Judgment, Mercy, or Both

There is an awareness that can come upon one who is waiting on God.  As you wait, you should become increasingly aware of God's holiness and increasingly aware of your sin.  Murray points out in day 19 of his devotional that God is both the God of mercy and the God of judgment.

So if awareness of God's holiness leads us to see our sin, then this awareness should lead us to a greater understanding of God's salvation.  Truly God is good, because of His great love He is able to save someone as sinful as me!  I hope you too have come to the same understanding - That a perfectly holy God loves you and has provided a way, Jesus, to pay for your sin.

-Mark

Waiting as a Church

Murray used Isaiah 25:9 in his devotional titled, "To Reveal Himself." It is a beautiful verse that gives the reader a glimpse into the hearts of those waiting.  It speaks of that moment when God delivers those waiting. And what is their response? "Look, here is our God!....Let us rejoice and be glad in His salvation!"  Finally, those waiting upon God see Him revealed and come to celebrate their salvation and deliverance from their dark circumstances.

Murray focused his discussion on a congregation that is waiting on God.  I wondered as I read it, how many churches are waiting on God? Or are they marching on to their own drumbeat, oblivious to God's desires for them? Hmmm?

You can read Murray's devotional by clicking  here.

-Mark

Waiting for Others

Sometimes it is not for self that we seek God's face, but for others.  Murray addressed this on day 17, using Isaiah 8:17.  However, Murray takes it in an unexpected direction.  He notes that many do not wait because there is no life in their faith. They are spiritually dead. 

"You worship with a certain congregation. Possibly there is not the spiritual life or joy either in the preaching or in the fellowship that you could desire. You belong to a Church, with its many congregations. There is so much of error or worldliness, of seeking after human wisdom and culture, or trust in ordinances and observances, that you do not wonder that God hides His face, in many cases, and that there is but little power for conversion or true edification."

So Murray focused on those who claim Christ but are spiritually dead. And they are dead to the point that God has turned His face from them. It is for those that we are to wait.  And as we wait, we must believe that God can and will deliver them.

-Mark

God's Counsel in Your Time of Need

In Murray's devotional, on day 15, I learned that believers often fail to get God's counsel in their time of need. I feel that this happens at both extremes.  When we come out of a dark place and stand on the mountain top, God's counsel is not considered. Why? Because life is good.  Or, when we are in the dark place we do not seek God's counsel? Why? Because we only want deliverance not feedback.

We all know where to find the whole counsel of God - the Bible. But, it seems to me that whether in good or bad the Bible is not considered.  We stand and celebrate deliverance, then go forth in ignorance, or we cry out in darkness for deliverance, but only open the Bible to where it brings comfort; never to where it is pointed.

Look to the whole counsel of God in your times of trouble and in your times of joy.

-Mark

Life in the Tunnel - "Oh God Where is the Light!?"

I think that today's devotional from Murray's Waiting on God is my favorite. It is Day 14 and is titled "The Way to The New Song." If you find that you are living life in a dark tunnel looking for the end and the light, then I suggest that you go and read in full what Murray has to say.

Murray speaks from personal experience when he shares that patience and suffering are firmly linked both in language and in biblical teaching. However, Murray then notes that it is God who gives His children the strength to wait, to practice patience, to suffer as we look to God for deliverance.  He shares, "Have you ever noticed what proof we have that patience is a grace for which very special grace is given, in these words of Paul: 'Strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, unto all' - what? 'patience and long-suffering with joyfulness.' Yes, we need to be strengthened with all God’s might, and that according to the measure of His glorious power, if we are to wait on God in all patience. It is God revealing Himself in us as our life and strength that will enable us with perfect patience to leave all in His hands."

I am thinking of many that even now are in the dark tunnel of life. To them it seems that there is no end in sight. They long to round the bend and see the promised light.  But still they press on. And still there is only darkness.  Murray's words give hope and a promise - that there is an end and at that at that end God will give all those who endure a new song. So my friends start humming and warming up the vocal chords; for soon you will be singing anew.

Murray's devotional is posted here. Go down to day 14 and read his insights.

-Mark

Keeping His Ways When Your World Comes Crashing Down

I had to take Saturday-Tuesday off from posting because of weekend responsibilities and a funeral on Tuesday. However, now we will resume the subject of waiting on God.  I have been reading through Andrew Murray's devotional, Waiting on God, and commenting on it. Normally after skipping a weekend, I resume on track. However, I cannot let Day 12 pass without comment.

Murray uses Psalm 37:34 and Isaiah 64:5 to stress the importance of keeping God's ways during your time of waiting on Him.  This devotional addresses a subject common among those that are waiting on God - the difficulty of godly living when your world does not make sense, when your life is crashing down around you.

