Wait on the Lord
(Psalm 27:14)
Mike Johnson
Many think that David is the author of Psalm 27 and that he wrote it when he was fleeing from Saul. It has been called “An Exuberant Declaration of Faith.” It starts with David expressing great confidence in God (1-3). God is his light, salvation, and strength. He next speaks of his love for and communion with God (4-6) as the tone goes from celebration to contemplation. In the next section (7-12), the writer goes from contemplation to crying out and pleading to God in prayer. Finally, in the last part (13-14), he concludes by speaking of the power of faith and then advises and encourages others.
In verse 14, the Psalmist twice urges others to wait on the Lord and have faith and courage, with a confident expectation of God’s deliverance. He says, “Wait on the Lord; be of good courage (‘be strong’ – ESV), and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the Lord!” Most modern translations say, “wait for the Lord.” What does it mean to wait on/for the Lord’s response? What if God does not immediately respond to our prayers as we would like?
To begin with, people do not like to wait. For example, they view with contempt having to tarry at the DMV to renew or get a license. Sometimes, when we first arrive at a restaurant, we must get a number and wait to be seated. Upon arrival, it is common for people to ask about the wait time. We often wait at a doctor’s or dentist’s office. While trying to contact a business over the phone, bad “wait music” is often interrupted periodically by someone telling us how important our call is to them. While waiting, we often become unsettled. Similarly, many today become impatient while waiting for God to respond to their prayers.
Next, what is involved in waiting on the Lord according to Psalm 27? First, it involves trusting in God (1-2). Since God was his light, salvation, and strength, he had no reason to fear his enemies. Also, it involved seeking God (4-6). He longed to worship Him in His temple and sing praises to Him. This would make David feel safe and secure. Finally, it involved praying (7-13). In these verses, the writer sought wisdom, direction, and protection.
Waiting on God to act does not necessarily involve passiveness on our part as when we wait to get into an athletic event or an amusement park. For example, very few people are just sitting in the doctor’s office, not doing anything while waiting. They may be looking at a magazine, but most likely, they are engaged with their cell phones. People may be reading their e-mails, doing research, or communicating with friends. This activity is good — staying busy helps us to pass the time. So these people are not passively waiting. Neither should we be while waiting on the Lord. When waiting on Him to respond to our prayers, we must continue carrying out our life responsibilities. We must seek God and worship Him; we pray, study, and grow as we patiently wait.
Consider an example where some did not want to wait on the Lord. In Exodus 14, we read where the children of Israel had fled Egypt’s bondage under Moses’s leadership. They came to the Red Sea in front of them, and the Egyptian army closed in from behind. The people started complaining to Moses, saying it would have been better to remain in Egypt as slaves than die in the wilderness. Note Moses’ response to them (13-14). “And Moses said to the people, ‘Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever. The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.’” Moses encourages the people to stand by and wait for God to act.
Another example involves Abraham and Sarah, also from the Old Testament. God told Abraham that he and Sarah would have a child connected to promises God made earlier (Gen. 12:1-4). But, they got tired of waiting and took matters into their own hands. Abraham took a surrogate wife, Hagar, and had a child with her. Genesis 16-18 shows the troubles which followed. Again, they did not wait on the Lord.
Note a Psalm (40:1-3) where David speaks of a time when he patiently waited on the Lord. He said, “I waited patiently for the Lord; and He inclined to me, and heard my cry. He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my steps. He has put a new song in my mouth — praise to our God; many will see it and fear, and will trust in the Lord.” At the end of these verses, we see a positive consequence of David waiting on the Lord as others would see his confidence in God to deliver him. As a result, these would fear the Lord and trust in Him. Today, when people see us living righteously, they are sometimes motivated to follow our example (1 Pet. 3:1, Mt. 5:16).
Notice Isaiah 40:31. “But those who wait on 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.” Thus, the process of waiting on the Lord makes us stronger.
We must be satisfied to let God be in control. He has great wisdom — we must trust Him and His timing. By trusting God, we can have a positive outlook like the Psalmist. We must patiently wait on God.
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The Sinner’s Prayer
Mike Johnson
Many say the only thing needed to obtain salvation is to pray a simple prayer known as a sinner’s prayer. There are variations, but typically, this is a short prayer where people express their need for salvation, asking Jesus to come into their hearts. They confirm their belief that Jesus Christ, who died for them on the cross, is the son of God. The idea is that if people sincerely pray this prayer, they will receive the forgiveness of sins. It is quick, simple, and easy. This “method of salvation” gained popularity in the last half of the 20th century and is often a part of today’s denominational evangelism crusades. Also, preachers on television and radio sometimes tell individuals to put their hands on their TV or radio and recite a sinner’s prayer. The preacher points out that if they do this, they will receive salvation. This teaching is still popular today.
What does the Bible teach? The book of Acts is a book of conversions, and it shows how to become a Christian and teach others to be saved. From the book of Acts and the rest of the Scriptures, we do not learn that non-Christians are to pray for salvation — we do not find where non-Christians are told to pray a sinner’s prayer.
In Acts 2, Peter preached the first gospel sermon, which included some in the audience who were involved in killing God’s son (2:22-23). Convinced of their lost condition, they asked him what they needed to do. Peter did not tell them to pray. Instead, he told them to repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins (2:38).
However, in Peter’s sermon, he did say, quoting from the prophet Joel, “And it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the Lord Shall be saved” (Acts 2:21). Some say that with a sinner’s prayer, people are doing that — they are calling on the name of the Lord. However, Peter does identify in the verses that follow what it means to call on the name of the Lord when he told the people to repent and be baptized to receive forgiveness (Acts 2:38).
