“Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.” Psalm 27:14.

Have you ever wondered why the psalmist coupled the admonition to wait for the Lord with encouragement to be strong and courageous?

The reason is that sometimes delaying is the hardest thing to do.
In fact, practicing patience is one of the most important lessons in God’s School of Obedience—it’s essential that believers learn to wait upon Him.

Modern culture is in such a hurry.
Gotta have it now! Gotta do it now!

We’ve been primed to stay in a permanent state of readiness.

It takes courage to be still when the world is rushing past. It takes strength to obey when everything in us hollers, “Go!” while God is whispering, “Wait.”

But people are quick to act because they are afraid of missing out on something. Believers who buy into that attitude make a move and then hope the Lord will bless them.

God leaves nothing to chance. He does not place a decision before us with the hope that we’ll make the right choice.

That would be irresponsible and out of character.

The Father is more than willing to show His children what to do– because He is personally interested in their welfare.

But until the Lord makes clear what is the way forward, we’ve got to pause and wait.

Waiting upon God is not passivity. It is not laziness. Nor is it an excuse for avoiding responsibility.

In fact, the opposite is true:

People who seek God’s will are those who pause to pray, search Scripture, and perhaps even fast before taking action.

And in the meantime, they are still serving God wherever they can.

(PR)

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“Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!” (Romans 11:33-36).

Most of us enjoy feeling in control of our own schedule and grow frustrated when things don’t go according to plan.

Yet if we truly desire to walk in the center of God’s perfect will, we must become willing to cooperate with His time frame!

Consider how you pray about situations in your life.

Without realizing it, you may be demanding that God follow the schedule you’ve constructed according to your very limited human wisdom.

Yet if we believe He is who He says He is, how can surrendering to His way not be to our benefit?

Think about His unique, praiseworthy qualities:

• His all-encompassing knowledge.
The Lord has complete understanding of our world and the details of every individual life—past, present, and future.

• His complete wisdom.
God understands man’s every motive, whereas none of us are able to accurately discern people’s intentions.
We make choices based on partial information, whereas He has the wisdom to take action based on truth.

• His unconditional love.
Our Creator is always motivated by love and constantly has our best in mind.
Unless we trust His heart, our view of reality will be distorted.

• His perfect sufficiency.
At just the right time, God will provide us with everything we need to carry out His plan.

Submitting to God’s timetable requires faith and courage.

Believe in the goodness of His heart and His plans—and wait until He gives the signal to move forward.

Then, as you follow His schedule, you’ll experience the joy of watching Him make all things beautiful in His timing.

(PR)

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“The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him”. Ps. 25:14.

There are secrets of Providence which God’s dear children may learn.
His dealings with them often seem, to the outward eye, dark and terrible.

Faith looks deeper and says:
“This is God’s secret. You look only on the outside; I can look deeper and see the hidden meaning.”

Sometimes diamonds are done up in rough packages, so that their value cannot be seen.

When the Tabernacle was built in the wilderness there was nothing rich in its outside appearance.
The costly things were all within, and its outward covering of rough badger skin gave no hint of the valuable things which it contained.

God may send you some costly packages.
Do not worry if they are done up in rough wrappings!
You may be sure there are treasures of love, and kindness, and wisdom hidden within.

If we take what He sends, and trust Him for the goodness in it, even in the dark, we shall learn the meaning of the secrets of Providence.

He that is mastered by Christ is the master of every circumstance.

Does the circumstance press hard against you?
Do not push it away.
It is the Potter’s hand.

Your mastery will come-
– not by arresting its progress,
– but by enduring its discipline,
– for it is not only shaping you into a vessel of beauty and honour,
– but it is making your resources available.

(PR)

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The moments that sustain us are-
– those moments invested in true devotion and fellowship with the Lord.

Moment of meditation on His Word-
– is the passport to wisdom, innumerable blessings, and unspeakable peace.

Yet at its foundation-
– it is a practical exercise!

