Wait on the Lord

United Pentecostal Church Intl June 2024

Wait on the Lord

By Kay Burgess

“They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” (Isaiah 40:31)

In Spanish the word for “expect” and “wait” is the same—esperar. It means to wait with expectation and is synonymous with trust (confiar) and believe (creer).

We commonly say in English that a woman who is pregnant with a child is “expecting.” While we know that the miraculous work of creation taking place within her womb is somewhat out of her human control, a wise woman knows that she must be busy and responsible while waiting. She should be eating properly so that her child will be nourished. She should be preparing a nursery, clothing, and the many different items and changes necessary for the arrival of a new baby. What she should not be doing is just sitting around waiting nine months for her child to arrive without making the necessary preparations. 

We “wait” on the Lord, but with active expectation. We “wait” trustingly for Him to do His sovereign work in our children, but we must be busy while waiting! We must be about the business of nurturing, teaching, guiding, building, and “raising up” our children so that they are properly prepared and positioned for God´s plan in their lives. More than ever today, we cannot be found sitting around waiting helplessly for an outcome that is sure to disappoint if we have not invested the time and effort necessary for their salvation.

I see many women in the Bible who kept busy while waiting and therefore saw the miraculous results in their children. Jocabed gave birth secretly, kept him hidden, built an ark, and made a plan for young Moses all while knowing that her time with him was short. Yet her time with him was so effective that later he refused his royal heritage and chose rather to be known as a child of God.

Hannah prayed, got her answer from God, and returned to home to prepare for childbirth. She also took advantage of the short time she had with her son before returning him to the House of God – so much so that Samuel grew up to become the last judge and greatest prophet in Israel.

Even Mary, so young, was wise enough to actively seek out an older cousin who could understand her situation and give her godly counsel.

We mustn’t be guilty of trying to help God out with His sovereign part – think Sarah and Hagar – which will yield us disastrous results just as it did for Sarah. If God has promised, it will come to pass in His time and in His plan – without our human intervention in the process. But it does require our faithful and consistent walk with God and our conviction that He will do what He has promised.

So keep praying, believing, and working while you are waiting. Prepare the way for the promise that God has given you. Keep the home fires burning for the prodigal that will be returning. God is not slack concerning His promises, and it is His desire that our children be saved.

Note: Kay Burgess is a veteran missionary’s wife of over 35 years, currently serving with her husband in Spain and as Area Coordinators of the Mediterranean Region. She is the proud mom of one son, one lovely daughter-in-love, one mighty Schnauzer named Lucy, and now the proud grandma Nonna of Baby Boston.

Waiting on the Lord

By Anne Johnston

“But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” (Isaiah 40:31)

We live in a world that wants everything to happen immediately. We do not want to wait. The advertisements shout “Buy Now, Pay Later.” So many people are deep in credit card debt because they listened to this appeal. We no longer make meals from scratch but rely on frozen prepared foods that will heat quickly in the microwave.

How many times have you made a phone call asking for information or help and been put on hold? We all hate that message: “Your call is important to us, please stay on the line and someone will be with you shortly.” We usually hang up in frustration because we do not have time to wait.

In the Bible we have examples of people praying, asking God for an answer, and having to wait before they received what they needed. Abraham and Sarah waited for years for Isaac. Isaac and Rebekah were married for years before Jacob and Esau were born. Joseph served faithfully as he waited for God to fulfill his dreams.

As we pray for children who have wandered away from the Lord, we would like for them to return to the fold “today.” Often, we suggest ways to the Lord that He could reach them. When waiting seems hard, remember that the Lord has a perfect plan for us and them. He knows the future. We must never cease praying for their salvation, but we must leave the “where, how, and when” to Him.

I found this interesting quote about Isaiah 40:3l.

“At first sight, we should have expected that it would advance from walking to running, and so to flying. But that order is reversed. It is more difficult to walk than to mount! Every cyclist will tell you that the hardest task is to keep your cycle at a walking pace.”

God’s ways are not our ways, but His ways are always best. It is not His will that any should perish. He loves that wayward son or daughter far more than you and I do. If you have earnestly sought the Lord and received a promise from Him, stand firm upon it and trust Him to work out the details. We do not know what tomorrow holds, but He does. Just keep walking and waiting.

