“Save me, O God; for the waters are come in unto my soul. I sink in deep mire, where there is no standing: I am come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me.
I am weary of my crying: my throat is dried: mine eyes fail while I wait for my God.
They that hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of mine head: they that would destroy me, being mine enemies wrongfully, are mighty: then I restored that which I took not away.
O God, Thou knowest my foolishness; and my sins are not hid from Thee.
Let not them that wait on Thee, O Lord GOD of hosts, be ashamed for my sake: let not those that seek Thee be confounded for my sake, O God of Israel. Because for Thy sake I have borne reproach; shame hath covered my face.” Psalm 69:1-7 (KJB)
Wait
When No One Else Does…
“Therefore I will look unto the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation: my God will hear me.” Micah 7:7 (KJB)
Micah saw many who professed the name of the LORD who were not faithful to the LORD in His word. They were afflicted yet turned to other sources of help. Micah says,
“Therefore I will look unto the LORD…” The Lord GOD is my help. He is my Salvation. I will wait – I will trust in Him, even if no one else does. God will hear me.
“Therefore I will look unto the Lord — as if no one else were before mine eyes. We must not only “look unto the Lord,” but also “wait for Him.” Having no hope from man (Mic_7:5, Mic_7:6), Micah speaks in the name of Israel, who herein, taught by chastisement (Mic_7:4) to feel her sin (Mic_7:9), casts herself on the Lord as her only hope,” in patient waiting (Lam_3:26). She did so under the Babylonian captivity; she shall do so again hereafter when the spirit of grace shall be poured on her (Zec_12:10-13).” Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary
“Things had come to an awful pass in the favored city. Oppression, bribery, and bloodshed, were everywhere in the ascendant. Men wrought evil with both hands. Husbands could not trust their wives. At such a time there is no refuge for God’s children save in God, Mic_7:7-13.” THROUGH THE BIBLE DAY BY DAY by F. B. Meyer on Micah 7:7-13
Your only hope and help for salvation is through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Call on His name today. He will hear you, save you and change your life for His glory.
Prophets Speak – Christmas Day One Hundred Fifty and Six
“Therefore the LORD will wait, that He may be gracious to you; and therefore He will be exalted, that He may have mercy on you. For the LORD is a God of justice; Blessed are all those who wait for Him.” Isaiah 30:18 (NKJV)
What do I want for Christmas?
I want to trust in the LORD, and to daily wait patiently upon Him, because in His mercy and grace He tarries, He waits for me, and for all who trust, who wait upon Him.
To “Wait on the LORD” does not mean we sit idly by on some mountain top doing nothing; but that we keep on trusting Him, living our daily lives under the direction, and guidance and filling and power of His Spirit.
Expectantly Looking for God
Ephraim feedeth on wind, and followeth after the east wind: he daily increaseth lies and desolation; and they do make a covenant with the Assyrians, and oil is carried into Egypt. The LORD hath also a controversy with Judah, and will punish Jacob according to his ways; according to his doings will he recompense him. He took his brother by the heel in the womb, and by his strength he had power with God: yea, he had power over the angel, and prevailed: he wept, and made supplication unto Him: he found Him in Bethel, and there He spake with us; even the LORD God of hosts; the LORD is His memorial. Therefore turn thou to thy God: keep mercy and judgment, and wait on thy God continually.” Hosea 12:1-6 (KJV)
Here are the words of the prophet who is telling the nation of Israel/Ephraim to trust, to expectantly wait for the Lord. They were to do that by keeping mercy and right judgment. “Wait on thy God continually” is to expect the coming of the Lord; to trust that He was coming.
For the Christian who is following Jesus today; that message is one we must heed as well. Jesus told the disciples and us; “Occupy until I come” (Luke 19:13). Though He says this in a parable, it is still a powerful command to His people. The command means to be busy living for Christ, as we carry on our daily duties, our labors, and our recreations. Do so, however, with expectancy of the soon return of the King of kings. He is coming.
-T.A.
Day 37 – Thoughts from Psalms; Waiting
The word wait is use nine times in the reading for today. My reading was from Psalms 24 – 37. Waiting is not a pleasant thing to do; especially in today’s fast moving world.
We wait in traffic. We wait for that job interview and job that is going to put us in a higher income bracket, and maybe on “easy street”. We wait at the doctor’s office. We wait in the Emergency Room. We wait for news of family and friends to come. It seems when we are anxiously waiting that it takes forever coming; whatever it is we are waiting for.
We are admonished by Scripture and these Psalms,
“Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and He shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.” Psalm 27:14 (KJV)
Expectantly is the idea of “Wait on the LORD”. Trusting Him in the time when things do not seem to be happening. What are we to do while we are “Waiting on the LORD”? We do what we know to do, keep on going, keep on trusting, but by His directives and plan; not our own.
“Yea, let none that wait on Thee be ashamed: let them be ashamed which transgress without cause. Shew me Thy ways, O LORD; teach me Thy paths. Lead me in Thy truth, and teach me: for Thou art the God of my salvation; on Thee do I wait all the day.” 25:3-5
There will be no shame for those who are waiting on God; ie, trusting in Him. Too many times we jump ahead of what God wants us to do, and we end up making messes of our lifes situation. That is seen in the business world, and the spiritual lives of people.
A Christian business man may know to trust the LORD in his business situation, yet a need may arise for a certain type of qualified individual who can get the job done, and he takes the first one who comes along, and things end up in a mess.
I fear there are far too many churches, and Christians who are having worship services that are geared to fleshly activity rather than divine worship; because they want to “prime the pump” so to speak, getting ahead of what God’s word teaches, and instilling their own devices. In this we end up with a mess; outside God’s directive and plan; where He is not truly worshipped and praised. We feel good, but God does not. No shame will come to those who wait on God.
“Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for Him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil. For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth.” 37:7-9
The word “wait” and “patiently” are used together in the first part of these verses and the idea is a bit different. It seems that it is almost a painful thing, sort of like an exercise of building strength, character, or patience. I do not know if you have ever prayed for patience, but I can almost assure that if you have, or when you do, something will come along which will build up patience in you; a trial of great pain and sorrow. It was the apostle Paul who said,
“And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience…” Romans 5:3
“Waiting on the LORD” means also that we are living His way, not our own. Let me end this commentary today with these words,
“Wait on the LORD, and keep His way, and He shall exalt thee to inherit the land: when the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it.” 37:34
His way is found in Scripture, the Bible, and these words tell us of the One who would come to take away our sin and its condemnation. That one is Jesus the Christ, Son of the Living God. He told us, after His death, burial and bodily resurrection that He would return. Let us who believe Him, and trust Him wait patiently for that blessed hope and glorious return.
-Tim A. Blankenship
The Fire and Hammer 