“The Secret Found in the Waiting Place”

Satan is a master of attrition. In Daniel it speaks of one who will come to “wear out the saints”. I believe that is going on right now. There is a great need for us to pray for one another in this hour. Folks are trying to cope with a struggling economy. Couples are trying to deal with 50% divorce rate while immorality is rampant. Feeding and housing our families and trying to provide an education for the children are full time jobs. Many are on prescription drugs trying to deal with with the stress of life.

The “Information age” is empowering some otherwise restrained spirits. The realm of their effect is broadened by modern technology. Computers have become portals of demonic influence through the lust of the eye and the lust of the flesh. They have also become venues through which countless hours can be wiled away in fruitless endeavors. When I was a boy we had 2 maybe 3 channels to watch on TV. Now we have hundreds of selections and most evenings are filled again with _________.

In my studies I noticed that Jesus turned aside from all other voices and regularly went alone into the mountain to pray.  I believe with the level of demonic assault/resistance that many Kingdom leaders are experiencing it is a must for us to go alone into the mountain with the Father.  I'm not talking about regimented time.  I'm talking about getting quiet and getting still to hear the Lord.  The recent word that has come to my spirit concerning this matter is Jeremiah 10:21 (KJV) ²¹For the pastors are become brutish(stupid), and have not sought the LORD: therefore they shall not prosper, and all their flocks shall be scattered.

I love Kingdom pastors and spiritual leaders and have served to encourage them for 37years.  What I've found is that some are disciplined and others are undisciplined.  That seems to be obvious.  Yet, for the disciplined who take the time to pray, few of them really take protracted separated periods alone with the Lord.  Staff members are often caught up in trying to feed their families and taking care of the responsibilities at the workplace. The undisciplined/unpraying don’t have a foundation of hope and have to do everything in the flesh.

Isaiah 40:28 Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding. 29He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. 30Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: 31But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

I want to take a real simple approach to this passage. First our God is all powerful and doesn’t get tired. Second, it is apparent to me that He is the source of our power and strength. Third, fainting and weariness is not a problem relegated to seniors and those who have been wore down by the attrition of the enemy. In this spiritual battle there are things that will carry even the young beyond their strength. John commends the young men for being strong, full of the word, and overcoming the wicked one. Yet in today’s spiritual war even the mighty grow weary and become discouraged at times. How do we recover when we are beat up and wore out? The scripture here says they that “wait” upon the Lord shall renew their strength. Waiting is a process.

When we were hunting my dad use to say to me, “wait right here and I’ll come back for your”. Now we could be in the middle of the forest and I wouldn’t know where I was but I learned some things about waiting. When I was waiting I always had and expectation about my dad’s return. I believed my dad would come for me. I also knew I had to stay in the place he put me. Running off could be a real problem in the middle of 6000 acres of dense woods. There were occasions when the shadows of evening would lengthen and the thrushes would be rustling the underbrush looking for that late evening snack but I continued to wait. There were times it got dark on me yet I continued to wait. I would sometimes become anxious and begin to fret but if I waited, suddenly I would hear the sound of his voice or his whistle. What a relief. What joy there was in that sound. What a confident thought sprang up in my mind, “Yes!!!! I knew he was coming”.

I believe we must find a place of waiting on the Lord. I believe this must be a place of faith filled expectation. Our Father has promised to “renew our strength” and all we have to do is “wait on” Him. Unbelief will cause us to leave the place of waiting. No matter how dark, discouraged, or beat up you are the “LORD MOST HIGH” is coming to help and strengthen you. “Wait” and Believe!

Psalm 46:9 (KJV) 9He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth; he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; he burneth the chariot in the fire. 10Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.

I believe the waiting place is a still quiet place. Life can get real loud at times. Our own souls can become deafening. We become pent up with fretting and drama. Our brains are filled with the reasons we can’t go to the waiting place. What about my responsibilities? What about the problems I have? What about etc. etc. Saints we must stop the train and get off. We must still ourselves and separate ourselves and with faith filled expectation wait on the Lord. It is our God that makes “wars” to cease. Do you believe He can handle the battle you are in. It is He that renews our strength to deal with the present circumstance. Isn’t it worth some “waiting” time.

The waiting place should be a place of reflection on the “Greatness of our God”.

Isaiah 30:15 For thus saith the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel; In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength: and ye would not.

Return and rest and you will be saved. Get quiet and confident in your God and you will be strengthened. Then the scripture said, “and ye would not.” Stubbornness is the reason most believers are worn out, broken down, and defeated. The Lord has given the answer but we insist on doing things our way.

God came walking, looking, and calling for Adam in the evening in the cool of the day. Where was he? Hid out covered by his own efforts. Where are you?

Refreshing and renewal comes from time in the presence of the Lord. Inspiration, clarification, and strength are found in the “waiting place”.

Job 32:8 But there is a spirit in man: and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding.

Inspiration is “the extraordinary or supernatural divine influence” upon our lives. In the waiting place the influence of God will overshadow us, the still small voice will speak to us, and the unction of the “Spirit” will stir us. Many of the “whys” are answered in the “waiting” place.

Have you found the “waiting” place in your relationship with the Father? He will come and He will strengthen you there.