There are several areas of difficulty for those who wait on God. Murray notes that it is important that the believer's outer life be in harmony with his inner life.  He writes, "How close the connection between the two parts of the injunction, 'Wait on the Lord,' - that has to do with worship and disposition; 'and keep His ways,' - that deals with walk and work. The outer life must be in harmony with the inner; the inner must be the inspiration and the strength for the outer."  On our own strength, I would say "Easier said than done, Mr. Murray." However, on God's strength, all things are possible.

It seems to me that there are at least three reactions during a time of waiting. One is faith in His righteousness. Another is to turn away from God.  Finally, and Murray addresses this, calling out God on the unfairness of life. "Life is not fair" or "Why do the unrighteous prosper and the righteous suffer?"  Take time and read Murray's thoughts on this. Also see Psalm 73. Asaph almost slipped into this problem.

Hopefully, I can keep up now that the dust has settled. You can read Murray's devotional by clicking here.

-Mark

Patience and Real Life

I am unsure if impatience is technically a sin.  Probably the idea of it is not, but the behavior associated with it is.  Regardless, Murray speaks to this subject in his day 11 devotional.  Using Psalm 37:7,9 he teaches that patience is an important part of Christian character.

It is interesting to think back on some of my mentors. Most, but not all, men in ministry have been patient. Most, but not all, leaders in my military career were impatient.  Why the difference? Because there are expectations of behavior in both cultures; and in the ministry time is a greater luxury. Also, in ministry we are dealing with real life; where patience is needed and dependence upon God a necessity. The military is not necessarily real life, but only the mission at hand; and dependence upon each other is the expectation; not dependence upon God.

I do like Murray's words where he writes, "All the exercises of the spiritual life, our reading and praying, our willing and doing, have their very great value. But they can go no farther than this, that they point the way and prepare us in humility to look to and to depend alone upon God Himself, and in patience to wait His good time and mercy. The waiting is to teach us our absolute dependence upon God’s mighty working, and to make us in perfect patience place ourselves at His disposal. They that wait on the Lord shall inherit the land; the promised land and its blessing. The heirs must wait; they can afford to wait."

In other fields, like that of the military, we do not seek to be dependent upon God. But in real life we ultimately have only that. Real life is too big for us to fully depend on each other.  We need a savior, and that savior is The Lord. And, since we have such a savior, then it a blessing to wait patiently on Him, because when He provides it will be worth the wait.

You can read Murray's devotional by clicking here.

-Mark

Great Words of Hope and Comfort

Psalm 33:18-22 is our passage today.  In it we find great words of hope and comfort for those that believe on the Lord.  In your time of need, when you are looking up to God for help, He is looking at you. And for what purpose is God looking? He is looking to deliver you from your struggles, from your misfortune.

In day 10 of Murray's devotional he comments on this, "And now, think of the God on whom we wait. 'The eye of the Lord is on them that fear Him, on them that hope in His mercy; to deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine.' Not to prevent the danger of death and famine –– this is often needed to stir the waiting on Him –– but to deliver and to keep alive. For the dangers are often very real and dark; the situation, whether in the temporal or spiritual life, may appear to be utterly hopeless. There is always one hope: God’s eye is on them."

Just think, at your time of greatest need, as you cast your face towards God, calling out for help, He is looking right at you. He is reaching down to deliver you.  Let these words be great words of hope and comfort as you wait on Him.

-Mark

Oh, Lord, I just don't understand

Often the things in life that make us wait upon God are beyond our comprehension and power. We just do not understand why nor do we have the ability to change it.  Within our time of waiting a common prayer is to say to God, "I don't understand. Why is this happening?"  Murray addresses this in day nine of his devotional.

Using both Psalm 31:24 and Proverbs 3:5, Murray sorts a person's inner man into two sections - the mind, which is the area of reason, and the heart, which is man's area to connect with God.  I do not take his position. Rather I sort people based on body, soul, and spirit. However, I do agree that people tend to either follow their heart or their mind. They  follow their heart to the exclusion of doctrine (logic). Others are so heavy on doctrine that there is no heart in their faith.

Unfortunately the second paragraph has strayed away from Murray's intent to help us learn to wait when we do not understand. So let's return to that. Murray writes, "This is now the blessedness of waiting upon God, that I confess the impotence of all my thoughts and efforts, and set myself still to bow my heart before Him in holy silence, and to trust Him to renew and strengthen His own work in me. And this is just the lesson of our text, "Let your heart take courage, all ye that wait on the Lord." Remember the difference between knowing with the mind and believing with the heart. Beware of the temptation of leaning upon your understanding, with its clear strong thoughts. They only help you to know what the heart must get from God: in themselves they are only images and shadows."

So in our times when life does not make sense, wait on God. Why? Because all our thougts and efforts are impotent, powerless.  But God can strengthen, God can restore, God can renew, God can heal, God can.....

