Waiting on God – Hannah Middleton
In the years I have walked with the Lord there has been a common thread in every season. Through the valleys and even on the mountain top there is always, “wait.” The waiting is never quite the same. Nevertheless, there has always been, “wait upon me.”
Looking back, I see the grace of the Lord covering me especially in my teen years when I did not understand why He always told me to wait. Now I see the “wait” itself was His grace on me in each season. Waiting on the Lord is not easy. Waiting itself goes against the grain of our culture, and this world will never help you wait. It can be one of the most difficult challenges to learn in our walk with the Lord.
The flesh is eager to run but the spirit is willing to wait… The world will tell us that waiting is time lost or of no necessity, but a good soldier always waits on the instruction he needs from his commander. He never makes his own decisions without instructions, and the same is true for us Christians. Nothing is ever lost or ever wasted when we wait upon the Lord, instead everything can be gained.
It is impossible to wait on God without implementing some of our own understanding because the flesh loves to be involved, even in spiritual things. And, we know that when we add our understanding to what God wants to do, it only leads to disappointment and frustration. But, by His grace, He will give us the ability to not taint what He is doing in us… for we can do all things through Him that strengths us. We will never see all He is doing nor fully comprehend it and that is why our hearts must trust Him fully. When we trust Him, we can rest in Him and what He is doing in us.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart; and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him and he shall direct your paths.” Proverbs 3:5
The Lord is not withholding anything from us by making us wait, rather he wants us to receive everything in Himself. He has proved this to be true by His faithfulness throughout the scriptures and in my own personal life. He has never disappointed me when I obeyed and waited on Him. No, it has always been far more than I could think or imagine. When we have waited on the Lord and He performs that which we have waited for our faith and confidence in Him grows. Then the next time He says, “wait” we can wait with all confidence, knowing He will perform it.
“Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart: wait, I say on the Lord” Psalms 27:14
It says HE shall strengthen your heart. He will strengthen you and give you all you need to perform what He has asked of you. We do not need to muster up the ability to do what only the Lord can in us. What freedom that is for us!
David is such an encouragement to me because he held the capacity to wait on the Lord without the new covenant. This means by His grace and his sacrifice I can hold that ability as well. It is truly out of His great love for us that He requires us to wait. His love for you is so vast that He wants you to receive all that He has and not what we could do in ourselves.
Waiting on Him in whatever season you are in is just as powerful as doing something for Him. If you are in a season of waiting, as I am, be encouraged. Do not let your heart grow weary. He will not disappoint. Nothing will be so satisfying as waiting on our Savior.
James 1:2-4
2 My brothers, count it all joy when you fall into divers temptations;
3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith works patience.
4 But let patience have her perfect work, that you may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.
I recently came across this beautiful song titled, “While I Wait”
Listen below by the link
The Cleft of the Rock
Song of Solomon 2:14 “O my dove, that are in the clefts of the rock, in the secret places of the stairs (or the “inaccessible places”).
How Christ longs for us as His Bride to be in that place of the cleft of the Rock. Hidden away with Him, safe and secure from the world and the darts of the enemy. It is a place where even our own thoughts and feelings cannot control us, and His peace and presence is all we can know. It is a supernatural work that takes place for us to reach the cleft of the rock and remain high above the rest of the world.
This is a place Jesus shed His blood for us to abide in. Our suffering, our sin and pain He took on Himself, and opened the way for us to enter that Holy place, the place of the Rock. When He cried, “It is finished!” the Rock was rent; then were those secret places opened to us in which we are invited to hide away in. In this precious retreat the roaring lion has no reach, the plotting of men cannot touch it and strife cannot enter. Nothing can pull us out of this place if by faith we abide in Him.
Are you struggling with fear or are there cares of this world distressing you? Hide away in Jesus. “Commit your way to Him, trust also in Him and He will bring it to pass” Psalm 37:5
Are you misunderstood or unjustly accused? Run to the cleft of the Rock. It is here in the secret place that we can experience perfect love. “Perfect love casts out fear” 1 John 4:18
We cannot get to this high place on our own. The stairs are steep, and we are often concerned about things on the ground. We look at the waves and wind which take our eyes from Jesus. It is then we begin to sink into the distresses of this life. Fear and stress can consume us when we have our eyes on our circumstances.
Jesus is ever looking upon us as we climb the stairs and if our foot slips all we need do is cry, “Jesus!” and the strength of his hand will catch us. It is when our eyes are fixed on Jesus that our feet cannot slip or sink.
It is the working of grace in our lives that we reach the cleft of the Rock “not of works lest any man should boast” Ephesians 2:9
Christ laid Himself down for this supernatural work to take place in our lives and just like anything else it is a free gift. It is not easy to even find the stairs that lead up to this secret place, but He will lead you there. His Word says, “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asks receives; and he that seeks finds; and to him that knock it shall be opened.” Matthew 7:7-8.
“Draw me, we will run after thee….” Song of Solomon 1:4
Anonymous
An Eternal Perspective – Hannah Middleton
At the beginning of the year I walked into the darkest valley I have ever experienced.
I fought battles I never imagined I would set foot into. There were days I hoped for death, moments I was tempted with it. My body felt like it was dying, and it was as if someone else was in my head. To care for my children seemed an impossible task. Hopelessness crept in and His peace was far from me. I could not sense Him. I knew my feet were planted on The Rock but there were moments the waves disoriented me.
“Jesus help me, Jesus help me” I would say hundreds of times a day. I knew He was all I needed but, where was He? The days blurred together, and the nights were long. He kept me from many temptations as I waited for Him. And He came as He always does, He is truly nothing but faithful.
He spoke, and in that moment, I was free, free from everything in that valley that engulfed me. There was peace and I felt His presence. It was as if He lifted me up above that darkness and I could see the end of it, I could see eternity. I saw His purpose. I felt very small and fading, like a breath. Ecclesiastes became truer. I can bare this; I can walk through this valley for Jesus.
I have been given a new perspective by the Lord’s grace. I am not free of this valley, but the darkness is not quite as dark and heavens just around the bend! There has been a shift within me and I do not care about anything else. All that will pass away no longer matters to me as it once did.
The song “All I Once Held Dear” by Robin Mark has been my anthem.
“Now my heart’s desire is to know You more
To be found in You and known as Yours
To possess by faith what I could not earn
All-surpassing gift of righteousness
Knowing You, Jesus
Knowing You
There is no greater thing
You’re my all, You’re the best
You’re my joy, my righteousness
And I love You, Lord
Oh, to know the power of Your risen life
And to know You in Your sufferings
To become like You in Your death, my Lord
So with You to live and never die”
If you are facing the darkness of your valley or if the waves are crashing over your head, hold on. He will be your help; He will be your strength. Do not cease to cry out to Him for even though the darkness lasts what seems like forever; eternity is just around the bend! Even Jesus had to look ahead to the other side of the cross. Keep your feet on the Rock, He will come and He will bring the change only He can bring.
“Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal” –2 Corinthians 4:16-18