Wait Upon the Lord

I just got the Nov/Dec issue of Soaring As Eagles on Thursday. I almost read the entire magazine before going to bed that night. What a blessing!!! That magazine never fails to encourage me in the Lord and give me new strength to go on. Praise the Lord for the Greens and the work they’re doing up there in Michigan.

Anyway, as I was saying, I read every article but the last one by Mrs. Green. This morning I remembered that I hadn’t read it, so I settled down to read it along with my devotions. God never fails to amaze me the way He synchronizes everything so perfectly. Everything Mrs. Green wrote in her article was exactly what I needed. All the verses she used are verses that I have recently read and been thinking about. I was just reading it in disbelief. How on earth did she know? I guess it was the Holy Spirit! God sure works in mysterious ways! Wonderful ways!!! Praise the Lord!!!

Mrs. Green is one of the sweetest, godliest ladies I have ever had the privilege of meeting. To know her is to love her. Anyway, I thought I would share her article with you. I hope it encourages you and blesses your heart as it did mine! =)

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Music Notes
By Terri Green

Ritardando is a musical term that is usually abbreviated as rit. While explaining the definition to a student recently, the root word, “retard,” became the focus of attention for a few minutes. I’m not talking about the noun “retard which some sister uses as a slang word for her brother. You know, kinda slow sometimes? I’m talking about the verb “retard” which refers to slowing down.

Many times in the Bible we are told to slow down as in waiting (Isaiah 40:31), to wait patiently (Ps. 37:7, 40:1), and to “be still and know that I am God” (Ps. 46:10). There are rewards for those that wait on the Lord--they shall renew their strength. To those that wait patiently, He inclines His ear. To those that be still, we have the promise of knowing that He is God.

The word “still” means “to slacked, be faint, wax feeble, be weak, abate, to cease.”
Other definitions are:

slacken: to become less energetic, not under any tension.
abate: to reduce, to do away with, to grow less.
feeble: lacking in energy or strength, weak, unclear, lacking in effectiveness.

So in other words… Be weak and know that I am God, or Be strengthless and know that I am God. So here the Lord is saying that it is ok to be weak. Why? Because 2 Cor. 12:9 says “My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”

Jesus wants his bride to be WEAK!!! Why? So that His power, His capabilities, can shine through us, and He gets ALL the glory!! That is why His ways are not our ways and His thoughts are not our thoughts! 1 Cor. 1:25 says, “Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men…” So whatever you are going through right now, know that the Lord is perfecting your weakness; know that you are a work in progress, and you will come out a strong overcomer in Christ.

So when life is full of turmoil and the musical score is getting a little too difficult to handle, let “ritardando” be your new word for action--slow down a bit and wait for God.

Soaring As Eagles Teen Magazine

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Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding. He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.
Isaiah 40:28-31.

Wait on God. So many blessings at my fingertips…if I wait on God. If I wait on God my strength will be renewed. If I wait on God I will soar like an eagle, effortlessly drifting on currents of air through a cloudless sky. If I wait on God I will be able to run this long race with patience and not be weary. If I wait on God I can walk at an even pace in His will, in His timing, and not faint. Waiting on God… Teach me, Lord, to wait on You!