I'll try and catch up late this evening. If not, I'll see you tomorrow.

-Mark

How Do The Unbelievers Do It?

Reading Murray's devotional for day eight I am reminded of an unanswered question that I have often pondered. "How do the unbelievers do it?" How do they survive in times of struggle? How do they deal with the grave illness of a loved one, the death of a child, the loss of a job? How do they do it?

Murray used Psalm 27:14.  The believer is encouraged to be strong and to take courage. He points out that the believer, as he waits on God, is still surrounded by what caused him to wait - the loved one is still ill, the child still dead, the job no more. But still God tells us to wait and be strong. Why? Because in Him is our only hope. Murray writes, "The one lesson our text teaches us is this, that when we set ourselves to wait on God we ought beforehand to resolve that it shall be with the most confident expectation of God’s meeting and blessing us. We ought to make up our minds to this, that nothing was ever so sure, as that waiting on God will bring us untold and unexpected blessing."

How do the unbelievers do it? They wait on their own strength, on the government, on family & friends, on neighbors....all of which will ultimately fail or disappoint.  But not God. He never fails. Wait on Him with expectation that when He moves you will receive untold and unexpected blessings.

-Mark

Thinking of Others in Your Time of Need

Psalm 25:3 reads, "Let none that wait on Thee be ashamed." Murray uses this statement to encourage those hurting, those waiting upon God, to lift up others in prayer. This idea has much merit. During your dark times, as you seek the face of God, it is important that you lift up the needs of others.

Recently, I started reading Francis Chan's book Crazy Love.  I'm not far enough along to give an opinion; however, I did enjoy his illustration about how we think we are the stars in this movie of life.  Whereas truthfully, God is the focus.  We think as we wait on God, that we only have problems.  However, if we take that time to lift up others, it takes the focus off of us and puts the focus back where it belongs on God.

So as you seek God's direction in life, lift up others in prayer and change your focus from self to God.

I will not post tomorrow, because it is Sunday, so I will see you again Monday.  If you would like to read Andrew Murray's devotional you can click here.

-Mark

Now that I'm Waiting, What Now?

Yesterday, we addressed the need for all those in a season of hurt to wait upon God.  When life has knocked you down, take that as an opportunity to bow before God and wait on Him.  But what do we do, if we do anything, while we wait?  I think the primary activity of one waiting is not praying, as we learned yesterday, but spending time in His Word.

Murray used Psalm 25:4-5 to teach that often when we wait we are waiting on instructions. The instructions of God always come from His Word, the Bible.  Much of the hardships of life are too complicated for us to truly solve.  Life can be overwhelming.  Only God, our creator, can give sound teaching on how to deal with these issues.  Sometimes these instructions are words of wisdom, such as those found in Proverbs. Other times they are the promises of God scattered throughout the Bible.  In all of God's Word we must have faith; faith in His righteousness, faith in His ways, faith in His promises.

If you find yourself in a time of waiting, be quiet before God and listen to and read His Word.

I will see you tomorrow.  Murray's devotional can be found here.

For All Those Hurting

Day four of the devotional was wonderful, for it made me think of all those hurting people. Of late, we at Wakefield Valley Bible Church have endured much heartache - disease, death, and the uncertainties of life. (How am I going to pay my bills? What's going on in my marriage?) Today though, God speaks to all those that are enduring such.

The passage for today is Psalm 145:14-15.  In these simple lines are some beautiful words for all that hurt, "The Lord upholdeth all that fall, And raiseth up all those that be bowed down. The eyes of all wait upon Thee."  Do you feel knocked down? Well just stay down there but turn and bow before God's throne, and wait.  Do you feel like you cannot go on?  Bow down before God and then raise your eyes toward Him and wait.

When we wait, we do not pray, but we wait.  There is a difference, and Murray addresses this.  He writes, "If the question be asked, whether this be anything different from what we do when we pray, the answer is, that there may be much praying with but very little waiting on God. In praying we are often occupied with ourselves, with our own needs, and our own efforts in the presentation of them. 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."

So for all those hurting, all those in doubt, all those longing, go before God, bow down, and wait. And as you wait, look up to Him, because in His time He will reveal Himself and overshadow you with Himself.

I'll see you tomorrow.  You can read Andrew Murray's devotional by clicking here.

-Mark

The Value of God - Day Three

On day three of the devotional, Murray looks at Psalm 104:27-28. In this passage the psalmist considers the creation and its dependence on God.  In the psalm God is portrayed as the great creator God, clothed in splendor; and through His word mountains rise and valleys sink to the their appointed place. 

