Come Down, Lord #7 – Waiting for God

English poet and theologian Frederick Faber wrote: “We must wait for God, long, meekly, in the wind and wet, in the thunder and lightning, in the cold and the dark. Wait, and he will come. He never comes to those who do not wait.”

God is a God of power. Where mountains tremble, fire blazes, and nations quake (Isaiah 64:1-2). God does awesome things, sometimes things beyond our expectation.

“For when you did awesome things that we did not expect, you came down, and the mountains trembled before you” (Isaiah 64:3).

Isaiah goes on to say, “Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who acts on behalf of those who wait for him” (Isaiah 64:4).

How do we wait for God?

We wait with expectation. We expect God to do great and mighty things, and we wait for it with a sense of anticipation.

Perhaps we don’t see God at work, because we don’t expect to see it. Good news proclaimed. A life transformed. An answer to prayer. Oppression broken. Freedom gained. Insight realized. Faith learned. Hope strengthened. Love overflowing.

Perhaps we don’t see God’s kingdom advancing, because we don’t expect to see it. People believing in Jesus. Belonging to God’s community. Becoming like Christ. Blessing others.

Therefore, be on the lookout for what God is doing. Look for it. Long for it. Labor for it. Stand on tiptoes. Stretch your neck in anticipation of seeing God in action.

We wait with purpose. Jesus asked blind Bartimaeus, “What do you want me to do for you?” He said, “Rabbi, I want to see” (Mark 10:51).

This means being desperate for God to come through in a situation that unless God comes through, it won’t happen.

This means being hungry and thirsty for a visitation from God that nothing else will satisfy.

We wait with patience. This may be harder. We want everything now, on our time table, and we want it fast. Yet “He never comes to those who do not wait.”

“Come down, Lord! . . . I wait for you.”

Action Step: Write out a prayer to God on what you are waiting for.

~ Pastor Dave