Wait on the Lord

I have been learning something lately about what it means to “wait on the Lord.”  It is not a passive state as one might think, but rather a very active one.  It’s not so much like waiting for a bus as it is like waiting on tables.  In the Bible verses where it appears it can mean “to look for, hope, expect” or “to bind together.”  Here are some things I’ve experienced recently about waiting on the Lord:

It is a time for listening to God rather than telling Him what I want.  His Word is the key to hearing Him.  As I hear, read, study, memorize, digest, and obey His Word, I know Him better and hear His voice. 

It is a time for praying to God.  We so often use prayer to tell God what we want, but prayer is another way to listen to God, especially when we pray about our daily Bible readings.  It is a means for offering Him our praise and yielding our will to His.

It is a time for reflecting on His majesty and greatness, which produces humility in me.  It is not expecting and hoping for God to eventually align His will with mine.  It is being in such awe of His Divine supremacy that I am able to humbly submit my will to His.  This enables me to have complete confidence and peace that wherever He leads, it is going to be amazing! 

It is a time for trusting how faithful He is and being aware of my own weakness.  It is being bound so tightly to Him that His strength becomes my strength.  In such a state, I no longer cling to my own desires or grievances but trust in Him with wholehearted joy.

It is a time for serving others and giving generously.  Just as Christ came not to be served but to serve, I take on His likeness when I focus on the needs of others and serve them in His name.  When I acknowledge that everything I have belongs to Him, I am able to share it with others to His glory.

It is a time for confessing and forgiving.  It is about searching my own heart for where I have sinned against God or others.  It is realizing where I have failed and asking for forgiveness, assured by the power of God’s Word that through Jesus Christ I am forgiven. It is also realizing where I have been withholding forgiveness and extending this Christ-like love to others.

It is a time for loving--loving God above all things, loving others as myself, loving the message of God's Word and sharing it with others so that they may know His love too!

“Waiting on the Lord” is not a temporary condition reserved for trying times; it is a life-long journey of walking with Christ who empowers us by His Spirit, transforms us to His likeness, and fills us with His love, peace and joy.

In truth, waiting on the Lord is not so much our actions as it is God’s action in us.  Here are some ways to wait on the Lord:

1. Going to church to receive the gifts of His Word and Sacraments
2. Studying His Word, the Holy Bible, wherein lies the power of His salvation
3. Praying to Him and feeling His presence always
4. Worshipping Him with psalms and hymns of praise
5. Spending time in fellowship with other Christians, exercising the “one anothers” of God’s Word
6. Serving others and giving generously to their needs as God provides
7. Sharing God's message of salvation with others so they will know Him and He will be glorified!

"Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors."  ((Proverbs 8:34)

"I wait for the LORD, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope." (Psalm 130:5)

"Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD."  (Psalm 27:14)

"...but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."  (Isaiah 40:31)

Imitators

"Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children"

(Ephesians 5:1).

We really enjoy watching our chickens roam about in the yard.  They entertain us with their antics.  For one thing, they are curious to the point of being nosy, straining their necks to see what is going on around them. They are also jealous and competitive to the point of being contentious.  If one hen pecks at the ground, the others all come running to see what she found, pushing and grabbing to claim it for their own.  And they imitate each other.  What one does, they all have to do--like little copycats playing "follow the leader."

It's fun to watch in chickens, but this kind of behavior is not so humorous among people.  When we cling to gossip, become jealous of others, or try to keep up with our neighbors (or even show them up), we are following the ways of the world rather than doing the will of God our Father.  As God's children, redeemed by Christ and renewed by His Spirit, our desire becomes like His: wanting to encourage and help others, to make sacrifices in order to share with those less fortunate, and to have humble hearts that are willing to serve.

"Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will" (Romans 12:2).

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First Grapes



First Grapes at Maple Grove

"How is the soil? Is it fertile or poor? Are there trees in it or not? Do your best to bring back some of the fruit of the land. (It was the season for the first ripe grapes)" (Numbers 13:20).

A few years ago we bought some grape plants and put them in the ground.  It has taken some effort: sinking posts for fencing and adding wire for the runners; applying fertilizer and mulch; combating droughts and insects.  At one point we even thought two of the plants had died out.  Now, finally, we are rejoicing in the "fruits" of our labor--our first grapes!!

In our daily Christian walk we plant the seeds of God's Word in our conversations with others.  We nurture these relationships as we lovingly offer our support through acts of kindness.  We stand by them when times are tough and when Satan attacks.  In our efforts, however, it is not we but the Holy Spirit who produces the fruit of Christian faith and love.  Without Christ in us, our labor is for nothing.

"I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing" (John 15:5).

Cairn



Cairn at Maple Grove



"And there you shall build an altar to the LORD your God,

an altar of stones" (Deuteronomy 27:5).

Cairns are man-made heaps of stones that have been erected all over the world since ancient times.  Varying in size and complexity, they serve as landmarkers. Some are built to mark graves, summit tops, or trailways.  Others mark the location of historical or memorable events. A carefully built cairn will stand perfectly balanced without the use of cements or adhesives.

In Old Testament times, God's people built altars of stones to mark the places where God rescued them or performed mighty acts. We built this cairn at Maple Grove several years ago as a monument to the greatness and goodness of our God.  It serves as a memorial for us to recount the ways He has blessed us and to testify to His mercy and faithfulness.

