Saturday, June 30, 2012

Waiting on God


I am rereading Andrew Murray's little known book called Waiting on God.  In the first entry Murray makes a bold and profound claim, "All that the Church and its members need for the manifestation of the mighty power of God in the world, is the return to our true place, the place that belongs to us, both in creation and redemption, the place of absolute and unceasing dependence upon God" (p. 15).  He claims that the "one thing" keeping us back is our inconsistent waiting on God.  Keep in mind that Murray died in 1917!  How much more true is his evaluation of the Church today?  More specifically, how much more true is his evaluation of me and my lack of waiting on God?  When I do not see God move in the way and time that I believe that He should how quick I am to move in to help Him out as if He needs my help.



Throughout this beautiful little devotional Murry unpacks what waiting on God looks like for the child of God.
In waiting upon God, the first thought is of the God upon whom we wait. We enter His presence, and feel we need just to be quiet, so that He, as God, can overshadow us with Himself. God longs to reveal Himself, to fill us with Himself. Waiting on God gives Him time in His own way and divine power to come to us. It is specially at the time of prayer that we ought to set ourselves to cultivate this spirit. Before you pray, bow quietly before God, just remember and realize who He is, how near He is, how certainly He can and will help. Just be still before Him, and allow His Holy Spirit to waken and stir up in your soul the child-like disposition of absolute dependence and confident expectation. Wait upon God as a Living Being, as the Living God, who notices you, and is just longing to fill you with His salvation. Wait on God till you know you have met Him; prayer will then be come so different.  Murray, Andrew (2010-06-01). Waiting on God (pp. 10-11).  . Kindle Edition. 
Father in Heaven,
teach me to wait on You in a way that brings You glory and fills me with the joy of my Master.  I rejoice in knowing that the God who fills all in all, the God who adopted me through Jesus Christ, longs to reveal Himself to me and longs to fill me with His glorious presence!  Teach me to wait joyfully, expectantly, delighting in You and You alone.

 “From of old no one has heard or perceived by the ear, no eye has seen a God besides you, who acts for those who wait for him. (Isaiah 64:4)