Waiting on God ~ Part Two
Friday, September 17th 2010 @ 3:49 PM
SBM is pleased to introduce Irene Bennett, Co-Founder and President of SBM's Parents Group Ministry. Irene is weeks away from completing her very first book, Until Your Prodigal Comes Home - Encouragement Along the Way. Each Friday, Irene will share her heart in Friday's Encouragement Corner, posted here online at SBM. Enjoy, be blessed and have a wonderful weekend! Lord bless you ~ SBM
Wait With Expectation
While you wait on the Lord for the return of a prodigal loved one or maybe one to come to Christ, don’t look at the future with dread, sadness or fear. Be excited, expecting the Lord to answer your prayer – even going above and beyond what you have asked Him or thought! (Ephesians 3:20)
In Psalm 27:13-14, David says “I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.”
David would have fainted, become weary and would have given up if left to himself. What gave him power to go on was a deep held assurance that the Lord was good. David trained his eyes to look for evidence of the Creator’s goodness, not only in his future heavenly home, but in his present day life. He lived expecting to see good things from God and that gave him hope.
When you wait for God with this kind of expectancy, He strengthens you! Jesus, our perfect example for every situation, lived with expectation.
Let’s look at Hebrews 12:2 “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.”
Jesus knew his suffering and death would open up the gates of heaven for all believers. Christ also knew He would again enjoy fellowship with the Father in heaven. Jesus waited expectantly for this great plan to be revealed. He did not dwell or complain about His coming suffering. He redeemed the time, working the things He was sent to do.
Jesus’ example encourages us to work and redeem the time while we wait on the Lord.
Out of all the time the apostle Paul spent in prison, he never complained about his horrible living conditions, the terrible smell or the unfairness of his arrest.
Paul’s focus while waiting was that of expectation.
Philippians 1:20 says “According to my earnest expectation and hope, that in nothing shall I be put to shame, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether by life, or by death.”
Paul’s great faith is so evident here, he didn’t know if he would live or die, but his focus was not his own need, but on the fact that whatever happened, he expected God to be glorified.
In the next chapter, in Philippians 2:13, Paul writes “It is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.”
The apostle Paul expected the benefits of God’s promises. This verse clearly affirms that God works in us.
Waiting on God reveals so much about where we are in our own personal, individual walk and relationship with the Lord. He shows us areas where we are weak and helps us to grow to be more like Him.
So while you wait, expect God to do a work in you, so He can do a work through you. Be assured that the Lord will help you with His comfort, guidance, and direction because it pleases God to bless his children. God will indeed bless you while you wait if you humbly ask Him to do so.
In all of scripture we find examples of God’s people waiting with expectation.
In the Old Testament, the Israelites waited expectantly for the Messiah to come. Today, every believer waits with expectation for the return of Christ.
I encourage you in the Lord today to wait with full expectation concerning your prodigal because the Lord hears your prayers. At the same time, let your wait be a blessing by letting Jesus be Lord in every area of your heart. Expect Him to do amazing things in you! Some areas will need surgery, others only a light washing. Whatever changes He makes in you is for your good, other’s blessing and His glory. May the Lord bless you this day!
Let’s wait with expectation! ~ Irene Bennett
