Waiting
Psalm 62:5-6 "My soul, wait in silence for God only, For my hope is from Him. He only is my rock and my salvation, My stronghold, I shall not be shaken."
What does it mean to wait on God in silence? I have heard it said that someone has said that there is an activity that springs from faith and an activity which shows the lack of faith." Faith sometimes causes us to act, despite signs that plans or dreams may not work out. On the other hand, there is a time when action is also a clear sign of a lack of faith. When Ahaz sought out the help from the King of Assyria in 2 Chronicles 28:16, he was trusting in man not God. His actions stemmed from a lack of faith and a lack of a relationship in God.
The same may be true for us at times. Sometimes our faith may not truly be in God,but in other people or in ourselves. God may allow us to be rocked to the core because our faith is misplaced. Our call as believers is not in independence, but in dependence. So, even if our faith is in ourselves it is a misplaced faith. It is easy to fall into the trap of self-reliance when things are going well though.
There are other times though when God says to us that this battle is not ours, but God's alone. We are not told to act, but to pray and to wait. It reminds me of what God said to Jehoshaphat in 2 Chronicles 20:17 when he told the king that they would go out and face the enemy, but he added "You need not fight in this battle: station yourselves, stand and see the salvation of the Lord on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem, Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrw, go out and face them, for the Lord is with you." Notice that idea of "be not dismayed". I think that is part of what being "quiet" is about.
I love this story because the enemy clearly had Jehoshaphat and his people very troubled before this time. But, built up with the Word and with worship they determined in their hearts to focus on God and to take God at his word. They're faith was enlarged and then walked out to the battlefield the story says with the singers of praise in front. The story goes that the enemy then destroyed themselves and the King and the people walked out onto the battlefield where the enemy was already dead. The question then becomes why go out at all?
God calls us to walk by faith and that walking out to the battlefield was a demonstration of faith. When we do as God asks us to do you can be sure that God will honor it. God did honor it with Jehoshaphat and the victory was his. But, he could not have claimed it back in the stronghold. He had to take steps of faith and trust God. God also calls us to "be not dismayed" and to silently and without anxiety to trust Him. It may appear that God doesn't have a firm grasp on the situation or that He is asleep, but apparent inactivity doesn't mean that God is not paying attention. God wants us to firmly trust in Him and to rest in that faith.
What does it mean to wait on God in silence? I have heard it said that someone has said that there is an activity that springs from faith and an activity which shows the lack of faith." Faith sometimes causes us to act, despite signs that plans or dreams may not work out. On the other hand, there is a time when action is also a clear sign of a lack of faith. When Ahaz sought out the help from the King of Assyria in 2 Chronicles 28:16, he was trusting in man not God. His actions stemmed from a lack of faith and a lack of a relationship in God.
The same may be true for us at times. Sometimes our faith may not truly be in God,but in other people or in ourselves. God may allow us to be rocked to the core because our faith is misplaced. Our call as believers is not in independence, but in dependence. So, even if our faith is in ourselves it is a misplaced faith. It is easy to fall into the trap of self-reliance when things are going well though.
There are other times though when God says to us that this battle is not ours, but God's alone. We are not told to act, but to pray and to wait. It reminds me of what God said to Jehoshaphat in 2 Chronicles 20:17 when he told the king that they would go out and face the enemy, but he added "You need not fight in this battle: station yourselves, stand and see the salvation of the Lord on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem, Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrw, go out and face them, for the Lord is with you." Notice that idea of "be not dismayed". I think that is part of what being "quiet" is about.
I love this story because the enemy clearly had Jehoshaphat and his people very troubled before this time. But, built up with the Word and with worship they determined in their hearts to focus on God and to take God at his word. They're faith was enlarged and then walked out to the battlefield the story says with the singers of praise in front. The story goes that the enemy then destroyed themselves and the King and the people walked out onto the battlefield where the enemy was already dead. The question then becomes why go out at all?
God calls us to walk by faith and that walking out to the battlefield was a demonstration of faith. When we do as God asks us to do you can be sure that God will honor it. God did honor it with Jehoshaphat and the victory was his. But, he could not have claimed it back in the stronghold. He had to take steps of faith and trust God. God also calls us to "be not dismayed" and to silently and without anxiety to trust Him. It may appear that God doesn't have a firm grasp on the situation or that He is asleep, but apparent inactivity doesn't mean that God is not paying attention. God wants us to firmly trust in Him and to rest in that faith.
