Wait On God And Bear His Fruit
Grace flows when we wait on God. Patience pays big spiritual dividends. It comes with God's perfect timing. Have you not noted that? Human timing is foolish!
When we are on the side of God, time is on our side. We illuminate. When we wait on Him, we hear His Voice.
As one man who is said to have experiences with angels says, "An amazing thing happens when we wait upon the Lord. As believers meditate upon His Word and allow the Spirit of God to bring forth truth from their spirits into their understanding, spiritually they start to light up the atmosphere surrounding them.
"The Lord wants to show each of His children His way of doing things. He wants to reveal His personality to every believer. He loves every Christian and is watching over them. His plans and purposes will definitely come to pass."
Note the
ultimate in patience: Christ on the Cross.
Note also the fruit: salvation for all of mankind (and for Jesus, resurrection to the right Hand of the Father).
Psalm 62: 1-2 says: "I wait quietly before God, for my victory comes from Him. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress, where I will never be shaken." His timing is His Will.
Peace comes when we lean back and let God assume control. Tough to do? In many cases, "impossible." So very hard to let go! And yet also something we can pray to do this Lent: purge the stubborn habit of control from our souls.
When we wait for God, we're humble; we are faithful; when we wait for Him, we are meek instead of aggressive. Pride flies out the window.
While in our modern society everything must be instantaneous (see: Amazon or Google), those things that progress in the gradual way of God are the things that endure. Look at nature and how "slowly" a tree develops -- yet also how big it gets; how long it lives; with strongest roots; bearing fruit; with branches that reach high as if in praise.
"Being on the other side of eternity, present with the Lord, has changed my perspective concerning what is really important in this life," says the fellow, Kevin L. Zadai, a former airline flight attendant, now an evangelist, who wrote a book about his experiences called The Agenda of Angels.
"I see the plans and purposes for people's lives are often much greater than they could ever conceive. I know that each person I encounter in this life does not necessarily know the deep secrets that God has planned for each one unless he or she is willing to wait patiently upon the Lord."
When we rush things, we're in charge. We're designing our missions in life. And that doesn't work.
"Waiting on God is one of the most important things that anyone can do," writes Zadai. "In our society, we are not willing to wait for anything. People expect everything to be instantaneous in order for it to be right. We have learned to push things and manipulate things in order to see results. We are taught to be aggressive because we seem to think without being aggressive, nothing will get done. That is why most people experience brokenness and weakness before they have a breakthrough and victory in any situation.
"It is time for believers to wait upon the Lord, meditating upon His Word and allowing the Holy Spirit to bring revelation into their realm of understanding. It is now time to realize that God has sealed plans and purposes for every believer."
One recalls the lyrics to a song: "Slow down, you move too fast/ you got to make the morning last."
This Lent, sit back a bit more and pray. (Also, fast. Funny how fasting slows you down!)
Stay in the desert.
Wait. Make time for time. Pray and do what patient diligence has you do. Stop blurring the sealed Plan He has for you by hurrying through prayers and life.
An excellent thing -- blurring His plan -- to give up this Lent!
[resources: The Agenda of Angels (free shipping) and Michael Brown retreat, Chicago]