WAITING UPON THE LORD: OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL 11TH JULY 2018

MEMORISE:

Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD. Psalm 27:14

READ: Job 14:7-14

7 For there is hope of a tree, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again, and that the tender branch thereof will not cease.

8 Though the root thereof wax old in the earth, and the stock thereof die in the ground;

9 Yet through the scent of water it will bud, and bring forth boughs like a plant.

10 But man dieth, and wasteth away: yea, man giveth up the ghost, and where is he?

11 As the waters fail from the sea, and the flood decayeth and drieth up:

12 So man lieth down, and riseth not: till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep.

13 O that thou wouldest hide me in the grave, that thou wouldest keep me secret, until thy wrath be past, that thou wouldest appoint me a set time, and remember me!

14 If a man die, shall he live again? all the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come.

MESSAGE:

If there is a man that optimized what it means to wait on the Lord, that man is Job. In spite of his unquantifiable loss, his wife’s tauns and the harsh, judgmental words of his friends, he could still declare these worlds in Job 14:14:

“If a man die, shall he live again? all the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come.”

Irrespective of the contrary voices all around him, all he desired was to hear from God about his situation (Job 13:3). He was even willing to wait until the resurrection of the dead at the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ to get an answer from God and experience a change of his situation (Job 19:25-27). Because he waited on God with all off his heart, God indeed came to “reason” with him as he desired (Job 38:1-3), and his situation was turned around (Job 42:12).

Waiting on God leads to an atmosphere of expectation and confidence in God. it also makes us realize the inadequacy of our own judgment. Waiting on God is associated with patience, submission, dependence on God and contentment with His timing on delivering a pending and much needed divine intervention. For example, while the Psalmist anticipated God’s vindication against his enemies, he told his soul to wait patiently on Him (Psalm 27:12-14). 

Waiting upon the Lord is an act of faith that God will hear the prayers of His children and respond positively on our behalf. I pray that whatever you are waiting on God for, He will answer you speedily, and your expectations shall not be disappointed in Jesus’ Name.

Waiting requires patience and perseverance, and the word of God is clear that children of God sometimes need to wait on Him. Waiting is necessary when we are anticipating God’s judgment or hoping for His blessings. Children of God must not taking revenge or repaying evil with evil; rather they must wait for the Lord’s help and timing in all situations. 

Persecuted and oppressed Christians must never rely on human strength alone can do for them, they must pray earnestly with reliance on the efficacy of God’s word (Psalm 46:1). Finally, waiting upon God comes with many benefits. It builds up your hope, faith and trust in God (Psalm 5:3, Job 13:15, Jeremiah 32:27). Rest in God and wait patiently on Him. Although He will act according to His own will, it will be in your favor and for your benefit.

ACTION POINT:

Confess your trust in God and your determination to wait on Him for His intervention in every perplexing matter you have taken to Him that He has not yet responded to.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 2 Chronicle 17-18

Acts 26:1-23

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 10: MY FAITH LOOKS UP TO THEE.

1. My faith looks up to Thee,
Thou Lamb of Calvary,
Savior divine!
Now hear me while I pray,
Take all my guilt away,
Oh, let me from this day
Be wholly Thine!

2. May Thy rich grace impart
Strength to my fainting heart,
My zeal inspire!
As Thou hast died for me,
Oh, may my love to Thee
Pure, warm, and changeless be,
A living fire!

3. While life’s dark maze I tread,
And griefs around me spread,
Be Thou my guide;
Bid darkness turn to day,
Wipe sorrow’s tears away,
Nor let me ever stray
From Thee aside.

4. When ends life’s transient dream,
When death’s cold, sullen stream
Shall o’er me roll;
Blest Savior, then in love,
Fear and distrust remove;
Oh, bear me safe above,
A ransomed soul!