Setting aside time.
It doesn’t matter the time of day; more important is your frame of mind.

Stillness.
Being still before God means minimizing distractions.
Turn off the television, the radio, and the phone.
Pray for God to quiet your spirit.

Silence.
Meditation involves active listening.
As you pray and read God’s Word-
– pause to think and listen for His still, small voice.

Seclusion.
It is important that you meditate alone-
– developing a personal relationship with your Father.

Self-control.
We have a responsibility to faithfully seek God, not legalistically but in earnest sincerity.
We do not have to answer impulses or rush to less important matters during our quiet time.

You will learn meditation has several effects!
Among other benefits, meditation-
– quiets your spirit,
– purifies your heart,
– produces a hunger for God and His Word,
– increases your view of God,
– increases your discernment,
– gives you a clear sense of direction for your life,
– and confirms or cautions you about counsel you’ve received.

(PR)

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“And the Lord appeared unto Isaac the same night” (Gen. 26:24).

Appeared the same night! The night on which he went to Beer-sheba!!
Why did He come to Isaac in the night on which he reached Beer-sheba?

Because-
– that was the night on which he reached rest.

In his old locality-
– he had been tormented. There had been a whole series of petty quarrels about the possession of paltry wells. There are no worries like little worries, particularly if there is an accumulation of them.

Isaac felt this. Even after the strife was past, the place retained a disagreeable association. He determined to leave. He sought change of scene. He pitched his tent away from the place of former strife.

That very night-
– the Revelation came! God spoke when there was no inward storm! He did not speak when the mind was fretted.

His voice demands the silence of the soul! Only in the hush of the spirit could-
– Isaac hear the garments of his God sweep by. His still night was his starry night! Have you pondered these words, “Be still, and know”?

In the hour of perturbation, you cannot not hear the answer to your prayers.

The heart gets no response in the moment of its crying-
-in its thunder, its earthquake, and its fire.

But
– when the crying ceased, when the stillness fell, when your hand desisted from knocking on the iron gate, when the interest of others broke the tragedy of your own,
-then appeared the long-delayed reply!

The rainbow shall span the place of the subsiding flood! And in your stillness you shall hear the everlasting music!!

Rest in the Lord to receive His revelations!

(PR)

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“Sit here while I go and pray over there.” Matthew.26:36.

It is a hard thing to be kept in the background at a time of crisis!
In the Garden of Gethsemane – Eight of the eleven disciples were left to do nothing. Jesus went to the front to pray. Peter, James and John went to the middle to watch and pray. The rest sat down in the rear to wait.

Those in the rear must have murmured. They were in the garden, but that was all. They had no share in the cultivation of its flowers. It was a time of crisis, a time of storm and stress; and yet they were not allowed to work.

You and I have often felt that experience, that disappointment. There has arisen, may be a great opportunity for Christian service.

Some are sent to the front. Some are sent to the middle. But we are made to lie down in the rear. We do not see why we should be excluded from an active part in the Christian life. It seems like an unjust thing that, seeing we have been allowed to enter the garden, no path should be assigned to us there.

Be still! You are not excluded from a part of the Christian life. Do you think that the garden of the Lord has only a place for those who walk and for those who stand!

No! It has a spot consecrated to those who are compelled to sit.

There are three voices in a verb–active, passive and neuter. So, too, there are three voices in Christ’s verb “to live.”

There are the active, watching souls, who go to the front, and struggle till the breaking of the day. There are the passive, watching souls, who stand in the middle, and report to others the progress of the fight.

But there are also the neuter souls–those who can neither fight, nor be spectators of the fight, but have simply to lie down. When that experience comes to you – Remember, you are not shunted. Remember it is Christ that says, “Sit here!”

Your spot in the garden has also been consecrated! It has a special name. It is not “the place of wrestling!” Nor “the place of watching!” But “the place of waiting!”

