Waiting on the Lord
In today's fast-paced world of instant-gratification, waiting on anything can feel like an affront to our results-driven souls. Our culture has trained us to expect rapid results, instant responses, and quick fixes—making the spiritual discipline of waiting on the Lord a counter-cultural practice. And yet, our lives, businesses, relationships, and pursuits are all filled with circumstances that constantly demand patience as we wait on factors usually well-beyond our control. The practice of patience, therefore, is a transformative spiritual exercise that requires us to slow down and lean into the depth of trust and dependence God desires to cultivate within us.
Patience is not merely a virtue; it's a divine work within us. God cultivates patience to decelerate our pace and to guide us into a deeper trust in Him. It’s not about God testing us to gauge our grasp of His teachings – His omniscience needs no such measures. As Psalm 139:2 reveals, “You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar.” Instead, God's tests are divine tutorials, revealing to us the extent of our learning. These are the moments we are taught to walk in His ways, on His schedule, trusting Him as we wait.
Patience, as mentioned in Galatians 5:22, is a fruit borne of the indwelling Holy Spirit. It's God's grace that enables us to await God's action in our lives with a steadfast heart. Consider Psalm 27:14, which urges, “Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.” God calls us to a complete reliance on Him for all things. In our nature, we yearn for control – the freedom to act independently at our whim. Yet, in every breath, we are reminded of our dependence on God.
Waiting on God doesn't equate to idleness; it's an active trust. As we await His breakthrough, we engage in the tasks He has set before us. Luke 16:10 reminds us to be "faithful with the little." While our earthly desires may not always be met, we can be assured of His superior plans for us in eternity.
Colin Millar, President of Igniting Prayer Action, is a testament to the power of integrating prayer into the secular workspace. A long-time friend and prayer partner, Colin emphasizes the discipline of waiting on God. He often recommends Andrew Murray’s book, “Waiting on God,” a 31-day journey into the heart of divine timing, as a guide for nurturing this spiritual discipline.
I’ve seen this divine patience at work in my own ventures, particularly with Energy Water Solutions (EWS), a company utilizing patented technology to eco-consciously evaporate wastewater. The “VOX,” our system labeled for evaporation in a box, started as a passive investment. Believing in its God-given purpose, we were led to contribute further, transitioning from mere investors to majority stakeholders. This journey of “Waiting on God” stretched our patience over nine years before we saw the business break even. It's been a profound lesson in dependency, transforming not just our company’s operations, but our prayer life too.
Now, as we continue to watch EWS grow, it's clear that God is working in ways that surpass our understanding, as promised in Ephesians 3:20. And as Isaiah 40:31 assures, those who wait upon the Lord will find renewed strength, soaring, running, and walking without growing weary or faint.
In conclusion, patience is more than a passive state; it's a spiritual practice of active trust. It's about engaging with our present duties while looking forward to God's promises. As we learn to wait on God, may we find our strength renewed, our trust deepened, and our lives aligned with His eternal perspective.
To God be the glory!
