Worship Devotional CVII

Jan 29

Originally posted to the Facebook group on 1/29/2022.

Wait Upon The Lord — To Wait Is To Abide

Worship Devotional for 1/30/22

Isaiah 40:28-31 (ESV):

"Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; His understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might He increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint."

The Christian life — the life of a true worshipper in Christ — is all about waiting on the Lord. We often speak of waiting as if it is passive, mindless, and neutral, a state of being that requires no focus or action. But this is not what it really means to wait for something, and certainly not what it means to wait upon the Lord. Now, waiting does involve faith and trust — that is believing that what you are waiting for is coming, trusting that it will happen, and relying on someone else to come through on their end. So it is a state of being that doesn't entirely depend on works or deeds. However, if you are waiting for something to happen, you keep it in mind and do whatever is necessary on your part in the belief and hope that it will indeed happen. To forget about it, to neglect any responsibility on your part, or to pursue and choose to wait for something else, is to cease waiting for it.

For us as Christians — that is, believers in and followers of Christ — what we are ultimately waiting for is Jesus' return and the final fulfillment of the whole word of God. We are collectively waiting for the Lord to fulfill every promise and prophecy given by the Holy Spirit, for everything to be made new, and for that glorious day when all death and grief and pain will be no more and we will dwell in the holy presence of our God forever and ever! Now we know and have come to believe that God is faithful, because He has proven His faithfulness and His faithful and eternal love toward us time and time again, never failing to come through on what He has promised. Knowing that God is perfectly faithful leaves us no excuse or reason for doubt, complacency, worry, or despair, although these things still come against us in the wars that rage in our minds and hearts. But waiting on the Lord means that we remain hopeful, faithful, watchful, and alert, trusting our God to keep us in His love and to sanctify our wayward hearts and to lead us into the eternal life that He has promised us in Christ. Waiting on the Lord means we do what He has given us to do while we wait for His return. To wait is to be faithful in obedience to His word, to hold fast to faith and hope, to remain in the love of Christ while we endure all the struggles and trials and pains of this life. To wait upon the Lord is to abide in Him.

The wait's not easy though. There are many hardships we have to face in this life, including many disappointments and setbacks. God knows what is best and He acts according to His timing and His plans, which are far too lofty for us to comprehend. We think things should happen a certain way or according to a certain timeframe, and then when they don't, it can be difficult to cope with and continue to trust that God is doing what is best for His glory and for our good. But there are also moments of triumph and joy that we get to experience in addition to the pain and sorrow. All of it must serve to feed and stir our longing for eternity with God, to help us to yearn more and more for the unfathomable, ultimate, eternal rewards that will be ours to enjoy forever when God's promises are all fulfilled at last. But now, we are here. Whether we are experiencing the good things that give us just a glimpse and a taste of what is to come or the bad things that remind us that it is not here yet and that this is not our home, we must keep our eyes fixed on Jesus and our minds set on things above so that we don't lose sight of what is true or turn away from the only One who can satisfy our souls forever.

As we learn to wait on the Lord, may our hearts sing and pray in accordance with Psalm 130 (HCSB):

"Out of the depths I call to You, Yahweh! Lord, listen to my voice; let Your ears be attentive to my cry for help.
Yahweh, if You considered sins, Lord, who could stand? But with You there is forgiveness, so that You may be revered.
I wait for Yahweh; I wait and put my hope in His word. I wait for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning — more than watchmen for the morning.
Israel, put Your hope in the Lord. For there is faithful love with the Lord, and with Him is redemption in abundance. And He will redeem Israel from all of its sins."

That way we may reflect and declare with Psalm 62 (HCSB):

"I am at rest in God alone; my salvation comes from Him. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my stronghold; I will never be shaken.
How long will you threaten a man? Will all of you attack as if he were a leaning wall or a tottering stone fence? They only plan to bring him down from his high position. They take pleasure in lying; they bless with their mouths, but they curse inwardly. Selah.
Rest in God alone, my soul, for my hope comes from Him. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my stronghold; I will not be shaken.
My salvation and glory depend on God, my strong rock. My refuge is in God. Trust in Him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts before Him. God is our refuge. Selah.
Men are only a vapor; exalted men, an illusion. Weighed in the scales, they go up; together they are less than a vapor. Place no trust in oppression, or false hope in robbery. If wealth increases, pay no attention to it.
God has spoken once; I have heard this twice: strength belongs to God, and faithful love belongs to You, Lord. For You repay each according to his works."

May we be found faithful in the end, having waited for the Lord just as He commanded us, and remain steadfast in His love while enduring every trial that comes our way, that we may rejoice with Him in glory and receive a rich and eternal reward from the one true God, whom we worship with our whole being.

Luke 12:35-40 (HCSB):

"Be ready for service and have your lamps lit. You must be like people waiting for their master to return from the wedding banquet so that when he comes and knocks, they can open the door for him at once. Those slaves the master will find alert when he comes will be blessed. I assure you: He will get ready, have them recline at the table, then come and serve them. If he comes in the middle of the night, or even near dawn, and finds them alert, those slaves will be blessed. But know this: If the homeowner had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. You also be ready, because the Son of Man is coming at an hour that you do not expect."

Songs: