Chapter 34 – Waiting on God 2023
If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. Yea, we used to say that when we were kids, right? Half the time it had to do with achieving bad habits. Right? Remember? As grown ups however, we say, “I tried it, I went to church, I prayed, He didn’t do what I ask Him to do, it doesn’t work. I’m back to trying it my way, the good old fashioned tricks of the trade I’ve always used.” You know what scripture says about that?
Proverbs 26:11
New King James Version
As a dog returns to his own vomit,
So a fool repeats his folly.
When everything is a mess in our lives, in our heads — waiting on God can be a very challenging. Sitting still and trying to figure out what’s next is crushing, frustrating, hurtful and at the least maddening. We know that we have made a mess of things, maybe I think it’s my fault, maybe I don’t, maybe God will help me sort all that out. Maybe that’s part of my lesson? h The thing is, if I keep pushing on all the things that aren’t working — it is possible the mess will continue and possibly get worse. It is said that the definition of stupid is “doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.” Under such circumstances t’s time to settle down and wait for God. Rest, eat, sleep, pray.., give a minute so to speak and rely on Jesus. Back in the old testament there’s a great wonderful story about a prophet named Elijah. Elijah had a very hard day. He had done all that the Lord had asked and destroyed the priests of Baal, the false Gods. It was a bloody mess and Jezebel, King Ahab’s wife had vowed to kill Elijah for what he had done to her priests. Elijah was tired and he felt depressed and exhausted. He laid down, as if to die in his sadness. “All that work, and now nobody likes me.” He forgot, God likes him, loves him and will provide for Elijah.
1 Kings 19:5-7
5 And as he lay and slept under a juniper tree, behold, then an angel touched him, and said unto him, Arise and eat.
6 And he looked, and, behold, there was a cake baken on the coals, and a cruse of water at his head. And he did eat and drink, and laid him down again.
Can you dig that!! Elijah woke up and food had been prepared for him, water to drink set by his head to refresh, and an angel of the Lord to tuck Elijah into sleep. Awesome!! That is the quintessential meaning of Chapter 34. Elijah, so tired, he could only wait on God. He had nothing left. And there, in the middle of the desert, God was there to love Elijah.
1 Kings 7
And the angel of the Lord came again the second time, and touched him, and said, Arise and eat; because the journey is too great for thee.
God dropped by and took care of our brother Elijah, in our exhaustion, rejection, disappointment — there is God. Yes, the journey is too great for you and me, with God, all things are possible.
Matthew 19:23-30
New King James Version
“With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
Someone has said that Christians are a lot like teabags. You don’t know what they’re made of until you put them into hot water.
—Hebrews 11:6
“And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.”
Maybe you’re in the hot water of temptation or testing right now, and you’re saying, “This is trying my faith. I don’t know if I can get through this. In fact, I’m starting to lose my faith.”
James 1:2–4
“Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing” (NLT).
In Chapter 34, you and God prepare the work, implement learning skills, break bad habits, learn to pray, learn to begin to learn how to study and learn to consistently show up for work, clear headed — ready to serve. In Chapter 34, Waiting on God, there is no plan, except to calm down and learn. Make no mistake, in my testimony, I called on God, specifically, I asked God to help me because I did not know what else to do — I was dead in the water. In my prayer, I looked up and He was already there. In my studies I learned the story of Elijah. Rest, eat, prepare.., and He will direct me at the correct moment in all matters.
Psalm 27:13-14
I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living! Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!
The list appeared, day by day — and I, this version of me in Christ, had already started.
Mark 5:36
Overhearing what they said, Jesus told him, “Don’t be afraid; just believe.”
Afraid of what you might ask? Going back to my old ways. Fight yourself, revolt against yourself, pray, read and let God change you, prepare you for what He has in mind — evolve. I quit bad habits, prepared myself emotionally to stop fighting me, I rested, and then it was time to work. A job appeared out of nowhere — it was perfect for me.
John 1:5
New International Version
5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome[a] it.
Thomas A. Edison was quoted as saying, “Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.”
When we are lost this is the time to completely rely on God, be brave, stay quiet. Frustration is honest, fear is without knowledge and without God. Slowly, in patience, you will learn and replace fear with knowledge as God moves you along the path.
This is seriously important — many people have failed to listen and obey in God’s direction. Happens all the time, people feel that must do something — and rather than slow down and assess, they move on half backed ideas, unfortunately. Jesus warned over and over again – be on your guard, don’t listen to foolishness..,
Jeremiah 7:24 ESV
But they did not obey or incline their ear but walked in their own counsels and the stubbornness of their evil hearts and went backward and not forward.
Stay strong, in Him, when there is no plan, stop doing what you are doing and wait for Him. Do your chores, clean up the office, wash your truck, answer calls (carefully), clean up accounting, produce-deliver and collect what you can. It sounds like avoiding the problem, it is not — it is waiting on God’s time. The next step will be clear. Continue to pray upon the Holy Spirit’s direction and protection.
James 1:6 English Standard Version (ESV)
6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.
God actually commands us not to fear or worry. The phrase “fear not” is used at least 80 times in the Bible, most likely because He knows the enemy uses fear to decrease our hope and limit our victories. Sometimes we have caused our problem. Sometimes problems just happen. What we do in the ebb and flow of life is the measure of each one of us. When the ship stalls, and it seems all is lost, it could be time, before the wind picks up again. While stalled out, dead in the water, don’t fret, prepare the ship, make repairs, for surely in Faith the wind will come again and set the ship sailing on its way. Your ship, when you’re ready, your life, when you’re ready, your relationship with Him, when you’re ready. When we experience unresolvable conflict – God is calling you, telling you – lean on me, let me show you who I Am. He knows when you’re ready to do what needs to be done. Take it a day at a time.
Matthew 6:34
New King James Version
34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
What do you do when you’re watching the world fall into the hands of the wicked? What do you do when all around you, right is wrong and wrong is right?
Isaiah 43:1
“Don’t fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are Mine.”
In a time where there is unresolved conflict, and you don’t know what to do and you’re sure of imminent failure, do things that need to be done, things that you can accomplish, the simplest of tasks, complete them, say prayers, read scripture, listen to bible study.
1 Corinthians 16:13
New International Version
13 Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong.
Pray to the Lord and lean on Him for direction and courage. Be patient have Faith, it is the most difficult thing on the list. Do the things you can do, the things He’s directed you to do, the rest is on God and He never fails me or you.
Lamentations 3:25
The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him.
Chapter 34, entitled “Waiting on God.”
In this lesson, I have but one cautionary comment.
When you finally decide to wait on God, make sure He’s not standing right in front of you, waiting on you. Let’s pray…
