The Benefit

Isaiah 40:^29-31 “He gives power to the tired and worn out, and strength to the weak. Even the youths shall be exhausted, and the young men will all give up. But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings like eagles… (LB).

Picture yourself in an expensive restaurant with a waiter waiting on you. The waiter may be out of sight, but he is constantly watching you. When you look up, or raise your hand, the waiter shows up immediately. But if you are in the same restaurant and the waiter is not paying attention to you, you will be upset. The reason you get upset is you expect the waiter to pay attention to you. This is very similar to what it is to wait on God. So, if you find yourself burning out, check who you are waiting on. Some people are in church, in God’s presence, but their focus is on themselves, or on someone else. Did he see me? Did she see my new dress and new shoes?

The truth is that is the person you are waiting on, not God. When you are waiting on God, your all-consuming thought is, “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in God’s sight”. You are focused on God, waiting, and watching. This is why I say that physical church will always trump online church. Do not get me wrong, online church is great if that is the only option you have. And if church online is the only option you have, your approach to it is different. Take the Chinese underground church, for example. When they get a copy of the Bible, they split it into sections. One person takes Psalm 23, another takes Psalm 24. They cherish it, read it, and then exchange the different parchments.

But when online church is not the only option people have, they tend to take it for granted. Guess what? You are in church online, but you are distracted. Sometimes, you are cooking and attending church online – distracted. When it comes to waiting on God, the key thing is full attention on Him. Waiting on God infuses you with strength. The presence of God, the joy of being with God brings unexplainable strength. So, if you find out that you have become weak, lethargic, and burnt out, check your connection. Nehemiah 8:¹⁰ “And Nehemiah continued, “Go and celebrate … Don’t be dejected and sad, for the joy of the Lord is your strength!” (emphasis added). We quote this scripture, and it is so true. The joy of the Lord is your strength. However, you cannot have the joy of the Lord if you do not have the presence of God.

The joy of the Lord comes from the presence of God (Matthew 18:20). The most joyful place should be the church. But when you approach church, fellowship, or meeting with God’s people casually, you do not get the benefits of it.

Prayer: Father, I ask for the wisdom and alertness never to be casual with Your presence and the grace to remain in Your presence daily, in Jesus Name. Amen!