Philippians 1:6 tells us, “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:”

Note: Anne Johnston is a graduate of UPBI (now Northeast Christian College) in New Brunswick, a minister’s kid who has been involved in various aspects of gospel work most of her life. A mother of three and grandmother of six, she attends West Island United Pentecostal Church in Pointe Claire, QC. Anne also works for her daughter, Liane Grant, with The King’s Translators.

Waiting...

By Dee Rodgers

“Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say on the Lord.” (Psalm 27:14)

Waiting is one of the hardest things we as God’s creation must learn to do. From the newborn child to whatever age we are now, we do not want to wait. Age often does not change that impatience and insistence to get our way.

Our wants, our needs, our plans, our dreams—having those interrupted or changed brings chaos to our life. But God asks us to give all  that to Him. He asks us to trust Him, to leave it at His feet.

We desire to give everything to Him, we tell Him we will, and we do—temporarily. But, learning to leave it there and wait, even when our world turns upside down, is a lesson we all must learn. We know Scripture, but often our conversations with God begin to sound like Lamentations chapter 3.

When sickness strikes us or a loved one, we learn to wait. This process of learning to leave it to Him happens slowly. We learn to dig deep for the promises found in His word. Daily, and sometimes hourly, we make choices to trust and to wait on the Lord. The miracle may not come when we want it. We don’t always get immediate answers. We may watch as God carries our loved one home. That was not the answer we wanted, or the way we planned it to be. It’s not easy to keep trusting and believing that it was for the best. As months and years go by, we learn that God’s plan was the better way in situations we wanted to change. 

I remember the first time I really had to dig deep to stand. I watched my father lose his eyesight at an early age. Many prayed for him and prophesied that he would be healed. His faith was high, but he would awake to the same problem. A minister offered him this encouragement: “It is sometimes harder to have faith, trust, and integrity with God when we don’t receive immediate healing than it is to receive that healing and go back to living normally.” 

In his last service my father danced before the Lord, praising Him with closed eyes. Opening them, he still did not see clearly but rejoiced in the blessing he experienced. When the call came only a few hours later that he was gone, I was devastated and found myself questioning God. That was not how it was supposed to be. I was told he “was healed” and knew it was true, but I had to learn to trust in a way as never before. 

In Lamentations chapter 3, we find Jerimiah complained and listed all the troubles that had come to him. Yet, we read some of the most quoted and encouraging verses in the Bible. “This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope . . . His compassions fail not . . . they are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness . . . The Lord is my portion, therefore I hope in Him . . . The Lord is the strength of my life.”

For the past several years I have been learning to wait on God and to trust in a whole new realm. When I feel I can no longer handle it on own, portions of Psalm 61:2-3 become my mantra. “When my heart is overwhelmed; lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For you have been a shelter for me.” 

In the night hours, God is there. In the middle of an emergency room, He is there. When I can’t share the load with anyone else, God listens. I tell Him, “I can’t do this by myself. Here I am again—I need you. I still trust you.” 

Philippians 4:13 assures, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” So many promises in His Word are dependent upon our learning to trust Him and wait on Him. Worship Him in the valley, and He will help us climb the mountain we face.

“I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress; In Him I will trust.” (Psalm 91:2)

Note: Dee Rodgers is an active member of The Sanctuary, New Albany, Mississippi. Married for 47 years, she is the mother of two and grandmother of four – a six year old and seven-year-old triplets! She teaches the pre-teen Sunday school class at her church and enjoys reading, painting, quilting, and pottery classes.

Who we are . . . Since 1999: Ladies Prayer Intl. is made up of women worldwide, who meet on one day in the first week of each month to unite in focused prayer for their children and the children of the local church and community.Pick a day tht work

Our Mission . . . We are committed to the spiritual preservation of this generation and beyond and the spiritual restoration of previous generations.

Our Need . . . Committed women who will join together on the first Monday of each month and pray focused prayer for their children. 

Three Priorities of Prayer...

•    The salvation of our children (Isaiah 49:25; Psalm 144:12; Isaiah 43:5-6).
•    That they take ownership of the faith at an accountable age (I John 2:25-28; James 1:25).
•    That they enter into the ministry of the Lord's harvest (Matthew 9:38).