"When your children ask their fathers in times to come,

'What do these stones mean?' then you shall let your children know. . .

 that the hand of the LORD is mighty, that you may fear

the LORD your God forever" (Joshua 4:21-24).

Snow White

"Though your sins are like scarlet,they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson,they shall become like wool"

(Isaiah 1:18). 

The beauty of spring:  Eye-catching foliage found in dense, white snowballs and feathery, scarlet maples. 

The beauty of the Cross:  Heart-grabbing forgiveness found in the pureness of Christ's love and the shedding of His blood that wipes out our darkest sins and makes our hearts clean. 

"These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb" (Revelation 7:14).

Surrounded

"You are a hiding place for me; you preserve me from trouble; you surround me with shouts of deliverance" (Psalm 32:7).

Our home is surrounded by a variety of foliage; some of them are old heritage plants passed on from previous generations.  Whenever we hear the word "surrounded," we may think of being hedged in--by trouble or the enemy, with no way out. That surely is something we face in our lives. But there is another kind of being surrounded that does not leave us feeling defeated.

Christ surrounds us with His love and protection, keeping us safe and secure from temptation and evil's destruction. His presence gives us confidence, filling us with genuine peace and joy. 

We are also surrounded by the memory and encouragement of those who went before us, who taught us the Christian faith and passed  it on to us as a godly heritage.

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us"

(Hebrews 12:1).

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Bearing Fruit

"I will give you your rains in their season, and the land shall yield its increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit"

(Leviticus 26:4).

While we all complained about the steady doses of rain this spring, we nevertheless have been admiring and enjoying the new growth and full blossoms the rains brought forth, even from a very tender young tree.

At a tender young age, I remember complaining about having to memorize Bible verses for confirmation classes.  I am grateful now, however, for the steady dose of God's Word that produces the fruits of the Spirit in a Christian's life.

"The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit" (Galatians 5:22-25).

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Not the End

"See, the LORD your God has given you the land. Go up and take possession of it as the LORD, the God of your fathers, told you.
Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged" (Deuteronomy 1:21).

I gently slid the window open to peek at the nestlings who hatched from their eggs only two weeks ago.  All three of them were facing outward, peering over the edge of the nest.  As I raised my camera to capture a photo, they all sprang from the nest and flew straight ahead.  Their abrupt flight startled me and left me feeling disappointed that I wouldn't see them again.  I reflected on what a joy it had been to watch them grow and mature, and I was glad I was there to see them fly away.  I stared at the distant trees and realized that a wonderful new world was waiting for them to experience.

A wonderful new world is waiting for those who belong to Christ. Whoever believes in Him "has everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life (John 5:24).  As long as we are here on this Earth, we continue to grow and mature in our faith until He brings all things to completion.  At that time, He will create a new heaven and a new earth, so that death is not the end but only the beginning.

 "Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. . . and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away" (Revelation 21:1-4).

Thank you for following Lady Robin's story.  Continue to visit http://www.skyredatnight.blogspot.com/ for more observations of God's presence among us.  God bless you.

Jesus said, ". . . whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life" (John 4:13-14). 

A'flap'a Your Arms

"They shall come and sing aloud on the height of Zion, and they shall be radiant over the goodness of the LORD. . . Then shall the
young women rejoice in the dance, and the young men and
the old shall be merry" (Jeremiah 31:12-14). 

Baby birds know instinctively how to flap their wings before they leave the nest. But it takes time and practice for their muscles to strengthen before they become good at flying.  So these young nestlings spend part of their day entertaining us with the Bird Dance.  Do you know it?

"Uh well a'shake'a your shoulders and a'move'a your feet.

We're gonna stomp to the Bird Dance Beat.

Uh well a'flap'a your arms and a'move'a your hands.

We're gonna rock to the Bird Dance band."

Some people think that Christians are straight-laced, boring, and don't know how to have fun.  Maybe some are.  It depends on how you measure what's fun and what's boring.  Those who are in Christ have more to sing about, more to dance around, and more to rejoice over than any other people in the world! So with songs in our hearts, light steps in our feet, arms stretched upward in gratitude, let's rejoice over the greatness of God's love and praise Him forever!

"Praise the LORD! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens! Praise him for his mighty deeds; praise him according to his excellent greatness! . . .Praise him with tambourine and dance; praise him with strings and pipe! . . . Let everything that has breath praise the LORD! Praise the LORD!" (Psalm 150:1-6).

The Bird Dance Beat -  The Trashmen, 1964

By What Appearance

"The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart"  (1 Samuel 16:7 ).

This young Robin is learning the skill of preening its feathers and spends a lot of time in this activity.  The birds' feathers are important for flying, body temperature, protection from the environment, and even for courtship.  Without feathers, they could not survive, so it is a vital part of their nature to pay careful attention to their grooming.

We are taught good grooming practices from the time we are young.  Taking care of our bodies is God-pleasing and essential to our good health and to our relationships.  Unfortunately, we live in a superficial world where people judge each other by their looks. The temptation is to put too much emphasis on outward appearances.

God doesn't focus on our outward appearance. It is what's on the inside--the condition of our "heart"--that matters most to Him. He focuses on developing our inner beauty so that He is reflected in our lives by what we think, say and do.

"Charm is deceptive, and beauty is vain: but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised" (Proverbs 31:30).

"For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror" (James 1:23).