Wait on the Lord (i) (Quality: Very good)

[0:00] For the Lord's help this morning, I will direct your attention to Psalm 27, verse 14. Psalm 27, verse 14.

[0:18] Wait on the Lord. Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart.

[0:30] Wait, I say, on the Lord. Wait on the Lord. Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart.

[0:45] Wait, I say, on the Lord. Amen. The apostle reminds us that we are not given the spirit of weakness, but of a confidence in God.

[1:11] We find this throughout the whole tenure of the scriptures. Weaknesses. Any weaknesses that we may feel, or are suggested to us that we do have, cannot come from God.

[1:31] They may come from our fleshly mind. They may come from the devil himself. But the word of God speaks to us continually about being strengthened with might in the inner man.

[1:49] It is true that sometimes we feel to be so weak and impotent.

[2:02] But this weakness and this impotence is not in the spiritual man, but is in the natural man. We learn this weakness and this weakness in the natural man, in order that the power of the spirit may work in that which is spiritual.

[2:27] According to the scripture, it is God that worketh in you, both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

[2:38] How good it is when, even in our day-to-day life, we can see that there is that spirit within us which waits upon God.

[2:56] The ungodly have no alternative but to come to their decisions by relying upon their own judgment.

[3:08] They are expecting openings to occur, the outcome of their own crafty and clever workings.

[3:30] One of the points to be drawn from the chapters we read in Nehemiah is that the matter of building the walls of Jerusalem weighed very heavily upon him.

[3:54] And this affected his countenance. And in consequence, when he came into the presence of the king, the king could not help but observe that his countenance was sad.

[4:13] And another thing he couldn't help but observe was this, that he was not sick. Well in himself, and yet sad in his countenance.

[4:26] There was something secret. And the king therefore was not slow to put a question to him, in order that the king may know the reason for the sadness of this countenance.

[4:43] When Nehemiah had told the king the reason, and his deep concern and his sorrow, because the place of the place of the place of the father had been sadly neglected and so on, then the king asked him what he should do.

[5:00] How he could help in so many words. And at that juncture, because the grace of God was in the heart of Nehemiah, it was displayed.

[5:18] He waited upon God. And therefore we read, Then I prayed unto the Lord. But the king was waiting for an answer.

[5:30] Then I prayed unto the Lord. And this, in itself, will continually break down every attempt that Satan may make to say, well of course, you have not time to pray.

[5:50] Then I prayed unto the Lord. Then I waited upon God. Then I spoke to the king.

[6:02] But only after I have waited upon God. Have we not proved in our own soul's experiences this upward glancing of an eye when none but God is near?

[6:20] We may not have an opportunity to go aside even into a quiet place. We may not have an opportunity to fall down and bow our knees before God.

[6:36] But Nehemiah bowed his heart before God. And the eyes of his faith looked up. And what did he need? Well he needed that the Lord should touch the king's heart.

[6:54] He needed that the Lord should do that which he could not do. He needed that when he asked he would be sure of obtaining that for which he asked.

[7:07] and therefore he says I prayed unto the Lord. The hearts of all men are in the hands of God.

[7:23] The king's heart prince's hearts the hearts of all men women and children are in the hand of God.

[7:36] And he turneth them whithersoever he will. A few praying people may be likened in the scriptures in the Song of Solomon to a company of spearmen coming forth as an army with banners.

[7:58] Nothing's done on the outside. And the defeat of men may surprise them. They may wonder why.

[8:10] And they'll never find out unless they're spiritual. Because it has been the force of the prayers of just two or three. And this is the way God works in Zion.

[8:27] A few godly praying people will have more success in bringing about the prosperity of Zion than a multitude that involve themselves in a great deal of outward energy.

[8:49] The psalmist tells us doubtless from some experience as well as from the inspiration of God except the Lord build the house they labor in vain that build it.

[9:08] except the Lord keep the city the watchman waketh but in vain. It is vain for you to rise up early to sit up late to eat the bread of sorrows for so he giveth his beloved sleep.

[9:29] Now the counsel of God in the words before us is this wait on the Lord. In waiting on the Lord we also require that we wait for the Lord.

[9:49] We have continually to be reminded your time is always but my time is not yet. Now we shall wait on the Lord unless there is some clear evidence given to us that if we wait on the Lord there will be a benefit in so doing.

