Learning to Wait Upon God’s Timing – Even in Moments of Anxiety
Do we ever step ahead of the Lord, whether we feel fear or impatience at our circumstances and perhaps think we need to help God move things along?
THE WORDSERMONTESTIMONY
Learning to Wait Upon God’s Timing – Even in Moments of Anxiety
By: Todd Knowles | Montgomery | AL |
Do we ever step ahead of the Lord, whether we feel fear or impatience at our circumstances and perhaps think we need to help God move things along?
In Samuel 13, we're told that Samuel had set a predetermined time when he would meet Saul at Gilgal; however, Samuel was running late.
Due to the severity of the battle against the Philistines, Saul and his fellow countrymen felt afraid - and the people began scattering.
As a result, Saul chose to offer a burnt offering. Once he had finished, Samuel arrived and Saul explained that he forced himself to offer the burnt offering due to the people scattering - and he wanted to keep them together.
Saul wasn't trying to obey the Lord; instead, he was using the burnt offering as a means of keeping his countrymen from fleeing. He was afraid and offered the sacrifice before Samuel had arrived to direct him in what the Lord wanted him to do.
It is an indication that Saul did not take time to not only consult the Lord but to remind himself of God's word about being fearful that was spoken to Joshua and recorded in Joshua 1 a few hundred years before. Joshua's story had been kept in a record for the Jewish nation to refer to, just as the law of Moses had in Genesis through Deuteronomy. Eventually, the Lord replaced Saul as king due to his continual disobedience and placed David on the throne.
In Psalm 94:19, we read the following: "When my anxious thoughts multiply within me, Your consolations delight my soul."
The psalmist had a relationship with the Living God and took comfort in His words.
Do we ever move too quickly without taking time to wait upon the Lord? Have we learned patience in reading His word and in praying as we wait for His answer?
It can be challenging to remind ourselves of the importance of waiting.
Interestingly, after Jesus' resurrection and revealing Himself to several believers, we're told in John 20 that Thomas wasn't present and he wouldn't believe until he had seen Jesus personally. It took EIGHT days before Jesus appeared to the believers again, with Thomas present. Jesus was in no hurry or chained to a timeline. Thomas was forced to wait for Jesus' timeline.
Over the past two years, I have been forced to wait to know whether I would continue to have a job or whether my organization would give me a pink slip. It was a time that my stomach had severe butterflies and I felt stress on occasion.
I spent the time wisely, gaining tools to use in the event I would have to branch out on my own in writing, versus continuing to write for my organization.
However, after well-spent years, in which the Lord was teaching me to trust in Him, another organization finally reached out to me and hired me at the same salary.
Our Heavenly Father knew that having Isaiah record the importance of waiting would truly be important to us in Isaiah 40:29-31:
29 He gives strength to the weary, And to him who lacks might He increases power.
30 Though youths grow weary and tired, And vigorous young men stumble badly,
31 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.
Reference
The Lockman Foundation. (1960/1995). New American Standard Bible.
