Wendy Pope
"Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD." Psalm 27:14 (NLT)
Waiting: a virtue I aspire to obtain but often fail to achieve. How about you?
In our hurry up, need it, gotta-have-it-now culture, we have been brain-washed into thinking there is something wrong with waiting and we shouldn't have to do it. Within seconds we can know the weather in southern Mongolia, order a cute blouse from a trendy store, or Skype a conversation with a friend on the opposite side of the country. We can instant message a friend or send a tweet to thousands in the blink of an eye; no wonder we believe waiting is hard to do.
The author of today's key verse was no stranger to waiting and knew full well of its difficulties. Out of nowhere, the prophet Samuel showed up at his home to anoint the next king of Israel who was to be chosen from his family. Only one of Jesse's sons would be anointed as God's chosen king for His beloved Israel. The son chosen was David. Scripture tell us the Spirit of God rushed over David and was with him the remainder of his days (1 Samuel 16:13, ESV). With such an anointing one would expect David to run to take his seat on the throne, but the only running David did was back to the pasture to do his job. Thus his wait began.
In the wait, God prepared David for his seat on the throne. The only vocation David knew was shepherding. He did not know the ends and outs of kingly protocol or the rules of royal deity. David did not have the support of the people or armies to defend him as king. He was only a lowly shepherd boy. Instead of taking the position he was promised David waited for God to move him from the pasture to the palace. In the wait, God made David ready for the move.
David learned many lessons about waiting. By examining and applying these truths we can find hope in the difficulty of waiting and determine that waiting in the present is beneficial to our future.
1. Even though we are anointed and appointed we may still have to wait. David waited fifteen years to be king of Judah and even longer to be king of all Israel.
2. God's ways are not our ways; His thoughts are not our thoughts. After being anointed and appointed David was called to serve Saul, the king who was sitting on "his" throne.
3. God doesn't waste time; He holds it in His hands. He redeems it by using our experiences to prosper us in each season of life.
4. If we allow it, our waiting will bring us to an intimate knowledge of the Savior that we would not other wise have. Most of David's beautiful and poetic psalms were written while in caves, caverns, and the wilderness, waiting on God.
5. God does not ignore the cries of His children. David cried out, and at times begged God for help, invention, and defense. God never let David down. He did eventually take the throne, didn't he?
6. Our waiting has a purpose for someone other that ourselves. It is not all about us. Just think of how rich our lives are today because of the wait David endured. We have the comfort, compassion, hope, and healing of his amazing poetry.
What awesome instructions David gives for waiting! Waiting is less difficult and the future is brighter when we let God to do His work in our waiting season. When we let our guard and defenses down He proves Himself faithful to bring His plans for our lives to fullness.
Dear Lord, help me wait. Help me wait well. I want to be still and allow You to bring Your plan in my life to its fullness. I can't do this without You. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
Related Resources:
What to do in the W.A.I.T? CD by Wendy Pope
Visit Wendy’s blog
Streams in the Desert: 365 Daily Devotions by L.B. Cowman, Edited by Jim Reimann
Come Along: The Journey into a More Intimate Faith by Jane Rubietta
Lead Me Lord, a free resource, offers more insight into waiting on God
Application Steps:
Read more about David's life starting in 1 Samuel 16.
Reflections:
What is my first response to waiting?
Do I grow closer to or further from God when I am waiting? Why?
What has God taught me in today's devotion about waiting?
Power Verses:
Psalm 27:4, "One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple" (NIV)
Isaiah 40:31, "But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." (NIV)
Lamentations 3:24, "I say to myself, 'The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for him."" (NIV)
© 2010 by Wendy Pope. All rights reserved.
"Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD." Psalm 27:14 (NLT)
Waiting: a virtue I aspire to obtain but often fail to achieve. How about you?
In our hurry up, need it, gotta-have-it-now culture, we have been brain-washed into thinking there is something wrong with waiting and we shouldn't have to do it. Within seconds we can know the weather in southern Mongolia, order a cute blouse from a trendy store, or Skype a conversation with a friend on the opposite side of the country. We can instant message a friend or send a tweet to thousands in the blink of an eye; no wonder we believe waiting is hard to do.
