The Faith to Wait Upon the Lord
The god of this world, Satan, lords over his subjects with cruel hate. The evil one is a slave master whose economy with man is sin. The Bible teaches that sin reigns in the world system (Rom 5:21). People are motivated by the pleasure and the power of sinning (Jn 3:19). They are compelled to be like gods (Gen 3:5) in the quest to lord over others — to mimic their father, the devil (Jn 8:44).
Criminals prefer the cloak of darkness, as do sinners, whose work is lawlessness (1 Jn 3:4). A darkened heart masquerades as an angel of light. In other words, the children of light must beware of the worldly do-gooder who craves recognition. Pride is the detectable disguise of the wicked heart.
Evil men are highly motivated. They have the whole world to gain. These men rise to occasions for competition (Eccl 4:4). They thrive on rivalries. They have no fear of God nor love for Him in their hearts (Jn 5:42). They do not believe in God’s wisdom and power to repay them for their evil deeds (Rom 9:15). Despite the evidence of sin’s wages, that is, death…they press on toward destruction (Mt 7:13; Rom 3:23; 6:23).
The children of God appear to be easy prey. Oppressors are ever working their schemes to steal, kill, and destroy. The temptation of the adversary is for the people of God to join in the ranks and rigors of the rebellious. As with the Romans, the option is to submit to union with the empire or be conquered.
Having been called out of the world and being set apart for the purposes of God, the Christian lives in a spiritual war zone (Eph 6:10–20). He is the world but not of the world (Jn 15:19). His weapons are unconventional but nonetheless powerful. His prayer to God is, “Do not deliver me over to the desire of my adversaries…(Ps 27:12).”
The God of heaven and earth is strong to deliver, mighty to save (Is 49:25–26). He has revealed His will and ability to shelter His beloved in the day of trouble. He is the strength and shield for all who call upon His name. He is forever faithful to do all His holy will (Eph 1:11), and it is God’s will to be glorified as the Savior of His chosen people (2 Thess 2:13; Titus 1:3; 2:13; 3:6).
What must the Christian do? How then should we live? The believer in Jesus must have the faith to wait upon the Lord.
The good news is that God’s grace abounds (Rom 5:20; 2 Cor 9:8) and it is perfectly sufficient for the one who waits for the Spirit of the Lord (2 Chr 12:9). It is God who directs the steps of those who trust in Him (Prv 3:4–5). He performs all our works for us (Is 26:12), the very works He Himself prepared beforehand for us to walk in (Eph 2:10).
Therefore, the Christian walks by the wisdom and power of the Holy Spirit (Gal 5:16, 25), who leads, guides, and helps. In the providence of God, the believer gives no thought for tomorrow. God’s thoughts and ways are higher than man’s (Is 55:9), and the one who waits for the Lord will not be disappointed (Ps 22:5; Rom 9:33; 10:11; 1 Pet 2:6).
When one considers the timing of events in the Bible, all these events manifest at the “fullness of time.” Stated another way, whatever happens, nothing excluded, is in God’s perfect placement in time. That which comes to pass has been ordered by the Author of it all. For this reason, the believer is encouraged to be anxious for nothing (Phil 4:6) and to pray instead (Eph 5:20; 1 Thess 5:17–18).
Following the example of our Lord Jesus Christ, we must pray, “Not my will but Thy will be done.” Assuredly, God’s will is fixed to happen. So, the Christian prays for alignment to God and the resultant sanctification. Jesus’ perfect submission to the Father is our standard example. The Son of God always did what was pleasing to the Father. For us, it is impossible to please God without faith (Heb 11:6).
Faithless men of the world take charge. They vie for leadership positions. They impose their will upon others. They are activists for causes that will elevate them in the kingdom of this world. It is perverse for Christians to do the same in the kingdom of God.
Faithful men of God wait upon the Lord. God crafts them for their appointed tasks. David slung rocks at trees long before Goliath’s forehead was in view. The godly person in the making is being made for his or her part in God’s story. At the end of his life, he can only marvel that every day for him was designed by God, directed by God, and performed by Christ in Him (Gal 2:20), willing and doing His divine good pleasure (Phil 2:13).
Where does the faith to wait upon the Lord come from? It comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth, from whom are all things (Rom 11:36). He alone is willing and able to perform all that concerns us (Ps 57:2; 138:8), in the manner that guarantees glory to God.
As the Lord works His will for your being conformed to the image of God’s Son (Rom 8:29), He is causing all things to work together for good for His beloved (Rom 8:28). Rest assured that if He is not presently moving you that your task is to wait (attend to) upon the Lord while you wait (time) for your next assignment. The Christian is never one to dictate to God what he or she is going to do; rather, being content to pray and search the Scriptures, the believer displays his or her faith by living each day before the Lord. It is enough.
David Norczyk
Spokane Valley, Washington
April 27, 2022
