How does one “wait on the Lord”?

Isaiah 40:31 says that, those who wait on the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint. (NKJV)

Years ago, I heard this woman over the radio share how she got up every morning, sat on her sofa, closed her eyes, quieted her heart, and – as she sat very still – she waited for God to speak to her.

She sounded to me like such a godly inspiration!  However, I had to be honest with myself and accept the fact that her morning experiences would never work for someone like me.  Really, comatose as I am every morning, sitting on a warm and cozy couch and closing my eyes would only make me snore.  As far as I recall, I have never successfully quieted my heart or mind by sitting down attempting to be still.

Even if I managed to stay awake, my mind would drift from the Lord and his goodness to my unfinished grocery list or the next project that needs tackling or whether or not my son’s appointment was this afternoon or the next.

Definitely not a very productive, quiet bonding time with Jesus.

I have friends I greatly admire, who can sit through an hour-long meeting without moving a muscle.  They appear calm and relaxed and focused.  When I find myself wondering what would that be like, I cringe remembering I need to be paying attention to what’s being said instead of gaping at people.  It’s very sad.

So what did the Psalmist mean by being “still before the LORD and wait[ing] patiently for him” (Psalm 37:7, NIV)?  Does that mean that un-still, extremely impatient gals like me are basically doomed?

Fear not my fellow ADHD-ers!

As I shared with you before, I do get up every morning and I do eventually manage to slow down the ol’ mind and sit on my comfy recliner to spend quality time with God.  Sometimes I even close my eyes without drifting into beautiful places where George Clooney or a much younger Paul Newman tell me I am the one, and I flutter my long and dense eye lashes and tell them, “Oh, stop it!”  And you say, in you dreams, girl!  And I say, exactly.  So… where was I?

Oh, yes!  How do I wait?  To me, the simple act of honoring the Lord by prioritizing my devotional is an act of waiting.  I’d much rather jump out of bed and dive directly into my to-do list (those are figures of speech, it’d be more precise to say, “drag myself out of bed” and after a shower and a cup of coffee or two” engage in my daily chores” but I’m still dreaming.)

One of the many things I love about Christianity is that it is so practical.  I can do practical.  I can get up in the mornings to take the time to pray and read my Bible.  I can force myself to do this before doing anything else.  And, for me, that is as still and as patient as it’s going to get.  But God knows that in my heart I am seeking to honor Him.

And that, my friends, is how I wait. 

How do you wait on the Lord?  I’m dying to hear.

Curious,

Ana

           Singing in the worship band gives me a unique viewpoint of our church on Sundays.   On my assigned weeks, I stand on stage waiting for the service to begin.   People are still filing in as the taped music stops and the worship leader steps up to the microphone to welcome the congregation.  The lights dim as the tap of the drumsticks signal the band to begin.

            Soon the swell of the music and a chorus of voices – young and old – fill the room.  By the second song, the house lights are completely off and the only lights shining in the room are on us.  Except for the back door.  Which is where I face. 

            Each time the door opens to let in latecomers, outside light shines brightly for a brief moment.  From where I stand, it’s like a spot light.  It’s so bright, and so far away, that I can’t see the faces of those who come in late. But every once in awhile I dream … sort of one of those awakening dreams.  But this one feels real.  I dream that Jesus walks in. 

            In my mind, I see Him walking up the aisle.  No one notices Him because their eyes are focused on the words on the screen, or they are closed in worship.  He slowly looks left then right.  He keeps on walking toward the front.  Finally, He reaches the steps below me and slowly ascends them.  When He gets to the top of the stage, He turns to receive the worship that is being offered Him.

            I wonder what Jesus feels as He looks out over the flock of people.  Is He pleased?  Is He frustrated that so many thoughts are on lunch?  Does He want to reach out and grab the hands that are raised in worship and surrender?

            Sometimes I long to see Jesus walk in my church so desperately, I can feel my heart pound.  Can you imagine what would happen?  Can you imagine how people would grab their friends with diseases and go running toward Him?  Can you imagine parents carrying their hurting children to Him?   The press of people would be intense.  Those with addictions, emotional hurts and illnesses would stretch out their hands just to touch Him.  People would drop to their knees in adoration.

            Before I “awake” and realize it was only a dream, I remember the words of Jesus: “For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them” (Matthew 18:20).  And I realized that Jesus has come to my church. He is there to receive my worship.  He is there to touch the hands of the broken hearted.  He longs to heal those who are hurting.