The author of today's key verse was no stranger to waiting and knew full well of its difficulties. Out of nowhere, the prophet Samuel showed up at his home to anoint the next king of Israel who was to be chosen from his family. Only one of Jesse's sons would be anointed as God's chosen king for His beloved Israel. The son chosen was David. Scripture tell us the Spirit of God rushed over David and was with him the remainder of his days (1 Samuel 16:13, ESV). With such an anointing one would expect David to run to take his seat on the throne, but the only running David did was back to the pasture to do his job. Thus his wait began.
In the wait, God prepared David for his seat on the throne. The only vocation David knew was shepherding. He did not know the ends and outs of kingly protocol or the rules of royal deity. David did not have the support of the people or armies to defend him as king. He was only a lowly shepherd boy. Instead of taking the position he was promised David waited for God to move him from the pasture to the palace. In the wait, God made David ready for the move.
David learned many lessons about waiting. By examining and applying these truths we can find hope in the difficulty of waiting and determine that waiting in the present is beneficial to our future.
1. Even though we are anointed and appointed we may still have to wait. David waited fifteen years to be king of Judah and even longer to be king of all Israel.
2. God's ways are not our ways; His thoughts are not our thoughts. After being anointed and appointed David was called to serve Saul, the king who was sitting on "his" throne.
3. God doesn't waste time; He holds it in His hands. He redeems it by using our experiences to prosper us in each season of life.
4. If we allow it, our waiting will bring us to an intimate knowledge of the Savior that we would not other wise have. Most of David's beautiful and poetic psalms were written while in caves, caverns, and the wilderness, waiting on God.
5. God does not ignore the cries of His children. David cried out, and at times begged God for help, invention, and defense. God never let David down. He did eventually take the throne, didn't he?
6. Our waiting has a purpose for someone other that ourselves. It is not all about us. Just think of how rich our lives are today because of the wait David endured. We have the comfort, compassion, hope, and healing of his amazing poetry.
What awesome instructions David gives for waiting! Waiting is less difficult and the future is brighter when we let God to do His work in our waiting season. When we let our guard and defenses down He proves Himself faithful to bring His plans for our lives to fullness.
Dear Lord, help me wait. Help me wait well. I want to be still and allow You to bring Your plan in my life to its fullness. I can't do this without You. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
Related Resources:
What to do in the W.A.I.T? CD by Wendy Pope
Visit Wendy’s blog
Streams in the Desert: 365 Daily Devotions by L.B. Cowman, Edited by Jim Reimann
Come Along: The Journey into a More Intimate Faith by Jane Rubietta
Lead Me Lord, a free resource, offers more insight into waiting on God
Application Steps:
Read more about David's life starting in 1 Samuel 16.
Reflections:
What is my first response to waiting?
Do I grow closer to or further from God when I am waiting? Why?
What has God taught me in today's devotion about waiting?
Power Verses:
Psalm 27:4, "One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple" (NIV)
Isaiah 40:31, "But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." (NIV)
Lamentations 3:24, "I say to myself, 'The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for him."" (NIV)
© 2010 by Wendy Pope. All rights reserved.
Labels: Balance, God's Perspective, Patience, Perseverance, Waiting On God
15 Comments:
Thank you this is what I needed. I got up at 3:19am and God was calling, well I could do 2 things go read my bible your stay in bed. I got up so fast. It's my fathers B-day so proverbs 26 was really nice to read today. After 1 hour with God I stared getting ready for the day. Then God called me again and said you didn't read your words from me on line with the girls from Proverbs 31, again I can do 2 things stay or go, I picked go and said yes God. Love g girl
Go girl's Have a nice day g girl ok what will happen if I say yes, God will show me.
I woke up early this morning too and felt the Lord directing me to do this certain thing. I really don't know God's direction at this time but it is if he is taking me to new paths. I am amazed to see where he will lead me. Thanks for the encouragement and thanks for the scriptures. I love the word of God for it is medicine for my soul.
