Why Wait?

[Neighbor]

Of course, waiting is not to be a sitting upon one's own hands while already on assignment by God as a soldier in the army of Jesus; for each soldier is to be doing all that is done to the Glory of God. All things, all things, and giving thanks to God in all matters. 

Sitting makes for idle hands and a quickly delusional mindset, making the perfect foil for satan's many minions. Better to get about the day, each day, for time is short, the workers are few, and the harvest is ready.

The best time to have done things was yesterday, the second best is today. Tomorrow,  why tomorrow may not be at all; best not to have been sitting waiting around when our Lord returns or our soul is required of us. Patience is not kin to idleness, it is a very different animal.

[Heybro]

While there is merit in both of your insights Neighbour and Jostler, for both are worthy, there must be a balance for both are true. There is work to be done, for our time here is definitely coming to a close. I'm reminded of Paul's exhortation to us about "faith and works" for both must walk hand in hand. Don't you find guys, that after a day at "work," you come home and you need to "draw aside" and rest awhile? As always, I hope this helps, God bless, as together we sow and grow.

[simplejeff]

6 hours ago, Jostler said:

My conviction  that this idea of waiting on Him and stillness in His presence is more important  now than it ever has been is  strong.

Yes.  Amen.   It is so.

 

from watchman nee's book,

sit, Walk, stand

Sit

“The God of our Lord Jesus Christ, .

. . raised him from the

dead, and made him to sit at his right hand in the heavenly

places, far above all rule, and authority, and power, and

dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this

world, but also in that which is to come” (1:17-21).

“And raised us up with him, and made us to sit with

him in the heavenly places, in Christ Jesus: .

. . for by grace

have ye been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves,

it is the gift of God; not of works, that no man should glory”

(2:6-9).

“God .

. . made him to sit .

. . and made us to sit

with him.” Let us first consider the implications of

-------------------
"introduction
If the life of a Christian is to be pleasing to God, it
must be properly adjusted to him in all things. Too
often we place the emphasis in our own lives upon
the application of this principle to some single detail
of  our  behavior  or  of  our  work  for  him.  Often  we
fail, therefore, to appreciate either the extent of the
adjustment  called  for  or,  at  times  even,  the  point
from  which  it  should  begin.  But  God  measures
everything, from start to finish, by the perfections
of his Son. Scripture clearly affirms that it is God’s
good pleasure “to sum up all things in Christ . . . in
whom  also  we  were  made  a  heritage”  (Ephesians
1:9-11). It is my earnest prayer that, in the discus-
sion that follows, our eyes may be opened afresh to
see  that  it  is  only  by  placing  our  entire  emphasis
there that we can hope to realize the divine purpose
for us, which is that “we should be unto the praise of
his glory” (1:12).
We shall take as a background to our thoughts
the Epistle of Paul to the Ephesians...... "

 

sit, Walk, stand

2

sit

3

this word “sit.” As we have said, it reveals the secret

of a heavenly life. Christianity does not begin with

walking; it begins with sitting.

[Heybro]

My darling wife brought this very message to our congregation over a couple of weeks last year, a timely message for reflection.

[Jostler]

43 minutes ago, Neighbor said:

Of course, waiting is not to be a sitting upon one's own hands while already on assignment by God as a soldier in the army of Jesus; for each soldier is to be doing all that is done to the Glory of God. All things, all things, and giving thanks to God in all matters. 

Sitting makes for idle hands and a quickly delusional mindset, making the perfect foil for satan's many minions. Better to get about the day, each day, for time is short, the workers are few, and the harvest is ready.

The best time to have done things was yesterday, the second best is today. Tomorrow,  why tomorrow may not be at all; best not to have been sitting waiting around when our Lord returns or our soul is required of us. Patience is not kin to idleness, it is a very different animal.

being busy according to our own understanding of what needs to be done  is not  pleasing to Him and will be counted a work of the flesh.  We are given ONE "work" to do and that is to believe.  If we believe we will CEASE doing our  own  works and enter  into His rest.  From that place of  rest He then begins  to  work through  us and we will be very,  very busy.  Not in our  own power doing what seems  right  to us, but in His power as He  works through  us  to accomplish His will in the earth.  It  is through us that His kingdom begins to manifest.  Human wills aligned  with  His  power.

Diligence in obeying Him  in  doing the  work He  indicates is  certainly necessary.  But it matters a lot just which  of us is deciding  what needs to be done and when.  And it is out  of His presence that His works  flow.  If you spend time  in His presence, you  can bet you'll  feel overwhelmed  by  what He has assigned you to  do   And if the doing were up to us and our power, it  would never get done.   It's not.  If He's doing  the work  through us there is nothing that can't be done.

[Neighbor]

5 hours ago, Jostler said:

being busy according to our own understanding of what needs to be done  is not  pleasing to Him and will be counted a work of the flesh.  We are given ONE "work" to do and that is to believe.  If we believe we will CEASE doing our  own  works and enter  into His rest.  From that place of  rest He then begins  to  work through  us and we will be very,  very busy.  Not in our  own power doing what seems  right  to us, but in His power as He  works through  us  to accomplish His will in the earth.  It  is through us that His kingdom begins to manifest.  Human wills aligned  with  His  power.

Diligence in obeying Him  in  doing the  work He  indicates is  certainly necessary.  But it matters a lot just which  of us is deciding  what needs to be done and when.  And it is out  of His presence that His works  flow.  If you spend time  in His presence, you  can bet you'll  feel overwhelmed  by  what He has assigned you to  do   And if the doing were up to us and our power, it  would never get done.   It's not.  If He's doing  the work  through us there is nothing that can't be done.

