While You Wait

Waiting on the Lord may be one of the most difficult aspects of the Christian life. When Jesus promised that He would return, He instructed His followers to wait. That is easier said than done. So what do we do in the meantime? Whist do we do while we wait? What do we do until Jesus’s return.

1. Waiting on the Lord requires patient trust.

  • Waiting means that we give God the benefit of the doubt that He knows what He is doing.
  • Waiting in God’s way of seeing if we will trust Him before we move forward,

2. Waiting on God reminds us that God is in control.

  • Waiting reminds us that we’re not in charge.
  • Waiting reminds us that we are not God.

3. Waiting on the Lord allows God to do His work.

  • Gods timing is best.
  • God is working.

4. Waiting on God increases our strength.

No one likes to wait. But we wait in traffic, at the grocery store, at the doctors office, for our spouse, for a baby, for retirement, and for Jesus’s return.

Waiting is not just something we have to do while we get what we want. Waiting is the process of becoming what God wants us to be. What God does in us while we wait is as important as what it is we’re waiting for. Waiting, biblical waiting, is not a passive waiting around for something to happen that will allow us to escape our troubles. Waiting does not mean doing nothing. It is not fatalistic resignation. It is not a way to evade unpleasant reality,

Those who wait are those who work, because they know their work is not in vain. The farmer can wait all summer for his harvest because he has done his work of sowing the seed and watering the plants. Those who wait on God can go about their assigned tasks, confident that God will provide the meaning and conclusions to their lives and the harvest to their toil. Waiting is the confident, disciplined, expectant, active, and sometimes painful clinging to God. It know that we will reap a reward.

When Jesus told His disciples to wait in Jerusalem, He was telling them that this was a means of experiencing His peace, His prosperity, and His power. In waiting they would catch the wind of God’s Spirit. In waiting they would see God move,

Waiting on the Lord requires patient trust

We live by the saying: Don’t just stand there, do something. While God often says to us: Don’t just to something, stand there.

  • Waiting means we give God the benefit of the doubt that He knows what He’s doing.
  • Waiting is God’s way of seeing if we will trust Him before we move forward.

That trust is a patient trust. Whether it has to do with our relationships, our finances, our careers, our dreams, or our churches. We have to trust that God knows what He’s doing.

Waiting on God reminds us God is in Control

Sometimes people ask, “But what do I do while I’m waiting?” Good question. During those waiting times take on the active role of a watchman. “ I wait for the Lord, my soul waits,” declared David, “I wait for Yahweh; I wait and put my hope in His word. I wait for the Lord more than a watchman for the morning – more than watchmen for the morning” (Psalms 130:5-6). In biblical times, watchmen vigilantly guarded the city. They watched for enemies who might attack at night, and they waited for the sun to rise. They were alert and obedient, ready to respond when needed. When called upon, they sprang into action. But on the other hand, watchmen didn’t make things happen. They didn’t control the rising sun. They couldn’t speed up the process of the dawning of a new day. A watchman knew the difference between his job and God’s job,

Waiting reminds us that we are not in charge

We are the patient. We’re in the waiting room. In the real issues of life, we are waiting on God, therefore, we can trust His wisdom and His timing. I’ve heard it said that the person who waits on God loses no time. We can wait with confidence. Because we’re waiting for someone, ad that someone is God.

Waiting reminds us that we are not God

As humans, we want to fix things, we want to fix our problems, our relationships, our conflicts, our career, fix the world, and sometimes even our churches. Fixing and controlling situations are people is like trying to expedite the rising of the sun. From time to time we have to be reminded that we are not God (Aren’t you glad?). Our job is to be a watchman. We need to have a watch and attitude: a confident and alert expectation that God will do what He said He will do,

Waiting on the Lord allows God to do His work

Not only do we want to do God’s work, but we also want to speed up the process. We see how much we could do and should be doing, we see all the unmet needs, the people that hurt. We drive through our neighborhoods and are bombarded at the thought of how many people are spending eternity without God. We want to reach those people right now, but God is in control. We may ask God, “Why not now? Why not bring it to pass today?”