God is not only the creator but also the provider.  He provides the needs of His creation.  The creation looks up to God to provide.  And it on this idea that Murray lingers and it is this idea that Murray links to man; our needs are provided by God, so wait on Him. "And just as this is the very place and nature of God, to be unceasingly the supplier of every want in the creature, so the very place and nature of the creature is nothing but this - to wait upon God and receive from Him what He alone can give, what He delights to give."

This idea should shape and change our worship.  When we find our dependence in Him, then our love and passion for Him should increase and thus be reflected back to Him.  The very word worship means to show worth.  If we are totally dependent upon God then His worth cannot be measured.  God's worth far exceeds even our imagination.  Therefore our worship back up to Him should note that. "Let us resolve at once that it shall be the one characteristic of our life and worship, a continual, humble, truthful waiting upon God. We may rest assured that He who made us for Himself, that He might give Himself to us and in us, that He will never disappoint us. In waiting on Him we shall find rest and joy and strength, and the supply of every need."

See you tomorrow.  You can read an online version of Waiting on God by clicking here.

-Mark

The Creator Working in Us

Last Sunday night in small groups we were studying Philippians 2:12-30.  One of the members, Doris, pointed out the wonder - that God, who created the stars, is doing a work in her!  It is this same idea that Andrew Murray shares in day two of his devotional titled Waiting On God. In day two Mr. Murray uses Genesis 49:18 to teach that, "...there is no salvation but God’s salvation... ." Later he says, "What He asks of us, in the way of surrender, and obedience, and desire, and trust, is all comprised in this one word: waiting on Him, waiting for His salvation." 

These are the ideas he links to the Genesis passage.  However, it was Doris' observation concerning Philippians 2:12-15 that came together for me in the Murray reading.  God is working in me. This same God, the only God, the Creator of all, is doing that work in me! Murray picks up on this idea when he states, "Again, I say, let us meditate on the divine glory of the salvation God purposes working out in us, until we know the truths it implies. Our heart is the scene of a divine operation more wonderful than Creation."

Now that's a thought! But how is it that we daily forget this fact, the fact of the Creator God working in us?  It is because we have boiled our existence down to the daily routine - family, work, eat, sleep - and have forgotten God. Or at best, we have shunted God off to Sundays and then ignore Him Monday-Saturday.  I need to live daily aware of God working in me. I need to live daily waiting on God.

See you tomorrow.  You can read an online version of Murray's devotional by clicking here.

-Mark

Man, I hate to wait!

So here I sit waiting on a man form the city water department to come and repair our water meter.  When the appointment was set, it was made for 8 AM to noon.  I assumed that this meant it would take four hours to repair the device. Well what it really meant was that sometime during these four hours he would show up and make the repair. So here I sit - waiting.

When I set an appointment for my doctor, I never have to wait, but I am quickly taken to the little room and he soon appears. My dentist is even more efficient. I sit down in the waiting room and before I can finish the People magazine article on Tiger Woods, she calls be back. Even my plumber arrives when he says he will arrive.  Why then do I have to wait for this service?

While I am waiting I thought that I would consider what it means to wait upon God.  I began to look at verses and search the internet for articles on this subject. While on the internet I came across Andrew Murray's book Waiting on God. Murray was a Dutch Reformed pastor that served in South Africa.  From my understanding he wrote devotional literature. Waiting on God is such a book.  It takes the subject and divides it up into 31 days. So I thought I would take the 31 day challenge, read his thoughts and comment on them.

Day One
Murray starts with Psalm 62:1 and titles the first day "The God of Our Salvation."  (I wish that he had included Psalm 62:2 and 62:5-6 in this first day, for they flesh out the idea of waiting.)  God is the God of my salvation! And He is my rock, my defense, and I know that because of Him, along with salvation, or victory over sin, I shall not be moved!   Thus I depend on Him for salvation and defense.  Because of Him alone, I can stand.  It is in that place, dependence upon God, that believers need to wait.  Murray says, "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."

Why then do I, and probably you, hate to wait?  Even on God we show this impatience.  Because we either do not understand our dependence upon Him or we would rather attempt it on our own. The latter idea, attempting on our own, is part of our fallen nature.  So the old man calls us to abandon God and return to doing things like we used to do.  Also, I think it is because we do not know or understand Psalm 62:5-6, "...for my expectation is from Him."  My hope is found in and only in God.  Take a moment and think upon your hopes and dreams.  Are they the hopes and dreams God has for you or are they void of Him?  Murray says it this way, "It is, then, because Christians do not know their relation to God of absolute poverty and helplessness, that they have no sense of the need of absolute and unceasing dependence, or the unspeakable blessedness of continual waiting on God."

For me to learn to wait I must realize my absolute poverty and then turn to Christ and find my hopes in Him, my victory in Him, and my salvation in Him.

See you tomorrow.  You can read an online version Murray's book Waiting on God here. There's the doorbell. I think the repair man has finally arrived!

-Mark