[10:17] And in the previous verse the testimony is this I had fainted unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.

[10:35] Bringing it to our present circumstances perhaps we may have confidence in waiting on the Lord this morning because we have been preserved from fainting since we have believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.

[10:59] In respect to this we must remember this encouraging note the land of the living can only be seen by the living and if you have eyes to see that which is going on in the land of the living then be assured that you have eyes that God has opened spiritual eyes that has caused you to see that God's goodness is displayed in the land of the living.

[11:40] Now the goodness that God displays in the land of the living is that which is of a spiritual character the goodness of God generally seen by many is measured by prosperity in the things of this life.

[12:10] In the land of the living the prosperity in regard to the things of this life will be measured by a different yardstick from what the ungodly whether they have a religion or not measure it.

[12:33] The goodness of God is seen in the land of the living in the day of prosperity by producing a deep sense of unworthiness goodness in the soul of that person and at the same time giving thanks unto God praising God for his mercy for his wonderful works to the children of men.

[13:02] There is quite a distinction between the people of God believing as they see the goodness of God in the land of the living from those that are otherwise inclined.

[13:21] When you see the goodness of God in the land of the living then your heart will be touched and your heart will be melted. Sometimes the beginnings of the people of God are found with just maybe a transient observation that what you see some have you are quite sure you have not got.

[13:57] Now if that is true and it is from God then the Lord will in his time though that may be a seed that will be isolated yet in his time will gradually bring about that which causes that seed that desire to grow and to grow to such an extent that it longs for the fulfillment of that desire.

[14:28] now the psalmist here is speaking somewhat in a more advanced stage of experience and when I say that I'm just removing a little from beginnings.

[14:45] I had fainted unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living but it was because he observed the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living that he was encouraged to wait upon the Lord.

[15:09] Looking at the matter from a spiritual viewpoint the psalmist would have been encouraged because of the goodness of God displayed in this that God heard and God answered prayer.

[15:31] And this is something that the ungodly know nothing about. Because if you pray and God answers your prayer and you are amongst the living in Jerusalem then you're bound to worship and maybe with tears in your eyes that God has so graciously appeared and been mindful of you.

[16:06] The blessings of God are received with a deep sense of unworthiness. In consequence we see the mercies of God.

[16:18] God they're new every morning but we see the mercies of God surrounding us. Sometimes when you see this does it not have a dissolving effect upon your spirit?

[16:40] Brother the grace of God is wonderful to experience and I was reading an account recently where a woman left this country and went to Australia and there she suffered many adversities and she'd not been out there long before her husband died and how she longed for the appearing of God and she seemed to be in a desolate land and subsequently a way was made for her to return to this country but she still suffered many afflictions and was under many privations but what was her testimony toward the end of her life she could not cease from speaking about the mercies of

[17:47] God helping her sustaining her upholding her that's all she wanted to talk about because that's all she could see mercy mercy mercy mercy mercy well I'm sure that if the world looked at that woman's life they would have been astonished they would say I can't understand you you've had nothing else but trouble you ought to be the most discontented person in the world just can't understand you well the woman would have fainted had she had not believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living and because she saw it by the grace of God given to her she was brought to listen to these words wait on the Lord there is a resemblance to these words in another psalm where we read commit thy way unto the Lord and again rest in the Lord and again wait patiently for him wait on the Lord now the waiting here must be understood as an attending upon the

[19:19] Lord attending upon the Lord this is not always connected with this word but nevertheless it is attending upon the Lord now spiritually minded people will be found attending that is having attendance being near at hand willing to take a low place if to be they might find favour with God you know our God is not impressed with all the capers that you may cut in trying to attract his attention we can see it in ordinary life where some people will use all their energies and take up all sorts of substitutes in order to gain the attention of the one that is above them and often it fails often it fails how much more so when there is a waiting upon

[20:48] God this waiting upon God is a silent attendance no doubt we can get some instruction from the man that was among the tombs who was found sitting at the feet of Jesus clothed and in his right mind and therefore this waiting was also a watching a watching now have we our eyes upon the Lord whilst we wait the exhortation demanded of the Lord Jesus himself is to watch and pray and again I say unto you watch now this is attending upon God this is waiting on the

