Greetings again my Brethren. Well this month we will start a brand new teaching called “Waiting on God.” After God calls us to ministry and His glory the next thing we MUST do is wait for instruction from Him. So many Christians want to run off and fulfil God’s call in their life without knowing what they are to be doing. In Exodus 33 before Moses moved out deeper into the wilderness He waited to hear from God,
“Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, shew me now thy way, that I may know thee, that I may find grace in thy sight: and consider that this nation is thy people 14 And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest. 15And he said unto him, If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence. ” (Exodus 33 13-15) Here Moses stopped and waited for God to speaks. How will Moses know where to go and what to do unless God tells him? More important how will Moses know God is leading and directing him unless he hears from God. Well to hear from God we must stop, wait, and listen. Moses was after three things from God. The first is to know God. God’s goal in our service to Him is always first and foremost to come to know the living God. Everything else is secondary to God. Second, he was looking for God’s favor and grace. How can we do anything for God unless we have God’s favor? Our success and favor of man originates in God. It is the favor of God man sees in us that allows good things to happen for us and all of the things we lay our hands to. And third, the people he was leading meant more to God than just a gaggle of folks assembled in one place. Moses wanted to make sure God had a plan for these folks we was asked by God to lead. Why would we do things for God when they have no purpose in God’s big plan? Many Christians like doing things for God and He will not stop them. God’s things (good works) have to be done, but in the end they may not have been the things God wanted us to do. We feed and clothe the poor and needy a good work, but God may want us to speak a word of correction or make a judgment that the people would not want to hear. Oh no God wants us to feed and clothe the poor see the Bibles tells us to do this well that may be true, but God has a purpose and plan that overrides general requirements and duties for daily living. Sadly some Christians see ministers on TV or worse know of people God is using and try duplicating what they see God doing in others lives and ministries instead of waiting for God to give them their instruction. We see this in preaching. Most preachers and teachers are way too busy to stop and wait to hear from God on what they ought to share with the people so they get something old and stale on-line or open up their favourite Bible commentary and “put something together.” It is no wonder most pew sitters know nothing of God. Oh they may know of the latest denominational program or the latest fad sweeping the church, but when it comes to hearing “a word from God” (Romans 10:17 (Greek)) from the pastor, preacher, or teacher they have been left out. And why? The pastor, preacher teacher is out of order. Like all things in God there is an order. Don’t you know God is a God of order and process? God is not flighty nor spontaneous. God has never done anything on the spur of the moment. All things God does are calculated and planned. Here is the order: Follow direction to find wisdom. God’s direction can be seen and somewhat understood as the Israelites first approach the Wilderness of Paran. “And the children of Israel took their journeys out of the wilderness of Sinai; and the cloud rested in the wilderness of Paran.” (Numbers 10:12) This was not their choice rather it was God’s choice even as it was God’s direction for them. The Israelites simply followed the cloud stopping where it stopped moving when the cloud moved. The wisdom of God stopped in His direction. If we find His direction we will find His wisdom. We must follow this order to find His best.
Unless we stop, wait, and find direction when God speaks we will head out on our own without God’s protection and provision for us, our family, and those God has called us to minister to. So much is at stake. So much beyond our awareness for years to come is discovered when we wait before the LORD and as He shares with us His plans, purposes, and most important His heart to us.
Next month we will begin to look at the need of waiting on God as we look at four points that talk about what is to be observed as we wait before God. Do you have time? Will you make time? If you make time for God please know He will make time for you.
Written by David Stahl