God’s timing is best

In the Old Testament book of Habakkuk, the prophet was asking similar questions.

“I will stand Guard post and shaking myself on the outlook shower. I will watch to see what he will say to me and what I hit reply about my complaint. The Lord answered me: write Down this vision clearly inscribe it on the tablet so you may easily read it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time it testified about the end and will not lie. Though it delays, wait for it, since it will certainly come and not be late.

Habakkuk 2:1-3

God is working

During those times, we wait patiently on the Lord. We know that deep down He is working while it may be hidden deep in our character. In due time, God will reveal everything He’s grown in us. Those who wait will never be put to shame. We will never be disappointed.

Waiting on God increases our strength

Sometimes we struggle to remember that it is good to wait on the Lord. It isn’t easy. It goes against our grain of our quickfix society. But, there is a hidden benefit and waiting. And kind of waiting our souls revived and our spirits renewed. Isaiah wrote, “But, those who trust in the Lord they will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not faint” Isaiah 40;31).

Time will come when those who wait on the Lord will soar.

You and I and the church will catch a gust of the Spirit. It will be this gust of the Spirit That the disciples in Jerusalem were instructed to wait on. It is the same gust of the Spirit what we need to wait on. And when it comes, hold on, because we will be soaring.

God is the great mover. We are to push, to work, and if we wait in patient trust, remembering that God is in control doing Him work increasing our strength, we will experience the move of God on our lives and in the church..

Donkey In The Well

One day a farmer’s donkey fell into a well. The animal cried piteously for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do. Finally m he decided the animal was old, and the well needed to be covered up anyway; it just wasn’t worth it to retrieve the donkey.

He invited all his neighbors to come and help him. They all grabbed their shovels and began to shovel dirt into the well. At first, the donkey realized what was happening and cried horribly. Then, to everyone’s amazement he quieted down.

A few shovel loads later, the farmer finally looked down the well. He was astonished at what he saw. With each shovel of dirt that hit his back, the donkey was doing something amazing. He would shake it off and take a step up.

As the farmer’s neighbors continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, he would shake it off and take a step up. Pretty soon , every one was amazed as the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well and happily trotted off!

MORAL:

Life is going to shovel dirt on you, all kinds of dirt. The trick to getting out of the well your in is to shake it off and take a step. Each of our troubles is a steppingstone. We can get out of the deepest wells by not stopping, and never giving up, Shake it off and take a step up.

The Voice Of The Nahash

The Hebrew words for serpent or snake is Nahash. It sound like someone is whispering, Nahash Nahash . The word for snake also means the whisperer. Nahash. In the Bible,bother serpent is the symbol of the enemy. The enemy is a whisperer; he works in a subtle crafty way, in secret, in the darkness. The work of the enemy begins with a whisper. A thought that comes into your mind and you’re wondering, “How did that happen?” He doesn’t say it out loud. He whispers a little thing, a little idea. If you go with that, the whisper becomes a sin. The whisper becomes an action, the action becomes a habit, the habit becomes a lifestyle, and the lifestyle becomes a destiny. How do you fight the enemy? You fight him when that thing is just a notion, a whisper or a temptation. That thing comes in a whisper of anger, that whisper of lust, that whisper of doing what you know is wrong, you fight it. Drown it out when you hear that lite word of temptation. Speak the Word of God and you will drown out that whisper.

2 Corinthians 10:5

How about fighting sin today when it’s just a whisper, a thought, a notion. Drown it out at the beginning.

Gravity Free Living

Is seems like in today’s society we all have someone that weighs us down, problems, worries, fears, a million issues.

We think if we get rid of our problems we will get rid of our burdens. The truth is this world has problems, but there’s a secret to how to live a burden free life.

