Wait on the Lord

I can remember such a time in my own life when I had those feelings. When one is in revival or conference ministries the slowest times are usually in December and during the summer months and, consequently, the income is usually the smallest. I was in an “in between” stage such as that. As a young evangelist with a large family, the occasional gaps in my schedule when I would have nothing scheduled in the near future could cause great desperation, especially since my income depended on the meetings I conducted.

On this occasion, it seemed that the down time had extended far longer than it should have. We were squeaking through but it was very difficult. I was filled with a great conflict. One thing I couldn’t stand was for my family to be deprived and for my wife to have to struggle to try to “make do” on what little money we that did come in. The conflict I felt was my questions as to why my family should suffer when I was being as obedient as I knew to be and why God was not opening up doors of service. I was beginning to feel that I was being passed by.

To complicate everything, God would not let me tell people my needs, since I had covenanted with Him that I would walk the walk of faith – telling only Him what my needs were and depending only on Him to supply everything we needed. (Norma and I are still true to that covenant.) I was becoming secretly angry with both God and man. I was angry with man for being insensitive about our obvious needs and God for not providing open doors. What a trap!

What I didn’t realize is that God was stripping out of my life every expectation I had placed on man and I was learning to completely trust God. In the larger picture, I have remained faithful to that covenant, rarely telling others of my ministry needs and speaking very rarely of my personal ones and consequently being very blessed.

What is important for our consideration here is not how God provided (which He eventually did) but what happened to restore my spirit. I was searching the scripture one day, trying to find something on which I could fasten my faltering faith. God led me to Philippians 1:6:

“Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.”

A surge of new spiritual vitality flowed into me, charging up my spirit. My questioning and doubts were gone as were any expectations placed on man. God was my provider and He was, is, and always will be faithful!

God was reminding me that what He had started in my life, He would also bring to fruition. When one is called of God, he can rely upon God regardless of what external circumstances seem to say.

I further realized that coupled with the idea given in that verse was the repeated commands of the scripture that we “wait upon the Lord.” God’s timetable is not always ours and ours is not always His. He moves and acts when, in His divine wisdom, He determines it is appropriate and timely. Until then it is essential that we wait on Him.

It was in those days that Isaiah 40:31 became so precious to me, “But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”

Waiting on the Lord is difficult at times and, at times, seemingly impossible. It takes great discipline and toughness of mind and spirit to set one’s self to wait on Him. One eventually learns that God is unconditionally committed to those who wait upon Him and he will move heaven and earth if necessary to care for them.

This is beautifully expressed in Isaiah 46:9-11, “Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure: Calling a ravenous bird from the east, the man that executeth my counsel from a far country: yea, I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it.”

Be blessed as you wait on Him. Remember, He will not fail. Jeff

• Jefferson H. and Norma R. Floyd, CO-directors • Jubilee International • P. O. Box 572 • Noblesville, IN 46061