I have Proverbs 31 Ministries Daily Devotion set as my Homepage...it is the first thing I see when I turn my computer on in the morning. Lately, I've been "rushing" right past it and haven't been "taking the time" to read God's Message for me. Today...I stopped...and it was a message that I NEEDED to hear!
THANK YOU for for allowing God to use you to reach so many like me. I am rewarded every time I read one of these devotionals. How is it that you know WHAT I need to hear, WHEN I need to hear it?...God's timing is ALWAYS perfect!
Thank you so much for this devotion. I read Prov 31 each day. Over the weekend, our worklives were turned upside down and we are now in a period of waiting.....thank you so much for the encouragement.
I could not have asked for a better reminder of the importance and rewards of waiting on God. We are in a waiting season and think we see God's plan but I pray we will wait until He brings it to completion and not try to rush things.
I've been up early everyday worrying about some stuff that's going on in my life right now, and when I started reading this devotional, I thought it was God trying to tell me to be patient and He is going to work in this, which I know He will. But as i started to read, I realized He was actually talking to me about something else. I've felt a calling to teach God's word to women for about 10 years now and because of life's responsibility's it's been a slow process. Now that I have more time in my life, I'm pursuing this calling, but I want it to go quicker then it is, but at the same time I here God saying slow down it's going to be a process that's going to take time, I'm still working in you. I saw myself in David, I'm just a lunch lady, I work part time in a school cafeteria, I want to move on, but like David he went back out to the pasture and waited. I guess I'll have to go back to the kitchen and wait. I will be at the She Speaks conference this year and I can't wait to see all that God's going to teach. I thank Him for this ministry that came into my life in such a dark period of my life. Proverbs 31 has been such a blessing!
regina
how exciting! i can't wait to see you next year at she speaks. God, who has begun a work in you, a good work in you, is faithful to complete it.
Good word Wendy. You don't know how timely this is for me right now!
I am not a waiter, I usually get frustrated waiting on my daughter or husband, but I know that I need to wait on God. He shoud be the most imbportant, however I am just like one of the other ladies today who commented on rushing past the computer. I did the very thing this morning due to errands I needed to run before work. I did stop now and read and it was a blessing.
Thank you. Waiting is so hard. Especially in marriage. But daily I am learning how to do just that....wait!
Waiting really stinks! I gave up and just put away my desires for a while but I feel like God is telling me it's okay to have them; it's okay to ask; it's okay to wait. So much anguish... God, have mercy on me.
It is hard to explain waiting to your adult son who just experienced another seizure which will keep him from driving another six months. He has had so much patience over the last 2 years since a brain tumor. God has been so faithful! We know he is faithful in this instance, as well. Our humaness sneaks in at times. There is no reason to ask why. God has a perspective that we cannot grasp. Thank you for this message. I emailed it to my son. He has so much hope and courage. The message from Isaiah rings so true!
This is something both my husband and I have been struggling with. The wait game. When will be in a situation to have kids? When will I get that awesome good paying graphic design job? Will be living in the same town? When, when, when? Anyone relate? But recently God has refocused my vision. I have to be first happy with where I am at, and be able to handle what I have before He will lead us on in His will. I've been trying to explain this to my husband, and after seeing this devotion while at work, I told him that he should come read this.
As always, thank you for the wonderful lessons, and encouragement! God is amazing!
This was exactly what I needed to hear. I have been waiting on so many things in my life. When I didn't wait but thought I did, I got into a bad marriage, and it was 10 years of difficulty. God blessed, yes, but thankfully He got me out before I or my daughter was damaged for life.
I now have 2 major things to wait on. I am waiting on a job. God has certainly worked much out in that area. I was such a basket case last year when I didn't get a job. And now I am content to wait.
The major thing I really have to wait on is marriage. There is a man I have known for 8 and a half years now. We have been best friends, and we have been through a lot together. He is not saved, and I am waiting on that. And I am waiting on a potential marriage with him. Trust me, it is harder than most could imagine. I don't want to share a load of details, but it would seem like what I believe God has promised will never happen. Yes, Satan wants me to believe that. If King David could wait 15 years, why not me?
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