[21:48] Lord waiting serving the Lord with fear waiting Nehemiah waited upon the king Artaxerxes but he waited he was there as a servant he did not project himself he had nothing to project himself in himself he was at that time but a servant to the king though he was the king's cup bearer and though that position meant quite something but he was still a servant and it is a good thing when the children of God realize their relationship with God I am among you as one that serveth God and being followers of the

[22:53] Lord Jesus Christ and following in that line of things will make our position much more happy it was equally true that the Lord Jesus Christ was the Son of God it is equally true that the chosen in Jerusalem are sons and daughters of the Most High and we have great reason to feel thankful especially when the spirit of adoption comes upon us but nevertheless there is a sense in which we follow the Lord Jesus Christ in this as being a servant before God and therefore waiting on God that we shall do His will what a change was effected in the heart of Saul of Tarsus when He said what will they have me to do this is a prayer which will well connect up with this attending on the Lord now this attending on the Lord waiting on the Lord must ever be conceived in this light as being that which is constant you see some people's religion is erratic you might hear them sometimes speaking about prayer and at other times they know nothing about it at all but the distinction between those and the people of God lays in this that the people of God certainly clothed and in their right mind will be waiting upon the Lord and they will be watching now do you pray do you say

[25:06] Lord what will they have me to do and do you want to see what God will speak knowing that He orders all things after the counsel of His own will and that none can stay His hand or say unto Him what doest thou are we watching now if we are watching we shall be watching to see that some of the things that we have learned about our Lord are really true those lines just come to my mind how watchful is the loving Lord how sweet His providential word to children that believe your very hairs are numbered all not one by force or chance can fall without your father's leave and the children of God are bound to watch providence and if they watch to see God's providence one has said they will not want a providence to watch and if we are watching to see what God will do every day then it will cause us to have our life consisting of waiting on the Lord praying but also watching now every day when we start the day

[26:48] I trust it is so we commit our way unto the Lord in prayer seeking for His help seeking for His blessing seeking for His guidance seeking for His preservation and so on and also seeking that we may see the blessing of God upon our souls now if we are waiting upon God though we immediately may open our eyes and have to do that which is necessary to proceed in the day yet the soul that is alive unto God will all the while be watching and it is a good thing when we watch the event of the day and in those things see God working God working and you will not be wanting when you watch to see

[27:52] God working God working in every circumstance God working in the people that you have to meet and who come to meet you and then when you are in your presence you are looking at them to see how God is working in them that is how He is controlling them and sometimes if it should be that their determination is against you I for one am a witness to this that I have watched men like that and they have been turned in my presence in the presence of God from their purposes now if you are waiting upon God you will be waiting and watching to see how God is going to answer your prayers during the day tell this this is a secret of your soul because who can tell what things may exercise your mind what fears may possess you when perhaps you know certain things must happen that certain people you must meet ah but what will you be doing will you be worrying will you be troubled will you be biting your fingernails so to speak because you do not know what to do or will you be waiting upon God listening to these exhortations wait on the Lord now whilst we are watching the events it will be a blessing if we are watching as I have already said to see that God is what he is various words are referred various offices and characters are referred to the

[30:06] Lord in the scriptures and so wait on the Lord wait on him in faith looking to see that what the scriptures have said is really true we may think of I think it is top ladies words a sovereign protector I have unseen yet forever at hand and so when you are waiting upon the Lord because this is God's work you are then looking up at your sovereign protector now you have had some proof of this already because maybe you are aware in some measure of the psalmist experience which he describes in psalm 121 where he says the Lord is thy keeper the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand the sun shall not smite thee by day nor the moon by night the

[31:25] Lord shall preserve thee from all evil the Lord shall preserve thy soul the Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth and even forever more preservation not only of the body but preservation of the soul and preservation from all evil preservation in our going out and coming in wait on the Lord as our protector as our preserver but then whoso cometh to God must believe that he is and that he is a reward of them that diligently seek him so we are required to seek God with all diligence in the twelfth of the

