10 August, 2011
Today's Free Devotional from Ellel Ministries International
God Acts For us When we Wait
"Since ancient times, no-one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides You, who acts on behalf of those who wait for Him."
Isaiah 64:4, NIV
We had been waiting for some time and the people with whom we were dealing seemed to be procrastinating. We decided enough was enough; we would go and sort things out, until our text for today was dropped into my heart. Knowing it was the Lord speaking to us, we put aside our way of trying to fix things, and waited for God to act. Once we had come to that place of trust and confidence in Him, He acted on our behalf very quickly.
God promises special blessings for waiting, but waiting is one of the most difficult exhortations of Scripture. It is hard because in our old nature we are so prone to take matters into our own hands and follow our own schemes. We live in an instant world, in a society that has grown used to immediate gratification with a mindset “I want it now and I must have it now.”
Scripture assures us that
if we wait for God’s timing, He will act. We are told to be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him (Psalm 37:7).
To be still means to stop striving and to trust God. Striving implies desperation to bring things about, and sometimes results in panic and anxiety when we realise that our efforts are getting us no-where. Waiting does not imply passivity, but rather hopeful anticipation that we are counting on the Lord to do what we cannot do.
The psalmist said,
‘My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning’ (Psalm 130:6). Night watchmen waited for the sun to rise and day to break, for the light to replace the darkness and the cold to be replaced with the warmth of the morning sun. As morning never fails to follow the night, the psalmist knew that the Lord would never fail to answer his cry. As he waited, he was certain that God would act for him.
He waited in expectation, anticipation and confident hope, unwavering in the knowledge that God never fails to bring about His purposes for those who wait expectantly for Him.
When we wait for God to act we find ourselves looking to His solution for some specific need. We do not have control over the circumstances and, therefore, we look for His provision and protection and trust Him with the result. We are to pray because prayer is an acknowledgement that it is God who must fix our situation rather than we ourselves. There is a big difference in letting God work in and through us as He desires, versus problem-solving our own way and in our own strength.
Our ability to wait in peace for God to act stems from being confident in who He is and aware of His purpose for our lives. Waiting means touching into God and His goodness. It’s a time to learn more of His faithfulness. The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to those who trust in His unfailing love.
Prayer: Thank You, Father for Your faithfulness even when I can’t see the way clearly. Thank You that You do act on behalf of those who wait for You. I ask You to come into my circumstances today as I choose to trust You to work them together for Your glory and for my good. Amen.
Today's Writer : Margaret Silvester Margaret Silvester had a career as a teacher prior to being called into full time Christian Ministry with her husband, David, in 1986. They were involved in establishing a Healing Ministry in the local church and Margaret has a passion to see lost and wounded people found and restored. She and her husband joined the Ellel Ministries teaching and ministry team in 2000 after a clear call from God.
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