Yes, if raising children, planting a school or health retreat, it should be out of the cities, away from it's poisoning influence, but churches are to be within the city as a constant, faithful witness. Also other avenues of witnessing such as restaurants that promoted health reform principles should be planted wherever there are churches to support them, within the cities where people would be affected by the witness.

            We know the time is coming when pestilence will make it a necessity to have room to plant and harvest from a garden if one wishes to have sufficient food for their needs. Wealth alone will not be able to provide in the environment of scarcity and famine. God will provide for those who obey His counsel and keep His statutes.

            (0)
  9. Thanks so much for this! It is very encouraging. Christ-focused is what all our actions need to be. It has been liberating for me to come to this conclusion. And then I realize only with God's power and spirit can we truly serve and wait on Him. Witnessing to others and helping those in need has taken a whole new meaning because at times people are not receptive or may appear to be wasteful as you try help them but with Christ at center and with His spirit, you learn to be patient, merciful, and long suffering which is truly unnatural. He opens your eyes to see how He has been so with you and gives you the strength to be so with others. Thanks again.

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  10. Thank you for your article Richard. Being single, I often hear other singles talking about waiting on the Lord to send them someone. Seems to me, after reading your article and 1 Corinthians 7, that we should be waiting on and serving the Lord, instead of waiting for a wife.

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