Acts 8 records the conversions of the Samaritans, Simon, and the Ethiopian eunuch. Philip preached the simple message of Jesus Christ to these people. But, again, he did not tell them to pray for salvation. Instead, they heard the Word of God, and he told them to believe, confess Christ, and be baptized (4-13, 26-40).
After Simon became a Christian, he sinned, and Peter told him to repent and pray (14-25). Does this validate the doctrine of non-Christians needing to pray for salvation? It does not. Children of God who sin must repent of their sins and confess them (Acts 8:22, 1 Jn. 1:8-10). When Simon sinned, he was a Christian. He had believed and was baptized (Acts 8:13, Mk. 16:16). Non-Christians have a different plan of salvation.
Consider the conversion of Saul, later known as Paul (Acts 9:1-19), who was going to Damascus to persecute Christians. While traveling, Christ confronted him with a light from heaven and spoke to him. Paul then understood that Jesus Christ was God’s son and realized that he had been persecuting the Lord’s people. Christ told Paul to go into the city, and he would be told what he must do. Paul was without sight for three days, did not eat or drink anything, and was praying (9:11). God sent a man named Ananias to go to him with a message. Ananias told Paul about his mission to the Gentiles and baptized him (9:18). Ananias did not ask him to pray a sinner’s prayer. In Paul’s account of these events, we see that Ananias told him, “And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord” (Acts 22:16). As a penitent believer, he needed baptism. Even though he had already been praying and was full of sorrow for his sins, he still had them.
Note also the case of Lydia (Acts 16:11-15). She was by a river at a place where people customarily prayed. Paul did not tell her to pray a sinner’s prayer. Instead, he taught her, and she was baptized.
The various conversion cases in the book of Acts are consistent — the people all did the same thing. For example, regarding the people at Corinth, Acts 18:8 says, “. . . And many of the Corinthians, hearing, believed and were baptized.”
Nowhere does the Bible teach that a non-Christian must pray for salvation. The people who teach this may be very sincere, but they are not teaching the truth. The Bible teaches one must hear (Rom. 10:17), believe (Heb. 11:6), repent (Acts 2:38), and confess Christ (Rom. 10:10). After this, individuals must be baptized. Mark 16:16 records the Great Commission, and the book of Acts records the apostles and others obeying this command. Here Jesus points out, “He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.” We must follow the pattern of the New Testament!
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The Value of God’s Word
Richie Thetford
Have you ever had something you valued very highly and were afraid that you might lose it? Most of us take great care in protecting what we highly treasure, and try to learn the best way to protect it. Sometimes our efforts to preserve and keep our treasures are useless due to ignorance or neglect of the correct measures to be taken. Therefore, that which provided great benefit and was of much value is lost and can’t be recovered no matter how hard we try.
Atheists, secular humanists, and others who don’t want to hear anything about God or His standard for living, enjoy all the benefits that come from a society that generally practices the teachings of the Bible. These people are willfully ignorant of the knowledge that the Bible and its teachings restrain evil and bring order to society. They’re ignorant that the Bible sets forth the individual as being very valuable. This country is based upon this very idea, and its laws are constituted to protect the individual.
If, as the Atheists and others in ignorance desire, Bible teaching is removed from the great majority of our society, that removal will eventually destroy the value of the individual. When the value of the individual is destroyed, our orderly society and freedoms will be gone. Anarchy, violence and lawlessness will replace the order and freedom, and a dictatorship or other type of oppressive government will take over.
Do you value God’s word? Do you want your children, and grandchildren to grow up with freedom to practice what the Bible teaches? If you do, store up the word of God in your heart, and teach your children God’s word, morning, noon and night. It all begins with each one of us. Before our homes can function properly, we must first function properly in the ways and teachings of God. When we are practicing godliness and are truly loyal to Christ, then our homes will reflect that. When our homes reflect Christ, then our local congregations will also reflect Him. It all starts with “ME.”
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Put My Memory in Your Pocket
(Author Unknown)
All the warm and tender feelings
That were born the day we met
Still live on, and grow within me,
Much too precious to forget.
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Chorus
Put my memory in your pocket!
Take it with you through the day!
Tuck it underneath your pillow,
When the sun has gone away!
Let it be a sweet reminder
Of the happiness we knew.
Put my memory in your pocket;
Let me be a part of you.
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There are very special moments
That the mind cannot erase,
I still see your silent shadow
And the sunlight on your face.
Though I won’t be there to warm you,
When the nights are long and cold,
In the canyons of your mind,
I won’t be hard to find.
You’ll have my love to hold.
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Second Chorus:
Put my memory in your pocket!
Take it with you through the day!
Tuck it underneath your pillow
When the sun has gone away!
Let it be a sweet reminder
Of the happiness we’ve known!
Put my memory in your pocket
So you’ll never be alone!
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I Once Shot a Woodpecker
(Author Unknown)
I was looking through the hometown newspaper the other day, and I came across this:
A speaker was lecturing on Forest Reserve.
Speaker: I don’t suppose that there is a person in the house who has done a single thing to conserve our timber resources. Silence ruler for several seconds, and then a meek voice from the rear of the hall timidly retorted, ‘I once shot a woodpecker.’
“Conserving timber resources was the thing of most importance to the speaker in this story, and it seems that he was trying to impress upon everyone else this important fact. The man who had “once shot a woodpecker” had done very little toward accomplishing the end the speaker had mentioned.
That put me to thinking about something a little different but extremely more important. What have we ( I ) done toward making the church of which I am a member the most effective in reaching others with the gospel?
The answer comes back, “I once shot a woodpecker.”
Has this ever happened to you?
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Editor: Mike Johnson
www.seekingthingsabove.org
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Editor: Mike Johnson
www.seekingthingsabove.org