The God Who Acts, Pt. 1

When we wait on God, He does wondrous things for us. But if we get impatient and move ahead without waiting, then we do not experience God's best.

The God Who Acts, Pt. 1

"For since the beginning of the world
Men have not heard nor perceived by the ear,
Nor has the eye seen any God besides You,
Who acts for the one who waits for Him."

(Isaiah 64:4)

This week in our devotions, we will explore in detail what Dr. Charles Stanley described as, "God acts on our behalf." I continue to be blessed by Dr. Stanley's "30 Life Principles" series of messages he preached when he served as pastor at the First Baptist Church in Atlanta, GA. Even though Stanley is now in heaven, worshiping Jesus, we are continuing to be blessed and encouraged by his biblical teaching.

One of the most important lessons in the Bible is waiting on God. We need to understand this principle in the Word of God. When we wait on God, He acts on our behalf and does wondrous things for us. But if we get impatient and move ahead without waiting, then we do not experience God's best. We see this principle illustrated in people's lives in the Bible.

Today, we live in an instantaneous "give it to me now" society where instant gratification and purchases come easily. We use our credit cards, and Amazon jumps right on our demands and delivers what we want quickly. We like our microwave lifestyles and have little tolerance for anything that may slow us down or make us wait. We want what we want now! We do not like to wait! If someone in front of us stalls at a green light, we get impatient. We have no appetite for waiting on anything or anyone. In most instances in our culture, we can have what we want quickly with little wait time. But this is not the way it is with God! He does not work that way. He commands us in His Word to wait on Him. The best things He has for us take time.

Stanley gave the following introductory principles regarding waiting on God:

God acts on behalf of those who wait on Him. He is sovereign and controls all things. He is the awesome God who has a desire to work, not just in the world universally, but also in our lives personally. He has a plan and will reveal it to us. To make it personal, He came to earth in Jesus Christ taking on humanity to reveal to us who God is and what He is like.
God is personally involved in our lives. How does He become personal? He saves us, He tells us to wait, He reveals His will, He gives clear direction, and He guides us to make wise choices. He encourages us and He protects and shields us, even when we are not aware of it. He heals us, teaches us, and answers our prayers. He empowers us, and He rejoices in our hearts. God does not ask for permission. He always has our best in mind. We don't. We make bad choices. He has the right to say to us, "Not now; you need to wait. I have the best in mind for you if you will only wait."
God wants to act to help us, but that requires us to wait. This is a major principle in the Bible.
Wait for His timing and direction. He does not give us things if the timing is not right. He knows we can't handle it. It is dangerous for a 14-year-old to drive; he or she is not equipped. Some say, "I will make it happen." But we could never do it better than God in His timing.

Waiting on the Lord is a foundational principle in the Scriptures. It is not easy, but oh, the blessings that God pours out on those who wait on Him!