What does it mean to "wait on the Lord?"

Believers, remember Isaiah 40:31- "But 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."

Ask most Nigerian believers what it means to "wait on the Lord" and many will say going without food or bodily comfort and with a sombre face for a certain period so that God can answer their prayers! By God's grace, delete this misleading and deceitful interpretation from your mind. It is not of Christ. Romans 8:32 tells us -

"He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?"

In Christ, our Lord God gives us ALL things FREELY and not because we did anything to deserve it. This is grace- undeserved, unmerited favour. In Christ, we are blessed by the Lord and escape the curse because of Christ, not because we fasted. Our fasting and law-keeping that we think will ginger God to bless us will only serve to give us the opportunity to boast in our works and even look down on those who can't. You will think that you were "delivered" or blessed because you did something to deserve it when without Christ, we can do nothing. This is not being saved by grace. It is works. Ephesians 2:8-9 says "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast."

In Christ, we are our Abba Father's little children. Imagine your kids skipping breakfast or losing sleep because they feel that this is how to get you to pay their school fees or take them on unnecessary leisure trips! If there is a need for them to skip meals or stay up all night in order to achieve particular results, you will organise the whole thing without their input. Like sheep, they follow. For instance, I keep my older son up reading until really late sometimes when I feel that he hasn't prepared enough for an exam. He doesn't want to. I make him do it. He always thanks me with huge smiles on his face when his results come in😊 How much more our Father in heaven! In Christ, we don't give to get; we get to give. God's goodness and mercy hunt us (His little children) down every day so much so that we get so blessed to overflowing that we can't help but have His goodness overflowing and spilling over to bless others.

Sorry, got carried away. We were talking about "waiting on the Lord":)

So what does it mean to "wait on the Lord?" It's something that all believers in Christ (who have Him as their righteousness, under Grace and not under Law) are led by His Spirit to do and only by His grace.

The word "wait" that is used in "But those who wait on the Lord..." is the Hebrew word "qavah" meaning "to bind together like a cord,” not in the way you tie up a bundle of firewood with a cord but how a rope is made by weaving/binding many tiny strands together to form a strong rope. One strand by itself (you and I on our own) would snap at the smallest pressure because it has no strength. Pressure on the whole rope makes the strands that form the rope closer together. A strand's strength comes from being one with the entire rope. Our strength comes from being united with Christ. To "wait on the Lord" is to be so deeply woven and intertwined with Him that we are one with Him. He is our Strength.

So how do we wait on the Lord? How are we made one with Christ?

See John 6:56 "He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him." Intertwined with Christ by partaking of the Holy Communion.

See 1 Corinthians 10: "16 When we bless the cup at the Lord’s Table, aren’t we sharing in the blood of Christ? And when we break the bread, aren’t we sharing in the body of Christ? 17 And though we are many, we all eat from one loaf of bread, showing that we are one body. 18 Think about the people of Israel. Weren’t they united by eating the sacrifices at the altar?"

One body with Christ by partaking of the Holy Communion (the body and blood of the Lamb of God, our Sacrifice)

Believers, when we eat the bread (His body that was broken for us) and drink the cup (the New Covenant between God and His people, an everlasting agreement confirmed by the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ) we become partakers of what our Saviour Jesus Christ did at the cross. We partake of Christ and become united (qavah - bound together like a cord) with Him. This is what it means to "wait on the Lord."

But those who wait on the Lord (partake of His flesh and His blood)

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."

Also see the provision of our Lord in Psalm 104:15-

"And wine which makes the heart of man glad,

So that he may make his face glisten with oil,

And bread to sustain and strengthen man’s heart."

His body (bread) to strengthen and sustain us and His blood (wine) for the assurance and gladness that all our sins have been forgiven and we are righteous in Him and apart from works.

Don't let anyone deprive you of this blessing of partaking in the flesh and blood of our Saviour. Partaking in an unworthy manner does not mean partaking when you have sinned but eating without discerning His body (not understanding why His body was broken for us.) See how to partake unworthily here: http://rightbelieving101.blogspot.com.ng/2017/02/how-does-one-partake-of-lords-supper-in.html

To wait on the Lord also has the figurative meaning of looking to Him expectantly for our every need, like a child anticipating his birthday presents from his parents. In Christ, God has already blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places. In Christ, we are His little children. We sometimes want to drive Daddy's car right now but He knows what's best for us:)

The Holy Spirit will teach you all things.

Believe Right and you will Live Right.