The problem isn’t that we have problems, it’s the gravity of the problem that weighs us down. We’re supposed to be living in the heavenlies, so the weight of the problem won’t weigh us down. Where there’s no gravity.

Get your life away from the earthly things. And you won’t be bound by the gravity of this world. Live in the spirit. Dwell in the heavenlies. Get your mind off the problem. Get your eyes on Gods and refresh yourself in the heavenly places.

Rejoice in heavenly treasures and you will find yourself free from the gravity of the world. You might have the problem but it won’t weigh anything anyone. He said, “ My yoke is easy, my burden is light.”

Dwell with the Lord in the heavenlies and your burden will become light. It all begins when you begin to dwell in the heavenly places.

Matthew 11:28-30

Powerful Reasons To Understand And Know Jesus As The Lion Of Judah

Often, when we think of Jesus one of the images that come to mind is a lamb. After all, when John the Baptist was about to baptize Jesus he declared Him the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.When you think of a lamb you think of tenderness, gentleness, and I would even add submissiveness.

While Jesus was all these things, there is another description of Jesus in Scripture that is the complete opposite of Him as a lamb. That description is the Lion of Judah. I think we under the importance of knowing Jesus as the lamb. I want to give you four reasons to know Jesus as the Lion of Judah.

What Does Lion Of Judah Mean?

To get an understanding of this phrase, there are two places in Scripture where the Lion of Judah are tied together. One of them is in Revelation.

“Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep! See, the Lion of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.”

Revelation 5:5

Let’s consider about the significance of the tribe of Judah. Judah was one of the twelves son of Jacob. To make it simple, the descendants of these sons formed the twelve tribes of Israel, a reference to the tribe of Judah is a reference to the human or natural lineage of Christ. The genealogy is found in Matthew 1.

Jesus as a descendant of Judah which also included David, Solomon, and eventually making its way all the way down to Joseph, Jesus’s earthly father (actually step-father to be technical).

The other mention of the lion happens in Genesis 49. In this occasion, Jacob calls his sons together and tells them what will happen to each of them in the days to come. Clearly Jacob is speaking with prophetic language. When he gets to his son Judah here is what he proclaims:

“Judah, your brothers will praise you; your hand will be on the neck of your enemies; your father’s sons will bow down to you. You are a lion’s cub, Judah; you return from the prey, my son. Like a lion he crouches and lies down, like a lioness- who dares to rouse him? The scepter will not depart from Judah, not the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until he to whom it belongs shall come and the obedience of the nations shall be his. He will teacher his donkey to a vine, his colt to the choicest branch; he will wash his garments in wine, his robes in the blood of grapes. His eyes will be darker than wine, his teeth whiter than milk” (Genesis 48:8-12).

When you consider these verses, then a reference to the Lion of the Tribe of Judah points to the conquering victorious King that would descend from Judah’s lineage. We know that this lion was pointing to only on person, Jesus Himself, God in human for , who is the lion of the tribe of Judah. This is important because it fulfills the promises and prophecy of God’s word. It also gives us hope and confidence in this one who will ultimately be our deliverer.

As we look closely at this proclamation made by Jacob in Genesis 49, some prophetic truths come to light. These are truths that, when considered, point directly to Jesus. From these verses, you can uncover four resonance to know God as the Lion of Judah. Let’s take a closer look:

1. Your Brothers Will Praise You – You Will Acknowledge The Lion Of Judah’s Lordship.

“Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth, and every tongue acknowledges that Jesus is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:9-11).

Regardless of what people think or feel about Jesus, one thing we know for sure: He is Lord. Because He is Lord, everyone will eventually praise Him as Lord. It doesn’t matter if a person believes that now, but at some point every knee will bow and every tongue will confess this to be true. When you recognize this now you can willingly take bow and acknowledge His as Lord of all, and most importantly Lord of your life.

