Fall 1996
Waiting on the Lord
William Taylor

"And therefore will the LORD wait, that He may
be gracious unto you, and therefore will He be
exalted, that He may have mercy upon you: for
the LORD is a God of judgment: blessed are all
they that wait for Him" Isa 30:18.

"Waiting upon the Lord" is a key to a victorious, overcoming life. Throughout the Psalms, whenever David found himself in difficult circumstances, he constantly reminded himself to wait upon the Lord.

"Lead me in Thy truth, and teach me: for Thou
art the God of my salvation; on Thee do I wait
all the day" Psa 25:5.

"My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my
expectation is from Him" Psa 62:5.

One aspect of our "waiting upon the Lord" is to cease from negative thoughts which hinder our ability to rest in the Lord. This includes such things as doubt, fear, or anxiety, which may be working within us. Once we recognize these, we must then renounce them, turn our eyes upon the Lord, and begin to trust Him to work in our circumstances as we rest in faith, waiting on Him alone.

In Isaiah 30:15-16, the children of Israel put their trust in horses to deliver them from their enemies, rather than quietly and confidently waiting for the Lord to bring about their deliverance. Horses typify the strength of the flesh - our own natural ability. Because they did this, the Lord totally frustrated their efforts, so that they might learn to wait and put their trust in Him.

When we are overly occupied in the activities of daily life, the Lord waits until we become quiet before Him so He might work in our behalf. We often try to deliver ourselves, and then blame the Lord when we become frustrated in our attempt. But our Lord is so gracious. He patiently waits for us to come to a realization of our own inability, and then, when we finally turn to Him, He bountifully meets our need.

This principle is beautifully illustrated in John's account of the miraculous draft of fishes (John 21:1-11). The Lord allowed the disciples to become totally frustrated in their self efforts, and then He came to show them the true source of their help.
One reason as to why it is so difficult for us to wait upon the Lord is our inability to trust Him in the face of adverse circumstances. But His Word tells us that they that wait upon the Lord will not be ashamed. He will answer and deliver in His time.

As we wait upon the Lord, He works, and much is accomplished. As He changes circumstances in our lives that have so perplexed us, our faith in the Lord will grow, and the fruit of the Spirit will begin to become manifest in our lives.

"It is good that a man should both hope and quietly
wait for the salvation of the Lord" Lam 3:26.