Waiting on the Lord for Direction
To hear God's voice and receive direction, we must stand still and wait upon him to act, trusting in his salvation and strength.
David Wilkerson emphasizes the importance of waiting on the Lord for direction, highlighting that God's voice is often heard through scripture and requires us to stand still and listen. He illustrates this with the examples of Saul, who was instructed by Samuel to pause and hear God's word, and King Jehoshaphat, who sought the Lord amidst fear and received divine assurance. The sermon reassures believers that even in uncertainty, God is our strength and will guide us if we yield to Him and remain patient. Ultimately, it is through stillness and trust that we can witness God's salvation in our lives.
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God speaks to his people by his Spirit and he makes his voice clear to us: "Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, 'This is the way, walk in it.' Whenever you turn to the right hand or whenever you turn to the left" (Isaiah 30:21).
Some people ask, "How can I hear his voice?" The voice of God's Spirit comes to us primarily through scriptures. But before we can hear his voice of direction, God requires something of us. We must stand still and wait upon him to act. This is not a suggestion, but a commandment. And it is the secret to our total victory and deliverance. On many occasions the Lord commanded his people to stand still.
After Samuel anointed Saul as king, at one point he said to him, "Stand still here awhile, that I may announce to you the word of God" (1 Samuel 9:27). Samuel was saying, "Saul, I've just anointed you and already your mind is racing. You're thinking, 'What is God doing? How can I know his voice, his will?' Stop striving, Saul. Do you want to hear from God and get his direction? Then stand still and listen."
We see another instance of waiting on the Lord for direction in King Jehoshaphat. Judah was being invaded by a coalition of mighty armies and Scripture says, "Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah" (2 Chronicles 20:3). The people began to cry out to God. There is nothing wrong with being afraid; in fact, God is longsuffering toward us and does not hold our fear against us.
"Then the Spirit of the Lord came ... in the midst of the assembly" (20:14). Here is what the Spirit commanded: "Do not be afraid nor dismayed ... for the battle is not yours, but God's ... You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, who is with you" (20:15-17).
We may fail in our discernment, our hearing, our decisions. But we can rejoice in our God, who is our strength! He will make us to walk in the right way. It is all his work. And we must simply yield, stand still and see his salvation!
Sermon Outline
- Waiting on the Lord for Direction
- Standing still and waiting on God
- Examples of waiting on the Lord
- Samuel and Saul
- King Jehoshaphat and Judah
Key Quotes
“Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, 'This is the way, walk in it.'” — David Wilkerson
“Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, who is with you” — David Wilkerson
“We must simply yield, stand still and see his salvation!” — David Wilkerson
Application Points
- We must yield to God's will and work in our lives, trusting in his salvation and strength.
- Standing still and waiting on God is the secret to total victory and deliverance.
- We can rejoice in our God, who is our strength and will make us walk in the right way.