2. Your Hand Will Be On The Neck Of Your Enemies- You Acknowledge The Lion Of Judah’s Victory.

“Then the end will come, when he hands over the Kingdom to God the Father after He had destroyed all dominion, authority, and power. For He must reign until He has put all Him enemies under His feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death. For He “has put everything under His feet” (1 Corinthians 15:24-26).

Ultimately Jesus will destroy allHis enemies, even Satan who know He is on borrowed time because his defeat is imminent. However, the greatest enemy we face as humans in the reality of sin and death. Our sin interrupted our relationship with God and our death meant eternal separation and punishment for our sin. Jesus conquered both of these enemies on our behalf. Our Lion has given us victory over sin and has removed the penalty of death and replaced it with the promise and hope of eternal life. You can celebrate, because you are victorious today. You are no longer under the penalty of sin.

3. The Scepter Will Not Depart From Judah – You Acknowledge The Lion’s Eternal Rule.

“The seventh a gem sounded his trumpet, and there were load voices in heaven, which said: ‘The kingdom of the world has become the Kingdom of our Lord and His Messiah, and He will reign for ever and ever’” (Revelation 11:15).

Another wonderful reason to know God as the Lion of Judah is that His Kingdom will reign forever. The good part about being on His side is that we will in the end, regardless of how challenging life gets and regardless of the struggles or persecutions you may experience in this life. It is important to recognize that as long as you are on Jesus’s side you will win. Because He will rule for all eternity, and you are part of His Kingdom, then you get to experience the benefits for all of eternity. So, don’t be discouraged, no matter how bad it may feel or get, it is only for a little while. Our Lion is coming soon and He will reign forever.

4. He Will Wash His Garments In Wine, His Robes In The Blood Of Grapes – You acknowledge His Shed Blood For The Forgiven Of Your Sins.

“For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Jesus, a lamb without blemish or defect” (Peter 1:18-19).

As important as it is to know God as the Lion, that wouldn’t have mattered much unless He became the lamb. He would still be God. He would still reign forward. He would still ultimately triumph over His enemies. However, we would still be lost. What makes Jesus all the more impressive is that His road to conquering – His road to being the Lion -came through suffering. He didn’t redeem us by keeping His status as a Lion. He redeemed us by becoming humble as a lamb. That precious blood He stilled purchased our salvation, forgave our sins, and allowed us to triumph. I am thankful that He became like a lamb to win back our salvation. In fact, it was His suffering as a lamb that paved the way for Him to be the true Lion of the Tribe of Judah. Remember Philippians:

“In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Jesus: Who, being in very natural God, did not consider equality with something to be used to His own advantage; rather, He made Himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to death – even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name that is above every Name” (Philippians 2:5-9).

The Great Lion Of The Tribe Of Judah Conquered By Becoming A Lamb.

The Purpose Of Trials

God uses trials to condition our hearts for holiness and to increase our spiritual maturity.

When difficulties come into your life, do you grumble, complain, or resist? Or do you respond the way God desires – with a joyful attitude, a humble and submissive heart, and a understanding of when He wants to accomplish in your life? Okay, no-one is joyful about a trial in their life. But, God puts us all through trials and tests and it’s difficult no matter what it is big or small.

Sometimes people mistakenly think that after they are saved God is going to make life comfortable and stress free, but that’s not what it’s all about, Jesus said that in this world we would have troubles and tribulations. Peter told us not to be surprised at the fiery ordeals that come upon us for our testing. (Peter 4:12). The writer of Hebrews said that our Heavenly Father disciplines and trains us as His beloved children so that we may share in His holiness. (Hebrews 12:4-11)

James’s command was to consider all trials as joy (James 1:2) which makes no sense unless we see them opportunities for spiritual growth. Trials are designed by the Lord to test our faith, humility. Submission, and values. We can either waste our difficulties by resisting God or benefit by trusting in and depending on Him. The first way leads to suffering, but the second way results in spiritual maturity and eternal rewards.