Learning To Wait On God

Well, good morning to everyone. It is a beautiful Sabbath day, and I hope that you've had a good week of six days of work and all that you have accomplished this week, and also that you're having a wonderful Sabbath day today. I want to begin the message this morning with a group quiz. I know we like quizzes, so we'll let it be a group quiz. And it's a true and false one, with just five questions or statements. Number one, it comes easy for us humans to wait on God.

False. Okay, you got it right. Let's see if we can make 100 percent on this one.

All right. Waiting on God comes natural to us humans. Okay, okay, very good. Number three, the patriarchs already knew and always practiced waiting on God. Okay, very good. Number four, in waiting on God, there is nothing we have to do.

And the last one, if we wait on God, He will always deliver us at this time. By this time, I mean in this age. If we wait on God, He will always deliver us in this age. All right, what do you think? Well, that's true. If we wait on Him by the end of the age.

All right, we'll we will put that one then on the shelf for the moment, and we'll come to that just a bit later on. One of the most difficult things for us humans actually is to wait on God.

When we need help and God doesn't always act right away, it's hard. It's hard to wait on God.

It's that natural to just go ahead and try to work out things for ourselves and do what seems to be right ourselves. We've all tried to work out things for ourselves and often with bad results.

To wait on God means to believe God and that He will do what He says He will do, that He will provide for us, that He will protect us, and that He will keep His promises. It's to trust God and patiently wait on Him. Something that we need to learn as we go along serving our great God. So the title of this message is, Learning to Wait on God. It's a very simple message, but I think there is something there that we can benefit as we discuss this topic.

Learning to wait on God. We have outstanding examples in the Bible, ones that did wait on God.

They just set a sterling example of waiting on God in difficult circumstances. And we have also examples of ones who did not wait on God, and they reaped the consequences of doing it their own way. So we have examples good and bad. We're very familiar with these examples. Let's just get to a few of them to set the stage for this topic. Let's go over to Genesis 16. Here's one of the patriarchs. Yes, it's one of our true and false statements. The patriarchs had to learn, just like we have to learn as well. Here's Abraham and Sarah. God had brought them into the land from Mesopotamia when Abraham was 75 years of age, and Rebecca, I mean pardon me, Sarah was 65. She was 10 years younger. Here they are. God had promised this land to Abraham and his descendants, but they didn't have any descendants. And so Sarah looked around. Here she was. This is now 10 years later. Abraham is 85 and Sarah is 75. And she looks at herself. She's got some gray hair coming probably by this time, and she said, boy, we don't have any children. We've got to do something about this. So, verse 2, Sarah said to Abram, please go into my maid. Perhaps I shall obtain children by her. And Abraham listened, and he went in. So that's the last part of verse 3, that this was 10 years after they had come into the land. So he went into Hagar. He took Hagar to be his wife, and she conceived. And as we know, she bear a child named Ishmael. We're not going to all of this story, but God had promised, and 10 years had gone by. And so Sarah, and she persuaded Abraham, or Abram, tried to work it out their own way with Hagar. They did not wait on God. They could have just gone ahead and said, well, God is faithful. He will do what he said he would do.

Somehow he's going to give us a child.

You know, this is not to discredit Abraham and Sarah. They learned. They looked back on all of this later on. They learned from it. They would have been better to have waited on God.

There were consequences. Even right here in this chapter, you can read on down that there was friction that developed between Sarah and Hagar right away. And then after the child was born, quite a number of years later, when Isaac was born, the promised son was born to Abraham and Sarah, then Abraham had to send Ishmael away because Sarah just didn't want her and that, well, about 13 to 14 year old child around. And that was very hard on Abraham. So Abraham had to look back and realize it would have been better if he had discussed this with Sarah and said, no, I don't think taking Hagar is the right thing to do. Let's just wait on God. Let's see if, let's see how God works that out. How much easier it would have been. It is easier for us humans if we will learn to wait on God, but it's not easy. Let's go to another classic example of the patriarchs. Let's go to Genesis 25 and verse 20. Genesis 25 and beginning to read in verse 20, Isaac was 40 years old when he took Rebekah as wife, and Isaac pleaded with the Lord for his wife because she was barren. And the Lord granted his plea and Rebekah, his wife, conceived.

And this was actually, what, 20 years later. Isaac was 60 years old when the twins were born.

