My Morning Message: They that Wait Upon the Lord

I currently choose from four daily devotional books to meditate upon and kickstart my day:

A Future as Bright as Your Faith by Thomas S. Monson

Jesus Calling by Sarah Young

Daily Joy by Russell M. Nelson

Jesus, the Very Thought of Thee by Robert L. Millet and Lloyd D. Newell

Today, I read from A Future as Bright as Your Faith and Jesus Calling. In the first, I found an answer to prayer about next steps for my business. In the second, I found an insight that made one of those daily steps even more meaningful to me. 

In Jesus Calling, Sarah has compiled and published journal entries that she wrote from the perpective of Christ, answering her thoughts and prayers. Christ said to her, as recorded on April 24:

Rest in the stillness of my presence while I prepare you for this day. Let the radiance of My Glory shine upon you as you wait on Me in confident trust. Be still, and know that I am God. ...

I am always with you, so you have no reason to be afraid. Your fear often manifests itself in excessive planning. ... Repent of this tendency and resist it... Return to My Presence... I accept you back with no condemnation.

(emphasis in original)

Admittedly, I have indulged in "excessive planning." What I didn't consider is that it is a symptom of fear, of not trusting God, of worshipping the Idol of Control.

I love that Sarah includes scriptures at the end of each passage, which I can look up for further study. The scripture that came to my mind was not listed there. 

Using the Gospel Library app on my phone, I looked up, "They that wait upon the Lord" (Isaiah 40:31) and related scriptures. 

This time, I backed up a bit more and read Isaiah 40 from verse 28 to 31. 

In verse 29, I noted that He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have not might He increaseth strength (capitalizing all references to Deity). 

By making my own plans and running with them (without running my plans past Him), I was not allowing my Omnipotent Father to bless me with His power and strength. I was indicating that I don't really believe He's omnipotent or really has power to help me. I was telling myself and Him that I don't need Him, or I don't trust Him. Perhaps even worse, I was perpetuating the message that I don't believe He keeps His promises. I was saying that He Who gave His life for me doesn't really love or care a fig about me. 

Ultimately, I was sending the prideful message that I could do all things by myself, without His help.

Then, I remembered a poem I learned many years ago. It goes something like this:

No Time to Pray

I got up early one morning 

And rushed right into my day;

I had so much to accomplish 

That I didn't have time to pray.

 

Problems tumbled about me. 

Heavier came each task.

"Why doesn't God help me?" I wondered.

He answered, "You didn't ask."

 

I yearned to see joy and beauty, 

But the day toiled on grey and bleak;

I wondered, "Why doesn't God show me?"

He replied, "You didn't seek."

 

I tried to come into God's presence. 

I used all my keys at the lock.

God gently and lovingly chided,

"My child, you didn't knock."

 

 I woke up early this morning

And paused before entering the day;

I had so much to accomplish

That I had to take time to pray.

~ Author Unknown

My personal problem wasn't not praying. I pray. Daily. Often. All day even.

My problem was that my prayers, even though they had different words, had become vain repetitions. Even when I believed I was trying to connect on my end, I wasn't allowing the connection to flow back to me from His end. I was doing the asking, seeking, and knocking, but not allowing the receiving, finding, and opening.

I had come to think of "waiting on the Lord," as "waitressing for the Lord." So, I rushed to clock in with Him and quickly rush out to be going and doing.

So as I was rushing out the door, God was standing there with my sack lunch in hand. He had a big hug and some optimal advice waiting for me. 

And, I missed it! 

I can imagine Him following me out the door with my lunch, backpack, whatever I needed, waiting for me to ask for them and receive them from Him.

When I'd pray throughout the day, I got in the bad habit of talking at Him, not communicating with Him.  

Because God respects my choices, He only gives me what I am willing to receive. He kept carrying everything else, ready for me to receive them from Him.

How often has He walked beside me in uncomplaining, patient silence?

Since God already has my day planned for me and me for it, I just need to take the time to listen, to "wait upon the Lord." 

Today, I had the epiphany that I have been missing out every day on the best, most peaceful part of my preparatory time with the Lord. I'm learning that "waiting on the Lord" is literally waiting on the Lord, just as He is waiting on us. 

I have the privilege daily of waiting for and receiving my Father's blessing from Him and His embrace, before I step into my day.

I am understanding that prayer is a phone call, not a telegram. 

It is a conversation as we hike along together. 

God is not a God of overwhelm. His first response in the morning isn't necessarily the end of His communications to me for the day. He gives line upon line. Therefore, pausing throughout my day to pray and receive is important.

Each time I embrace real connection with him, I no longer miss out on resting in His care, feeling His love, hearing His personalized advice, and receiving every beautiful thing He has to share with me.  

I must take time to be still and trust in order to hear Him through the still, small voice of His Holy Spirit.

That "must" is not out of shame or guilt. It is inspired by love and a desire for true connection. And, He is a forgiving God! 

Remember what Sarah wrote? "I accept you back with no condemnation."

I seem to keep saying that over and over in a different way. I don't know how else to share what is in my heart about today's message: Wait on the Lord. Trust Him. He knows. He loves. He has your daily schoolbag prepped and ready. Receive!

Do you recall the blessings to those who wait upon Him? 

They include renewed strength, to soar (mount up with wings as eagles), to run and not be weary, and to walk and not faint. 

Another blessing I found elsewhere is to inherit the earth (Psalm 37:9). Yes, "waiting on the Lord" is attached to meekness. 

Meekness is NOT weakness when we are waiting on the Lord for His gifts.

There are also many more blessings that we cannot fathom (Isaiah 64:4; Doctrine & Covenants 133:45), because our finite minds can't comprehend what God can comprehend. We cannot see, hear, taste, touch, or smell, or anything else like He can.

When I rush away, I have no promised blessing to go with me. I've rejected the gift He prepared for me that day.

When I wait upon Him in the morning and throughout the day, He prepares me. He shows me wonders and miracles I might have missed. He proves His love to me.

I choose to wait upon the Lord, whatever that looks like each day.

How will you wait upon the Lord?