There are lives that come into this world neither to do great work nor to bear great burdens, but simply to be! They are the neuter verbs.

They are the flowers of the garden which have had no active mission. They have wreathed no chaplet! They have graced no table! They have escaped the eye of Peter and James and John.

But- They have gladdened the sight of Jesus! By their mere perfume, by their mere beauty, they have brought Him joy! By the very preservation of their loveliness in the valley they have lifted the Master’s heart!!

You need not murmur should you be one of those flowers!

(PR)

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“And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one’s bands were loosed. And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled. But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here. Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas, And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” (Acts 16:26-30).

At first glance –
It would seem that God allowed this earthquake to take place in order that Paul and Silas would be set free. The earthquake came and their bands were loosed. There was nothing holding them back. They could have fled immediately!

Wouldn’t have you? But no! Paul and Silas waited!

And as a result
– The jailer and his entire family were saved!

Many times we assume God’s reasoning for doing the things He does.

The Lord may have released us to walk through a door that He has clearly opened!

But- He may also have other purposes in mind. God’s purposes are not always as they seem! Let’s not be so quick to assume!

There’s no hurry. God won’t shut a door if it is His divine will for it to be open!

Let’s be patient! And be sure to be led by the Spirit of God.

These are amazing times we’re living in! We don’t want to miss out on God’s perfect will! There is much ministry to be done!

Wait for some more time for the will of God!!

When He sends –
– Then you Go!

(PR)

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“They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint” (Isaiah 40:31).

How do eagles feel in cages in zoos?
These magnificent birds are designed to soar to the heights of mountaintops.
Do they get frustrated?
Are they fulfilled?

Too many of us, who were also designed to reach our total God-given human and spiritual potential-
– are trapped in a cage of our own or of another’s making.

We fail to resolve the problems in our life that hold us back.
We may have been wounded in the past.

But God wants us to be healed
– to be made whole,
– to be free to fly, and
– to soar like the eagles.

We have a choice:
We can scratch in the dirt with the turkeys.
Or we can soar in the sky like the eagles!

We can wait (seek after and hope) in the Lord God.
And rise up to fly with the eagles to the heights that God envisioned for us to reach.

May God help us to wait on Him to renew our strength so that-
– with His help, we will see our God-given life purpose and ‘fly’ to reach the full potential He has planned for us to achieve.

(PR)

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“Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord” (Exodus 14:13). 

These words contain God’s command to the believer-
– when he is reduced to great straits and brought into extraordinary difficulties.

He cannot retreat;
He cannot go forward;
He is shut upon the right hand and on the left.

What is he now to do?

God’s Word to him is “stand still.”
It will be well for him if, at such times, he listens only to his Lord’s Word-
– for other and evil advisers come with their suggestions.

Pessimism whispers, “Lie down and give up.”
But God would have us put on a cheerful courage.
And even in our worst times, rejoice in His love and faithfulness.

Phobia says, “Retreat; go back to Egypt; it is too difficult. Relinquish your principles.”
But, however much Satan may urge this course upon you-
– you cannot follow him, if you are a child of God.
What if for a while you are called to stand still; yet this is but to renew your strength for some greater advance in due time.

Precipitancy cries, “Do something; stir yourself; and waiting is sheer idleness.”
We must be doing something at once–we must do it, so we think–instead of looking to the Lord, who will not only do something, but will do everything.

Presumption boasts, “If the sea be before you, march into it, and expect a miracle.”

But faith hears God say:
“Stand still,” and immovable as a rock it stands.
“Stand still!”

Keep the posture of an upright man, ready for action, expecting further orders, cheerfully and patiently awaiting the directing voice!

God shall say to you, as distinctly as Moses said it to the people of Israel, “Go forward!’
In times of uncertainty, wait.

Always, if you have any doubt, wait.
Do not force yourself to any action.

If you have a restraint in your spirit-
– wait until all is clear,
– and do not go against it.

Wait for His Word!
You shall go forward!!

(PR)

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