But getting back to verse 21, the Lord granted the plea of Isaac and Rebekah conceived, and the children struggled together within her. These two boys were having it out in the womb. They were womb mates, but they were fighting it out in the womb. And so Rebekah said, if all is well, why am I this way? So she went to inquire of the Lord. Just exactly how she went was it in a prayer? Is not explained exactly how this happened, but she went to find out. And the Lord said to her, two nations are in your womb. Two peoples shall be separated from your body. One people shall be stronger than the other, and the older shall serve the younger. So before the twins were even born, Rebekah knew that the older would serve the younger. The younger then would be the one, actually, when you understand the flow of the story in Genesis, the younger one would be the one through whom the Abrahamic promises would flow. The birthright blessings would go through the younger one. And of course, Paul explains this even more in Romans 9, 10, and 11, that God works by election. He works by choosing whom He will work through and whom He will not work through. And before these twins were even born, it was determined that the birthright promises and blessings would flow through the younger one. So Rebekah knew. God told her. Did she relay this on to her husband Isaac? We're not told. Likely, I would think it's possible that she did discuss it with Isaac, that the older one was going to serve the younger. But it didn't really register. She did tell Isaac it did not really register because about 57 years later, that's quite a long time, Rebekah had maybe this was really what God had told her was was a kind of hazy in her own mind, that the older shall serve the younger. Because we come to chapter 20, 27, and let's read this account beginning in verse 1. It came to pass when Isaac was old and his eyes were dim. He called Esau, his older son. So here we have the story. You know the story. I won't read all of this.

He's going to bless Esau. He's going to confer those promises of greatness given to Abraham. It's going to flow through Esau. Esau was his favorite because Esau went out and killed, gained, and brought in this delicious food. So he told Esau, go and kill and bring it, prepare it just the way you know I like it. So Esau went out, but guess what? Guess what? Let's skip on down to verse 5. Rebecca was listening when Isaac spoke to Esau, his son, and Esau went out to the field. So, Rebecca, what would she do? Here she is. She's probably in her seventies or eighties herself. I mean, this is around 57 years or so after the twins were born.

After she had been told that the older shall serve the younger, would she say, well, God told me, even before they were born, that Jacob would receive the birthright promises, and I'm just going to wait on God to let it work it out, to let him work it out. No, she had to get busy fast, and she spoke to Jacob, her son, and told him what was going on and what they were going to do. So Rebecca came up with this plot. She would dress Jacob with the clothes of Esau. She would put skins on his arms and on his neck. The father, who couldn't tell, he was so blind, he couldn't really tell who it was that came in when Jacob came in. It sounded like Jacob, but he felt him, he smelled him, said, well, you smell like Esau. You feel like Esau. And so he conferred the promises and the blessings on Jacob. We know the story.

So they connived. Rebecca, mother, and son connived to cause something to happen that was going to happen anyway. What if they had made it easier on themselves and said, well, if Rebecca has said, God has already said he was going to have the elder serve the younger, I'm just going to wait and see how he works it out and just had faith. How much easier would that have been? On Jacob. Jacob went along with the plot. How much? And already before that time, Jacob had connived to get the birthright promises. Esau came in from a hunt. He was so weak. He said, boy, give me some of that stew. And so Jacob said, well, give me your birthright blessing and I'll give you some stew. But Jacob, even at that time, could easily have said, well, you want some stew here. And then after he'd eaten the first serving, said, do you want a second serving? Jacob could have made it very easy on himself. He made it hard on himself. And you know, later on in life, when Jacob was 130 years of age and he went down to Egypt after hearing that Joseph was yet alive, and he came before Pharaoh and he told Pharaoh, few and evil have been the days of the years of my life.

Few and evil. But so Jacob's life had not been easy. In fact, after he had deceived his father and gotten the birthright blessing here in chapter 27, Esau found out what had happened. He plotted to purposed to kill Jacob, but he said, I'll wait until after my father, our father, is dead.

And so it created an animosity between these two brothers. They later did make up. And Jacob was away for 40 years, having four wives and 12 sons and at least one daughter.

And Jacob was on his way back to the land out of Mesopotamia. Then they met and embraced. So they did make up. But how much easier would it have been if Jacob had just waited on God?

He could have made it so much easier on himself. So, you know, it's easy on us if we learn this simple precept or this simple doctrine of the Bible that we will make it easier on ourselves if we just wait on God. Waiting on God pays off. It's the way to go. Patiently believing, trusting.

Sometimes it seems God just doesn't show up on time, so we just have to get busy and work it out.

