My Soul Wait Thou Upon God!

The soul that waits upon the Lord is not one that lacks vision. Rather he is one who is learning to see things as God sees them, and who desires to become involved with Him not only in His plan, but also in His Way; because they know His plan can only be fulfilled by and through a people who walk in His Way. Let us not be disturbed by slogans such as this: "Some people are waiting for God, but God is waiting for them." We hear this a lot, but it is not scriptural. Take your concordance and check it out...

"My soul, wait thou only upon God;

For my expectation is from him" (Ps. 62:5).

"Our soul waiteth for the LORD: He is our help and our shield" (Ps. 33:20).

"Praise waiteth for thee, O God, in Sion" (Ps. 65:1).

(For even true spiritual praise, like any other aspect of ministry, waits for the direction and control of the Holy Spirit, as God's people anticipate what He will do.)

"Blessed are all they that wait for him" (Isa. 30:18).

"For the vision is yet for an appointed time...Though it tarry, wait for it" (Hab. 2:3). (So often when we fail to see the vision fulfilled we try to fulfill it ourselves, only to mar the beautiful thing that God would do.)

"They that wait upon the LORD Shall renew their strength" (Isa. 40:31).

These are just a few examples; but there are many more. On the other hand God has much to say about those who think God is waiting for them to get the job done:

"They soon forgat his works;

They waited not for his counsel" (Ps. 106:13).

We must attain to complete victory over our own impatient spirit. The prophet said to Saul: "Seven days shalt thou tarry, till I come to thee, and shew thee what thou shalt do" (1 Sam. 10:8). Saul waited the seven days but the prophet did not come. However, that did not release him to act on his own. Some get so concerned about fulfilling a prophecy they have received or some vision that God has given them rather than simply walking with God today. God alone can fulfill the prophecy or the vision. And He will do it when He is ready, and when we are ready--not when we think we are ready. Because of Saul's act of disobedience God cut his kingdom short. He "forced himself," he told Samuel; but in so doing he made the wrong decision, and took upon himself the role of a priest, which a king in Israel had no right to do. God is always late by man's timetable. But He moves consistently onward and forward according to His own eternal purpose. The frustrations that we experience as we seek Him and wait for Him are a necessary part of His discipline in our lives as He seeks to quiet our spirit and bring forth the fruit of patience. Few saints there are who are "quieted" in spirit, and "behaved" as a weaned child (Ps. 131:2).