God provides understanding of what He wills, least for  for me He does, maybe He has to. He knows before I do. I am always playing catch up. No need to wait.

[simplejeff]

On 2/25/2019 at 2:29 PM, Annette said:

I am sure that the 40 years in the wilderness was a long time to wait for the promised land.

I think they waited over 400 years ,   in Egypt before the wilderness.

Many people luxuriate (don't realize the danger of this world's desires being sin)

for a number of decade,  before Yahweh delivers them , in His Grace,  from the world, like He delivered Israel from Egypt...

and then they too go thru "the wilderness", often with little or no teaching about this,  and often tempted, and maybe falling back,  to go to Egypt (the world's comforts/ desires/ lusts) .

Waiting is so important,  Listening to the Word of the Father,  AND Doing His Word.   (Who is My brother and My sister and My mother Jesus said rhetorically to His disciples and others ?  WHOEVER HEARS the Word of My Father, and Does It - they are My brother and My sister and My mother (the born again Ekklesia, immersed in His Name as His Word Says Do,  and set apart(EK) by the Father for Himself, for His Purpose and Plan in Christ Jesus) .  

As sheep,

wait on the Shepherd's Voice, 

then IF you hear His Voice, do not rebel as they did in the wilderness and perished !

Hear His Voice, and follow Him, and will not follow another....

[angels4u]

Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity. 1 Tim.4:12

 

[frienduff thaylorde]

12 hours ago, simplejeff said:

I think they waited over 400 years ,   in Egypt before the wilderness.

Many people luxuriate (don't realize the danger of this world's desires being sin)

for a number of decade,  before Yahweh delivers them , in His Grace,  from the world, like He delivered Israel from Egypt...

and then they too go thru "the wilderness", often with little or no teaching about this,  and often tempted, and maybe falling back,  to go to Egypt (the world's comforts/ desires/ lusts) .

Waiting is so important,  Listening to the Word of the Father,  AND Doing His Word.   (Who is My brother and My sister and My mother Jesus said rhetorically to His disciples and others ?  WHOEVER HEARS the Word of My Father, and Does It - they are My brother and My sister and My mother (the born again Ekklesia, immersed in His Name as His Word Says Do,  and set apart(EK) by the Father for Himself, for His Purpose and Plan in Christ Jesus) .  

As sheep,

wait on the Shepherd's Voice, 

then IF you hear His Voice, do not rebel as they did in the wilderness and perished !

Hear His Voice, and follow Him, and will not follow another....

And since we know ,  OR SHOULD KNOW that all holy scripture written is good for CORRECTION , reproof , instruction in RIGHTEOUSNESS.

And since we know or should know that all those admonitions were written for us , that we would NOT follow after their evil examples .

Let no man even be as ESSAU who sold his birthright for a bowl of beans   .  For many and I do mean many have sold their birthright FOR

the cares and pleasures IN LIFE and have choked the word .    Having ears they now hear not , having eyes they now see not ,

YET claim I see and I hear , THEREFORE THEIR SIN REMAINS .     I say again therefore their sin remains .

A man cannot be a servant to the table of Christ and belial.

He cannot serve darkness and light

He can not sip bitter and sweet .

It is ONE or the OTHER and who we obey HIS servants we are .     Let no man be a fornicator like essau and sell their birthright by following another spirit that allures

through the cares and pleasures in life , through the PRIDE of life and lusts of the flesh and eyes .

Armour up one and all,  For many are lost and have no idea they are .   For they follow darkness , the voice of another who is DARKNESS and yet appears

as an angel of light .   And his children think the darkness IS the LIGHT . BUT if the light which is in one , IS darkness, WOE unto that soul for great is that darkness .

[Neighbor]

Just to add to the discussion, as for myself, no at the end of a day I do not want nor need a rest nor desire a withdrawal. I want tomorrow to begin for the joy and the challenge of it.

All my careers have been service or hospitality related where the hours are long and there is no such thing as a 8 to 5 shift and a 40 hour week. I have run for many decades, over half a century on 2 to 5 hours sleep or rest  a day and many a time just rolled on through to the end of a second day or day and a half.

Now injured into retirement I dislike sleep all the more.

As to waiting on the Lord for guidance and direction and even mission, I find He is generally waiting on me to catch up to understanding what He wills of me now as his bond-servant. So I tend not to have much down time there either.

 I do like and live the idea that if one wants to have something done, find a busy person and seek out them to get'r done. Don't waste time explaining a need to a sitter.  They will just at best  put it on their calendar for later, and then  move it to even later and later.

There was a marvelous servant named Kenny who at 92 could still out hustle us all. He would not pay attention to time zones nor time of day, and might show up at any hour with a task to do  on his mind, needing a tool or an extra hand. I at first didn't understand his drive and tended to find him abrasive, but I learned to love the man. He was the good servant that just didn't ever think of himself, instead he was about tending to the needs of many retired missionaries and children and widows and orphans.

We all had Kenny stories to share. One day  we were having, and helping install some 8000 square foot of carpet at the church sanctuary. We had a lot of cut carpet ready to fit into place stacked up  at the portico, when it all disapppeared. Kenny had driven up, thought it was left over scrap, and had loaded up his  pick up and headed for the missionary retirement village to start carpeting there. I think he was 84 years old  at the time. Ha, no moss, no dust, under nor on Kenny. Kenny never had to wait on the Lord because the LORD just keep Kenny supplied with things ot be doing to save our sanity.