by Emily Wooten
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.
Psalms 27:14 Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.
To “wait upon the Lord” is not about passive inaction, but rather an active state of faith and expectancy, trusting in God’s timing and guidance. It involves continually seeking His presence, through prayer, reading and reciting scripture, worship, and trusting that God’s will is revealed in his promises. We can see how he helped others in the scriptures and expect him to help us too. Those who wait upon the Lord can expect his grace and ability to work through them.
Luke 9:1-2 Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases. And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick.
We see that it is God’s will to inform people about the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. Why would Jesus have sent his disciples out to preach and heal if it was not his will? It was and is God’s will, according to Luke 4:18-19, to preach the gospel to the poor; heal the brokenhearted, preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised or bound and to preach the acceptable year of the Lord. Jesus did all those things and now we are equipped with the tools to do the same. In time with God we learn out to use our tools.
We see in Matthew 14:23 where Jesus went alone to pray. Mark 1:35 and Luke 5:16 In the early morning, he got up and departed to a solitary place, and there he prayed.
Spending time with God and giving him our attention is the most important decision we will make every day. It is by hanging with Jesus, listening to his Spirit and considering his word that we grow and are enabled to face life’s challenges equipped to win every battle.
Luke 14: 10-13 Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works’ sake. Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
Praising God for all he has done and is doing is exercising our faith and declaring God’s promises are ours too. We can expect God’s word to come alive in our understanding as we spend time giving God our attention.