 Enjoying the company of good friends. Helping others feel good about themselves as well as oneself. PAMPERED Entering a restaurant and being waited on is sheer luxury. Chefs cooking delicious food and waiters or waitresses bringing it to the table is sublime. The waiters fill your glasses, fetch the coffee, enquire if the food is to your liking, are you happy with the service. Your every need is anticipated. One feels important, very special and affluent. My husband Bruce, and I have just celebrated a wedding anniversary by having dinner at a local restaurant. Separated from the crowd in an alcove, we dined with our son and daughter-in-law. We were waited on, congratulated and fussed over. Recently, the camera flash of revelation went off as I sat in church musing on what was being said and done. There are a number of Bible verses that urge us to wait on God. My understanding of waiting on God was to spend hours, days in prayer, reading the Bible all the time, mind blank, just waiting. Waiting on God in this fashion, I was led to believe would bring about miracles, revival, healing, moving God to answer my prayers. I found this kind of waiting on God hard work and failed dismally. No wonder it was a struggle. When compelled to do something, it becomes legalistic and dead, in the end one fails.  Meditating, studying, strengthening bonds with God ANOTHER MEANING What if there was another meaning to waiting on God similar to the waiters and waitresses? Waiting on him in praise and adoration. Delighting myself in his presence, seeking out his every need, fussing over him, as it were. Psalm 37: 4 and 7 says, ‘Be delighted with the Lord…Rest in the Lord…’ I became excited and worshipped him. I mused on the love that God had for me. I was both enthralled and awed at his love that overlooked my rebellion and insistence on independence. I waited on God, spent time basking in his love, thanking him for loving me even I didn’t even know him, listening to him. Waiting on God was never so easy and sweet.  Nectar of the gods. We can slake our thirst but we must keep hydrated. Our inner person needs to have its thirst met. Only Jesus can keep our inner us from continual thirsting. IN THE PAST In olden times, Israelite priests were forbidden to wear woollen garments next to their skin. Fine linen garments had to be worn. Linen was a picture of God’s grace. Woollen garments caused sweat and perspiration and was and denoted self-effort. ‘They must not wear anything that would cause them to perspire.’ Ezekiel 44:18, 19, LB. It is clear that God is hates the self-effort of his people. He denounces our efforts to make ourselves acceptable in his sight by calling our righteousness a dirty rag. For us to be righteous and meet God’s requirements of holiness and purity we must by faith accept that God has made us righteous in Christ. We must accept the goodness of Christ as our own by faith. My first understanding of waiting on God was mostly self-effort. I wanted to please God but it was out of duty. I waited on God because I was told to, not because I wanted to. There is a difference. Waiting on God doesn’t mean to wait for him to do something, in my opinion it means to spend time with him, to be in his presence, by prayer, study of the Bible, even sitting and meditating.  Wood sawing takes strength and energy. Jesus will strengthen us mentally and energized so we can cope. THE CAMERA FLASH
The camera flash showed another way to wait on God and please him. Praise, worship, adoration and thanksgiving. Offering praise, thanksgiving, and rejoicing is proof that we have accepted what Jesus has done for us and that pleases God. We can wait on God washing clothes, doing dishes, eating a meal. We can leave the bustle of life and be quiet, set ourselves apart to bless him, thank him and adore him. This way of waiting on God is effortless and pleasing to him. Let me close with the scripture that set off the question of waiting on God, ‘But they that wait upon 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.’ Isaiah 40: 31 LB.
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