Waiting on the Lord

I'm ever amazed at the freshness of Oswald Chambers. Today (1/26) he writes in thinking over Galatians 1:15, which says,

But when God, who set me apart from birth and called me by his grace, was pleased...

He writes in My Utmost, "Always be in a state of expectancy, and see that you leave room for God to come in as He likes." His point is that God almost always surprises us when he suddenly begins doing something in a person or place. Suddenly a revival breaks out, and no one is quite certain why. Suddenly a life is changed; a teenager wakes up one day and wants to serve the Lord; a man decides to go to the mission field instead of to work; miracles come, then disappear after a short time.

Why do we NOT expect such things? Usually the problem is that we want to benefit somehow, to gain glory for ourselves or for our ministry (our "brand"), and if God works in that church down the street, it's no good for me, or if he blesses that lone-wolf sort of Christian, it's not good for those of us who "follow the program", or if he anoints that uneducated southerner, it makes us seminarians look bad. It was no different for Jesus. He did NOTHING AT ALL, at least nothing we know of, for 30 years! Suddenly, he was led into the wilderness for 40 days, and his ministry began with power.

Let's call this "waiting on the Lord". It doesn't mean we do nothing, of course. It just means we may be unfruitful and unknown while we are doing the work God has given us right now. I, for example, am daily struggling with real discouragement because, contrary to my wishes, I cannot be on the campus fishing and preaching. I must work a full-time job. That is God's lot for me. And I think it is a good lot. I don't know if I would ever really want to be a full-time minister, though I thought I did at age 13. If I had full time to devote to ministry, I am quite sure I would squander most of the time on pointless things. Having precious little free time means I must use it very economically, which I am only now learning at age 47.

St. Paul may've been really bummed that he spent his youth persecuting Christians. Now he was middle-aged, and had to spend many years re-learning the Bible. But God does not waste time. He created time and all things. God created us. He called us and appointed us to go and bear fruit. So he certainly isn't wasting time, even if I am, and even if it seems all the golden years of youth have come and gone, or are fleeting by as I lie here hitting the snooze button.

Maybe God is waiting for me to really learn that it is not all about ME. Maybe it took Jesus 30 years to really overcome the fear of what would happen to him if he really sold out to God's will for him. Maybe it took Paul all that time to get out of his Institutionalism and Triumphalistic Judaism to see the real kingdom of God and give his heart to the Holy God instead of his career. Whatever God is doing, don't rush Him, nor yourself. Wait on Him. You will find as I am finding that He is never late. But when Isaac is finally born, it is the time of most heartfelt laughter and spiritual triumph that nothing can take away, and worth all the waiting. Psalm 37:5-7 says,

Commit your way to the LORD;
trust in him and he will do this:

He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn,
the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.

Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him;
do not fret when men succeed in their ways,
when they carry out their wicked schemes.

Praise God for his patience, that He is in no hurry, and never seems to rush us along. I wonder how much happier we would be as a nation if we imitated our God more in this respect. It's hard in the big city, honestly. But it's worth the effort to get out to the wilderness often. I think that is exactly why God has brought me to Boston last year, and now to work in Washington. To me, the big city is the "wilderness" that gives me more time to get alone with Him. It is lonely, to be sure. But I don't doubt His wisdom in bringing me here, and praise him for his presence with me here. Amen.