Waiting on the Lord?
When some people say they are waiting on the Lord, what they really mean is they are procrastinating. Some have been given a vision, and with it, instructions. Obviously, there is a time and season to everything; however, some have exceeded their start time. They haven’t begun to do what the Lord has asked of them. They might say, “I haven’t felt led to start.” Perhaps, it would be more appropriate to say, “I don’t want to be led.”
Why do they not want to be led? Why the procrastination? Some might say, fear. The thought of stepping out by faith, scares the liver out of them. Yes, the fear of man is probably the biggest phobia. They are more concerned about what others will say, than what God says. While they may want to obey, they haven’t mustered the courage to begin. And that’s the problem: they’re trying to be bold in their own strength. That generally does not work so well.
2 Corinthians 12:9 And He said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for My strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
Walking by faith is not a solo endeavor. On the contrary, it’s a partnership based on God’s Covenant. Covenants and contracts are similar in that they both are binding agreements in which two or more enter. A contract is an agreement between two equal bargaining positions; however, in biblical covenants, they are generally not between equals. Furthermore, they are ratified by blood. In this case, God is the Superior Who offered promises to humanity in exchange for obedience. He supplied the Blood of the Covenant.
Part of the Covenant includes His grace, which enables us to do the things of God we cannot do on our own. To obey means to believe with the intent to conform to His wishes, out of heart of love, along with the fear of the Lord. When we believe, we position ourselves to receive the strength and courage to obey. In short, His grace emboldens us to follow through with action.
This leads to another issue: belief. If a person is not sure he heard God to begin with, it might prove difficult to obey. When a person vacillates between faith and doubt, he will more than likely be less apt to respond appropriately. On the other hand, when a person is sure he heard correctly from God, he will be more confident to follow through.
This leads to another question: do they believe God actually speaks to us today, or more specifically, to them? Those who believe He does, will be more open to at least listen for His voice. Those who don’t, will not even consider it to be a possibility. Not to go too deep on this topic (something to study for oneself), but there are some nuances to this issue.
First, does God speak to people today? Once that hurdle is cleared, another one with which many wrestle is, “I believe God speaks to others, but will He speak to me?” Here are two things to consider: God is not One to show partiality of persons (see Acts 10:34; Romans 2:11). He will interact with anyone who allows Him. To be clear, God loves you, but I’m His favorite! This is something I heard that should bring this home.
Each of us are designed to have a unique relationship with Him, which no one else can have. That makes each of us His favorite. Secondly, the Lord speaks to His people through Holy Spirit, and a number of other ways. So yes, not only He can He speak to you, He is more than willing to do it. It was His idea all along. Jesus is worthy for everyone to hear God speak. He paid the price.
Meditate on this verse: He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things (Romans 8:32 NASB)?
Another Reason People Don’t Execute
In simplest terms, another reason people do not obey is they don’t want to. In some instances, it flat out rebellion. In which case, they need to repent. Then, there are those who are overwhelmed by the vision. To be sure, if it is something small enough for us to handle on our own, more than likely it is not from God. Nonetheless, grace enables us to handle the big things; in fact, it does the same with the things we don’t feel like doing.
The things the Lord has for us to do are not always convenient. In fact, most visions entail doing things our flesh does not want to do. That’s part of walking by faith, which includes fiery trials. But then, it wasn’t convenient for Jesus to go to the Cross for us either. What did He say to the Father just prior to going?
O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from Me: nevertheless not as I will, but as Thou wilt (Matthew 26:39).
There is a time and timing to everything God has in store for us. Even so, perhaps for some, it’s time to execute.
