Open Heaven 10 March 2023 TOPIC: Waiting On God
MEMORISE: “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.” – Isaiah 40:31 (KJV)
READ: Psalm 27:13-14 (KJV)
13 I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.
14 Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Joshua 18-20
MESSAGE:
Not many people know what it really means to wait on God. I’ll try to explain it using how a waiter waits on guests at an upscale restaurant. The waiter ensures the guest sits comfortably then proceeds to take his or her order. The waiter then ensures the order is delivered promptly and exactly as specified by the guest.
Apostle Paul said in Ephesians 6:13, “Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.” Having done everything you know to do before God, stand. Once you are serving Him, winning souls, following up on them, paying your tithes, giving your offerings, honouring Him with your first fruits and all else you know to do, according to His word, the only thing left is to stand. You are to wait on Him, asking “Lord, what else do you want me to do?”. The moment you get an answer, jump into action.
When those who wait on the Lord go to Him in prayers, they pray the way He would want them to: they pray His word back to Him. Since it is His word, He will answer it. They don’t pray only just when they feel like it; many times, they feel Him nudging them to pray even when they do not feel like. Those who wait on the Lord don’t seek their own pleasure in life; all they want is to please their Master. If God tells them, “I need all the money in your bank account for this project” they don’t hesitate; they drop the money immediately. They are always at His beck and call, willing and eager to do His bidding.
Now, when you have had a very good waiter attend to you at a restaurant, you are likely to drop a tip for the fellow. The tip that God gives you in return for waiting on Him, according to Isaiah 40:31, is that He will renew your strength. This means that sickness and even old age will not have power over you. He will become your doctor, taking care of you by Himself. Also, He will give you wings to fly like an eagle. In other words, you will be in a class of your own. Great men will call you great. You will excel so much in all you do that it will be difficult for anybody to beat your record. Commit to waiting on God from today, He rewards all those who diligently seek Him (Hebrews 11:6).
REFLECTION:
Are you willing to become God’s waiter?
HYMN 7: I Am Thine O Lord
1 I am Thine, O Lord
I have heard Thy voice,
And it told Thy love to me;
But I long to rise in the arms of faith
And be closer drawn to Thee.
Refrain:
Draw me nearer, nearer, blessed Lord,
To the cross where Thou hast died;
Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer, blessed Lord,
To Thy precious, bleeding side.
2 Consecrate me now to Thy service, Lord
By the power of grace divine
Let my soul look up with a steadfast hope,
And my will be lost in Thine.
3 Oh, the pure delight of a single hour
That before Thy throne I spend,
When I kneel in prayer, and with Thee, my God
I commune as friend with friend!
4 There are depths of love that I cannot know
Till I cross the narrow sea;
There are heights of joy that I may not reach
Till I rest in peace with Thee.
