Wait On The Lord

by David Smith, Ayr, Scotland | Category: General | Apr 1987

No darker day had ever befallen Israel than that in which Nebuchadnezzar burnt the house of God, broke down the walls of Jerusalem, and carried captive to Babylon those who had escaped the sword. It was following this that Jeremiah was moved by the Spirit of God to write the book of Lamentations; to pour out in words the sorrows of his soul, for he was in deep distress and his heart was turned within him. He knew that prolonged centuries of sin by the people of Judah had at last evoked divine judgement, yet he could not help but grieve for the suffering and desolation which lay upon' Jerusalem and those who were left. Constrained by loyalty to the Lord and love for His people, he felt that the Lord "hath fenced me about, that I cannot go forth; He hath made my chain heavy ... He hath fenced up my ways with hewn stones" (Lam 3:7,9).

There are times in life when we all have feelings of despondency similar to that of Jeremiah, and such feelings are not always produced by divine judgement. Adverse circumstances are often a trial of our faith designed to cast us wholly on the Lord that we might put our trust in Him.

It was just in those very trying circumstances that Jeremiah wrote, "The LORD is good unto them that wait for Him, to the soul that seeketh Him" (Lam. 3:25). It is a regrettable fact that today many people, especially young people, are finding it difficult to obtain secular employment. Those in the final stages of their education are also greatly frustrated by the lack of opportunities open to them for any future career, and the problem of making the right decision in such circumstances is in many cases causing great anxiety. Indeed, in those conditions one may feel that the ways are "fenced up" and the options are ve4r limited. Such ones should not be forgotten in prayer. Believers on the Lord Jesus Christ, whether old or young, have a great advantage in life even in our prevailing economic conditions, in that they have a God to whom they may turn in prayer and living faith; a God whose promises have been the strength and confidence of His saints all down the ages.

Millions alive in the world today can testify to the unfailing faithfulness of God, even in the most trying circumstances, for He is "able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us" (Eph. 3:20). The purpose of this short article is to encourage us all to take our problems and impending decisions to the Lord in earnest prayer and to wait upon Him. To wait upon the Lord does not mean that we lapse into indolence and hope that a miracle will take place, but rather that we place in the hands of our God matters of such consequence as employment, education, a future career or daily vocation, that He may give the necessary direction and make clear to us what is the right course of action for our own good and for His glory.

If we first seek His glory and honour we can then be sure that He will bless us accordingly, "for them that honour Me I will honour, and they that despise Me shall be lightly esteemed" (1 Sam. 2:30). Those who seek first "His kingdom and His righteousness" (Mat. 6:33) have their first priority in place, knowing that all the other necessary things of life will be added to them. The process may be long and. calls for patient trust in the One who will never fail us any more than He did Jacob, who could say at the close of a very long life, "God which hath fed me all my life long unto this day" (Gen. 48:15). Joshua also, in looking back over a life that included forty years in a barren wilderness, could recall, "There failed not aught of any good thing which the LORD had spoken unto the house of Israel; all came to pass" (Josh. 21:45). The language of the psalmist was true to experience when he said,

God commanded the skies above, and opened the doors of heaven... and guided them in the wilderness like a flock. And He led them safely, so that they feared not (Ps. 78:22,23,52,53).

What God has done for His own in times past he is able to do even in this turbulent and uncertain 20th century. To exhort one another to wait upon the Lord and to take to Him every problem and situation of uncertainty is not offering an answer to a prevailing world depression. It is rather offering a challenge to our personal faith in God, that we might know a "Hebrews 11" experience as did those noble men and women who "by faith" achieved so much and accomplished such great things, who proved Him faithful who had promised. Individually we, like the patriarch of old, may take hold of God and not let Him go till He bless us (Gen. 32:26), and be able to say, regardless of the circumstances, "As for me, I will look unto the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation: my God will hear me" (Micah. 7:7).

Accept the challenge; your faith may be on trial. Perhaps behind the scenes

God is sponsoring you as He did Job. Remember, your God is able (Dan.

3:17). "Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in Him and He shall bring it to pass" (Ps. 37:5).

David Smith, Ayr, Scotland | Apr 1987
General