Spring 2001

Dear Reader,

Exchanging our Strength for His
Ronald L. Taylor
President,

The Bible makes it clear that our Lord has a wonderful plan for each of us. Unfortunately, we often spend far too much time trying to evaluate His plan in order to decide if it will be acceptable to us.

“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the
LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a
future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11-12 NKJV.

Isaiah 55:8 tells us that God's thoughts are higher than our thoughts, and His ways are higher than our ways. Therefore, His plan is not only good for us, but it is far better for us than we can ever imagine. The real problem that we face is not in our accurately evaluating His plan for us to see if we would like to submit to it, but in finally coming to grips with the fact that "without Him, we can do NOTHING."

“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me,
and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do
nothing.” John 15:5 NKJV.

Many of the problems and difficulties we face are simply the result of our attempting to do things in our own strength instead of learning to listen for His voice, and follow His
plan.

The Lord has been speaking to me about this from a familiar passage of Scripture in Isaiah chapter 40. In verse 27 the Lord says "Why do you say, O Jacob, and assert, O Israel, "My way is hidden from the Lord, and the justice due me escapes the notice of my God?" This is exactly the situation that I have found myself in at times. It sometimes feels like the Lord simply does not notice me. It is easy to recognize that the Lord is doing wonderful things in the lives of others, but there have been times that I have basically felt left out.

In times like these, it is important for us to recognize that the problem is not with the Lord! Instead of giving up, or even trying harder, the advice He gives is for us to “wait on Him.” Isaiah 40:31 tell us, “Yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength.” This new strength that we gain is His strength, and we obtain it by exchanging our strength for His as we wait on Him. In other words, we must recognize that we cannot do anything in our own strength, but He works on our behalf, when we learn to wait on Him (Isaiah 64:5).

The key then, is not in our trying harder, or in strengthening our resolve, but in waiting on the Lord. An examination of Young's Concordance reveals three basic aspects of waiting as the term is used in Scripture.

The first aspect has to do with our simply stopping, and becoming silent. In our present culture, this is especially hard to do. We are conditioned to action and noise. When these are removed, we tend to become very uncomfortable. However, our coming into a state of rest is absolutely essential, if we are ever going to hear His voice and thereby become aware of His plan for us.

The second aspect of waiting is keen expectation. After becoming quiet within, we must expect that the Lord is going to speak to us. We are anticipating His presence and His voice. We wait attentively. This is not an attitude of "If you want me, come get me". It is
anticipation bathed in desire and hope. It is like a young man watching carefully for a glimpse of his beloved. It is a time of delight, not a fulfillment of duty. It becomes a daily lifestyle.

“Blessed is the man that heareth Me, watching daily at My gates,
waiting at the posts of My doors.” Proverbs 8:34.

The third aspect of waiting flows out of the other two. It has to do with our service to Him. Acts 6:2 uses "wait" in this way. The whole process is similar to waiting on tables in a restaurant. Have you ever had a waiter who was so preoccupied with personal matters that he was not attentive to your needs? Then, to make matters worse, when
you finally got his attention, he did not take the time to listen carefully to your request, resulting in delivery of the wrong items. In the same way, for our activity to be other than wood, hay and stubble, it must be in response to the Word God being quickened, or
speaking to us.

Our Lord’s word to us is a living, vibrant word that makes a difference in our life WHEN we implement it. For example, He may speak to us regarding issues such as forgiveness, repentance, and service. Our part is to respond without reservation. In Luke 6: 47, Jesus
indicates very clearly that the man who built on the rock and the man who built on the sand both heard the word. The difference between them was that the man who built on the rock responded appropriately to the words he heard.

Take time to become still before the Lord. Wait expectantly for Him. When you do this, He will work on your behalf, and you will be amazed by the wonderful plan He has for you!