Wait on the LORD

WEEKLY DEVOTIONAL BY PATRICE TSAGUE

Are you always in a hurry?
Why are you rushing?
What does it mean to wait on the LORD?

Wait on the LORD

Have you ever received a speeding ticket because you were trying to get somewhere in a hurry? Before the days of electronic surveillance, speeding tickets meant being delayed an additional 30 minutes to 1 hour because of the time it took the police officer to fill out the necessary paperwork. For those of us who have experienced this, it always seemed as though the police officer was in no hurry at all to release you, so that you could reach your destination on time. 

Because you were in a hurry to get somewhere, your disregard for the speed limit not only cost you money and points deducted from your driver’s license, but it also caused you to arrive even later. Speed is not always the fastest way to reach your destination – sometimes, waiting gets us there faster!

Waiting is not exactly a common characteristic among entrepreneurs – especially for those who are experiencing a level of financial success. There is a common saying in the marketplace that because time is money, we must be hurried in everything we do. Actually, there are no promises in Scripture for those who hurry.

Speed and hurriedness breed impatience and discontent. Pause, take a deep breath, and ask yourself – why are you rushing? What is the urgency? What will happen if things do not happen when you want them to? Many times, persuaded by empty promises, we are in a hurry going absolutely nowhere. Waiting is a virtue. Waiting has clear rewards; it breeds patience, contentment, and solid character.

What does it mean to wait on the LORD? It means recognizing your limitations. Waiting on the LORD involves distinguishing between your pace and God’s pace, and then being content to realign yourself with God’s pace, regardless of the circumstances or perceived consequences. Waiting on the LORD means completely surrendering to God’s will for your life in every situation that you encounter. 

It means unconditionally committing yourself to never compromising God’s principles to achieve your objectives. It means depending solely on God for everything you are seeking to accomplish, rather than hurriedly trying to succeed or reach your objectives in your own strength and timing. It means enduring and persevering under pressure and resistance. It means following the speed limit, even though by doing so, you risk being late for your meeting.

Waiting on the LORD is not easy – because while you wait, bills are due, time is ticking, your competitors are gaining ground, the window of opportunity seems to be closing, and others seem to be running ahead of you. It seems as though while you wait, you are losing ground. 

However, this is merely a perception and not reality. It is a trick of the enemy to cause you to hurry, receive speeding tickets and other penalties, or have an accident. Hurrying takes us out of the timing of God, and therefore, out of His will. 

What happened the last time you hurried? Did you accomplish your objectives? Did you get what you wanted? Probably not. Hurrying always gets us into trouble, but waiting on the LORD produces guaranteed rewards.

According to Isaiah 40:31, there are four benefits of waiting on the LORD:

1. Your strength shall be renewed – Resilience is essential for success. Waiting on the LORD boosts your internal energy and spiritual virtues, which in turn increases your strength.
   
2. You shall mount up with wings like eagles – Accomplishing your objectives not only requires strength but also the ability to rise above all obstacles and hindrances. Waiting on the LORD gives you wings to soar!
   
3. You shall run and not grow weary – Energy is another key element to success.  Waiting on the LORD allows us to function at the appropriate speed – God’s speed – without becoming weary.
   
4. You shall walk and not faint – Clarity is another key to success. The ability to press forward at a steady pace, without running ahead or falling behind, and without losing focus, is acquired while you wait on the LORD.

Of course, waiting on the LORD does not mean doing nothing, but rather it means growing. It is not being idle, but rather it is being proactive in the right ways, at the right time, while doing the right things. Although it may not yield immediate external rewards, waiting ensures that we are focusing on the internal private victories that will create a sure foundation for future public victories.   

While we wait on the LORD, it can often seem that everyone else is moving forward and that we are falling behind. However, just keep waiting, because in due time, your actions will yield supernatural results, without much effort on your part.  Your waiting will produce internal strength, the ability to soar, and supernatural energy with the correct focus. 

Waiting on the LORD is the key to the sustained success of any Kingdom business. The alternative is disastrous and dangerous. So go ahead, slow down, be still, and wait on the LORD.

My prayer for you is that God will give you the grace and strength to wait upon Him until He reveals His perfect strategies for your life and business.