Learning To Have The Faith To Wait
I. Live every day as though it is the day Jesus may return.
35 "Be dressed in readiness, and [keep] your lamps lit. 36 "Be like men who are waiting for their master when he returns from the wedding feast, so that they may immediately open [the door] to him when he comes and knocks. 37 "Blessed are those slaves whom the master will find on the alert when he comes; truly I say to you, that he will gird himself [to serve,] and have them recline [at the table,] and will come up and wait on them. 38 "Whether he comes in the second watch, or even in the third, and finds [them] so, blessed are those [slaves.] 39 "But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have allowed his house to be broken into. 40 "You too, be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour that you do not expect." [Luk 12:35-40 NASB95]
II. Wait to do God’s will in God’s way relying on God’s power
We are to wait to do God’s will in God’s power. Wait to be filled with the Holy Spirit and then act by doing what God wills
49 "Listen carefully: I am sending the Promise of My Father [the Holy Spirit] upon you; but you are to remain in the city [of Jerusalem] until you are clothed (fully equipped) with power from on high." [Luk 24:49 AMP] 31 But those who wait for the LORD [who expect, look for, and hope in Him] Will gain new strength and renew their power; They will lift up their wings [and rise up close to God] like eagles [rising toward the sun]; They will run and not become weary, They will walk and not grow tired. [Isa 40:31 AMP]
Active Trust and Hope (Qavah): The primary Hebrew word for "wait" in key verses like Isaiah 40:31 is qavah, which is related to the word for "cord" or "rope". This implies a tight, stretched-out feeling of anticipation and expectation, or "twisting" oneself to the Lord, in which a person binds themselves to God in reliance on His promises and character. It is an active posture of faith, not passive resignation.
Patience and Endurance: Waiting involves enduring difficult seasons and not trying to force things to happen in one's own strength or timing. It means aligning one's will with God's perfect plan, even when it is a test of faith.
Renewal of Strength: The scripture promises that this active waiting results in renewed spiritual, emotional, and even physical strength, enabling believers to rise above life's challenges.
Deepening Relationship: The period of waiting is an opportunity to seek God more diligently through prayer and His Word, which deepens trust and reliance on Him.
III. Be humble to wait for God’s power in Christ to give you victory rather than try to do it on your own
6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God [set aside self-righteous pride], so that He may exalt you [to a place of honor in His service] at the appropriate time, 7 casting all your cares [all your anxieties, all your worries, and all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares about you [with deepest affection, and watches over you very carefully]. 8 Be sober [well balanced and self-disciplined], be alert and cautious at all times. That enemy of yours, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion [fiercely hungry], seeking someone to devour. 9 But resist him, be firm in your faith [against his attack--rooted, established, immovable], knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being experienced by your brothers and sisters throughout the world. [You do not suffer alone.] 10 After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace [who imparts His blessing and favor], who called you to His own eternal glory in Christ, will Himself complete, confirm, strengthen, and establish you [making you what you ought to be]. 11 To Him be dominion (power, authority, sovereignty) forever and ever. Amen. [1Pe 5:6-11 AMP]
Application
9 The Lord does not delay [as though He were unable to act] and is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is [extraordinarily] patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. 10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will vanish with a [mighty and thunderous] roar, and the [material] elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and the works that are on it will be burned up. 11 Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be [in the meantime] in holy behavior [that is, in a pattern of daily life that sets you apart as a believer] and in godliness [displaying profound reverence toward our awesome God], 12 [while you earnestly] look for, hasten, and await the coming of the day of God. For on this day the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the [material] elements will melt with intense heat! 13 But in accordance with His promise we expectantly await new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells. 14 So, beloved, since you are looking forward to these things, be diligent and make every effort to be found by Him [at His return] spotless and blameless, in peace [that is, inwardly calm with a sense of spiritual well-being and confidence, having lived a life of obedience to Him]. 15 And consider the patience of our Lord [His delay in judging and avenging wrongs] as salvation [that is, allowing time for more to be saved]; just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given to him [by God] [2Pe 3:9-15 AMP]
In what area of your life is God asking you to wait on him to bring his solution?
What do you do in your personal private worship that shows your waiting on the Lord?
When are you tempted to just act and not wait on the Lord?