            Unfortunately, many times I’m simply hoping that God will “show up.”  As if He might be too busy to stop by my church that day. Yet by Jesus’ very own words, He is already there.  My waking dream is a reality.  Maybe Jesus doesn’t stand next to me, but He’s in the room.  I need that truth to soak into my heart every time I gather with other believers. 

            The same Jesus who healed the blind man and raised the dead, has come to our church this week. 

In His Love,

Glynnis

P.S.  I’ll be giving away the book “Setting Up Stones:  A Parent’s Guide to Making Your Home a Place of Worship.”   To enter the drawing, please leave a comment and share your favorite worship song.  I’ll select a winner at random on Sunday, May 17th at 5 p.m.  Make sure to include your email address so we can contact you!

Psalm 5:3, In the morning, oh Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation. (NIV)

Most days, I wake up around the same time.  Most days, I have a to-do list a mile long.  Most days, I battle the urge to jump out of bed and tackle this list, ASAP… but I know better.

A sweet voice whispers in my ear, nudging me out of bed, down the stairs and onto my living room recliner, for a meeting with my Creator.  The inclination to rush through my prayer requests so that I can move on with my day intensifies… but I know better.

On good days, I take deep breaths, pace the living room floor, and beg, “Lord, please calm down this crazy mind of mine!  I need You.  I know better than to start my day without Your touch.  Please teach me to wait on You.”

On the not-so-good ones, I just pace the living room floor and begin the sprint down my prayer list.  Mercifully, it doesn’t take long for the Holy Spirit to capture my heart and mind and to take me to a place where, enthralled by His love, I forget all about life’s rushes.

This act of obedience and submission is what I call “a tithe of my time.” When you tithe, you give back a small percentage of the total amount God blesses you with.  When you tithe your income, you trust Him to bless the remainder percentage so that is enough to fulfill your financial obligations.

In the same manner, when I have enough sense to start my day dedicating a small portion of it to spend it solely with God – what I call my devotional – I am trusting Him to bless the remainder hours of the day so that I can get done whatever needs to.

The beauty of this spiritual mini-battle I face every morning is two-fold.  On one hand, the more I experience God’s presence the easier it gets to overcome my selfish, hardheaded ways and my tendencies to skip my devotional.  On the other, the more I see the difference this investment of my time makes on the rest of my day –and on my attitude – the more I am compelled to “re-invest” the following morning.

Praying is not hard for someone like me, who’s enjoyed a relationship with God since her youth.  I pray all the time!  The deal with someone like me, a doer plagued by impatience and impulsiveness, is that it is very hard not to treat her morning devotionals like another item in her to-do list.

It is hard for girls like me to wait upon the Lord.  But girls like me, who understand the difference those early encounters make in their lives, know better.

Is it hard for you to slow down and wait?  If so, tell us about it!  We at Vineyard Women love to hear your insights.

Some of you might know that I’m a backup singer on the worship band.  I used to sing only at the 8:30 service, but you’ve probably noticed that the bands now rotate.  So you’ll see me every third Sunday (unless I’m on vacation or speaking somewhere)

Most singers don’t dream about doing backup vocals.  Neither did I.  As a child, I was the one pretending a hairbrush was a microphone, singing with my favorite band playing on the record album, and imaging the day they would call me on stage and introduce me as their new lead singer.   That was my dream.  Not doing backup harmonies.

It’s amazing how God redirected my life.  Now, I wouldn’t trade my place in the shadows of the stage for the promise of a record contract.  Why?  It’s in the role of a backup singer that I’ve learned spiritual lessons that have impacted my life far beyond a 20-minute worship segment on Sunday morning.

When we lead worship, I’m always listening to the leader’s voice, and then choosing the right note to create harmony.  Where the leader’s voice goes, mine follows.  On the occasion the leader ad-libs at the last minute, and deviates from the melody, my job is to stop singing until I can find the right harmony.  If I insisted on singing the notes I believe I “should” be singing, I’d create disharmony that would distract the congregation from their worship.

As a backup singer, I am not to draw attention to myself.  It’s not the time to try out a fancy new vocal move, or add some dramatic vibrato.  Harmony is not the lead, it’s the soft support that should enhance the leader’s voice, and allow those singing to follow the leader, not me.

That’s what God is calling me to do in my personal life too.  I’m to listen to the quiet voice of God speaking to me through the Scriptures and prayer, and then to choose to live my life in harmony to that voice.  I am not to live a life that draws attention to myself as someone worthy of following.  But instead to live so that others are drawn to Christ. 

I’ve learned a lot from being a backup singer.  Being alert to what God is doing in and around me, then choosing to bring harmony rather than discord, is a valuable lesson.

In His Love,

Glynnis

Visit my blog at www.GlynnisWhitwer.com