[32:28] Romans you know there are a number of important exhortations which are recorded for the benefit of the church of God and amongst them not slothful in business fervent in spirit serving the Lord and these three are joined together in one verse not slothful in business whatever business it is and you know the whole day is occupied with business of one sort or another not slothful in business but fervent in spirit on which we may deduce this that it is possible to have some amount of energy in business and yet not be fervent in spirit and if we should feel satisfied with both these points that we are neither slothful in business nor fervent in spirit nor lacking in fervent of spirit are we serving the

[33:46] Lord are we serving the Lord those that are called by grace are called upon not to live unto themselves not to live unto themselves and it is well worth their attention that the scripture declares that the Lord please not himself naturally first consideration is given to oneself we sometimes may deceive ourselves and may say well I'm putting myself last I'm serving other people first but let us be quite sure that we didn't sit down first and weigh the matter as to how it was really going to affect us and if we decided it wouldn't affect us very much well we could well serve the

[34:53] Lord but we've got to look at it like this if it's going to upset our plans if it's going to alter our course of life if it's going to bring our flesh under the power of crucifixion are we willing to serve the Lord well this is the requirement and if you have a requirement of this kind and then you feel a complete inadequacy to meet that requirement grace will bring you to the place to wait on the Lord what for wait on the Lord for his grace being a Christian is no easy thing a true Christian will not please himself or herself now

[35:57] I'm sure I've no need to remind you of how much grace we shall need to do that what you may say but it's only pleasing others well we need to wait on the Lord to inquire what he will have us to do because this is the principle thing serving the Lord and if we are waiting on the Lord then our very posture will indicate that which shows that we are willing to serve the Lord willing to and it will mean a great deal of crucifixion of the flesh especially if God should ask us to serve him in a menial capacity a menial capacity to have some elevated position some people some position that will court the smiles and draw forth the applause of people will be very appealing to the flesh but where you get the kicks and where you get the rubs it will not be so pleasant but

[37:32] God leads his people sometimes into those painful things it is all for the lifting of Jesus on high when our own spirits are humbled wait on the Lord what wilt thou have me today I remember the case of one good woman who was called upon to clean the chapel to clean the chapel now there are quite a few of us here this morning if God called you to clean the chapel how would you feel about it how would you feel about it would you say well I'm not going to do that but God has called you to it this is the way in which you're serving God now that will put a very different construction on it if you feel in doing what we might perhaps consider to be quite a menial task in the hands of

[38:43] God though not an easy one that you're serving God now whatever we can leave that as the example and transfer it to your life now what has God called you to do is it to serve the Lord and the Lord says I I will have you serve me in this way but I'm going to suffer loss be assured that the Lord whom you are serving the Lord upon whom you are waiting is debtor to no man and I'm sure that you will not find a person that is called by the grace of God to serve the Lord and to step down but has ever regretted it their flesh might have smarted under it but they have been amazed as

[39:53] God has fulfilled this truth that he will be a debtor to no man you see the gold and the silver and the cattle upon a thousand hills of the lords and he is able to more than make up what might have been lost because of your waiting upon the Lord and the Lord says do this do this and your nature says I will not as we go forth as the son went forth the son of the husband and the father said go work today in my vineyard and the son said I will not I'm a son go work in the vineyard I'm a son but afterward he repented and went you know there's a wonderful mark of grace and it will give you a great deal of satisfaction and this is the kind of goodness that when the psalmist saw it his fainting spirits revived

[41:11] I had fainted unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living so wait on the Lord the Lord is good a stronghold in the day of trouble and he knoweth them that trust in him so therefore will it not be a benefit to wait on the Lord we need to wait upon the Lord for patience patience my own feeling is especially in more recent times what we need so much is patience the word of God tells us let patience have a perfect work that ye may be perfect and entire wanting nothing is that not a wonderful word wanting nothing ye have need of patience that after ye have done the will of

[42:23] God ye might receive the promise so therefore in the meanwhile may we have the evidence of being amongst the living in Jerusalem because we have that grace to wait on the Lord attend upon him commit our way to him watch to see what he will do and how he will intervene on our behalf and how all things are under his control and to him every comfort we owe above what the fiends have in hell may the Lord grant us as we wait on the Lord the spirit of worship worship let us come and worship him acknowledging that he is the only wise God the true God the holy God the righteous

[43:23] God the glorious God there is none like him in all the earth we leave it for this morning cool you I a a m and everyone to me