But let's remember God always shows up on time. He will always, without fail, show up on time.

We're not going to turn to this next one, but Israel's first king, Saul, had to also demonstrated that it's hard for humans to wait on God. In 1 Samuel 13, you can read the story after being king for just a short time. Then he was fighting against the Philistines, and Samuel had promised to come. They were in dire straits. The Philistines had all these chariots, all these horsemen, the big army, and Saul just had a couple of thousand men, and they were very much afraid of their situation that they were in.

So Samuel had promised to show up in seven days, but he didn't show up. Saul was very much afraid. He went out and he was from the tribe of Benjamin, not a Levite.

He went out and sacrificed animals. Just as soon as he had done that, Samuel showed up. Well, then you know. He said, you have done foolishly, but kingdom will not continue in your lineage. So Saul did not have a descendant to become king of Israel. King David was the one, the man after God's own heart. Okay, well, two of the most outstanding examples of someone who did wait on God would be David. As we know, David came in.

He killed Goliath. He came into to play music for Saul when Saul was in this bad mood. And so David was given even charge of some of the army of Saul and won battles. But there came to be a real, well, animosity on the part of Saul toward David.

And so David had to be on the run. And Saul was after David twice. We read that David had the opportunity to kill Saul. 1 Samuel 24. Let's read these very quickly. We won't spend too much time. We're familiar with these examples, but we'll refresh our minds just a bit. In 1 Samuel chapter 24. 1 Samuel chapter 24. And look at when Saul was told that David was in this wilderness verse 2.

Saul took 3,000 chosen men to go out and seek David. And there was this cave. And Saul came into the cave. And David was hiding in that cave. And they were so close that David was able to cut off a little piece of the garment of Saul. And then after Saul had gone back outside the cave, David came and got Saul's attention and said, look at your skirt. And David held up a piece of the skirt or the garment that Saul had on. And Saul recognized it and that David had the opportunity to kill Saul.

But he did not. David told his men. David was even troubled because he, in verse 5, because he had cut off some of Saul's robe. He said to his men, and look at this example of waiting on God, The Lord forbid that I should do this thing to my master, the Lord's anointed, to stretch out my hand against him, seeing he is the anointed of the Lord. So David restrained his servants with these words. But David then, when he came out and got Saul's attention and held up the piece of the garment, Saul realized that David would not do him harm and made peace for the moment.

Let's go to the second account of this happening where David had the opportunity, but he would wait on God to work it out. In 1 Samuel chapter 26 and verse 2. 1 Samuel chapter 26 and verse 2. David, verse 1, was hiding in this area. And verse 2, Saul arose, having three thousand chosen men of Israel to seek David. He still wanted to kill David. So in verse 5, David rose, and he saw the place where Saul was lying.

So he and one of his men, verse 7, Abashah, came to the people by night, and there Saul lay sleeping within the camp, with his spear stuck in the ground by his head, and abner'd the people all around. Abashah said to David, he had noticed David didn't kill him when he had the opportunity in the cave, Abashah said, God has delivered your enemy into your hand this day. Now therefore, please let me strike him at once with the spear right to the earth, and I will not have to strike him a second time. One time would do the job.

Well, here was an opportunity where David himself didn't have to lift his hand. He could have his servant to do it for him. David said to Abashah, do not destroy him, for who can stretch out his hand against the Lord's anointed and be guiltless? He said, Furthermore, as the Lord lives, the Lord shall strike him, or his day shall come to die. He will just die of old age, or he shall go out to battle and perish. The Lord forbid that I should stretch out my hand against the Lord's anointed.

But please take the spear and the jug of water that are by his head and let us go. And so they took the spear, and they were able then to get Saul's attention and show that they had been right there in the midst of their camp and had taken the spear and the vessel, or the jug of water. So David could again show that he would not harm Saul, and after that Saul didn't pursue David anymore. David chose to just wait on God. He made the right choice to wait on God. And in God's time and God's way, David was indeed made king over all 12 tribes, a great example of waiting on God. So there are these outstanding examples. We could read many more. We won't take the time for that. But life force to shift gears. The Bible has a lot of verses about waiting on God. This doctrine, and we can say this, a doctrine, learning to trust God implicitly.

Whatever our circumstances may be, learning to wait on God to act for us.

There are four Hebrew words that are used. There are probably more, but four I would like to emphasize. Let's shift gears and read a few verses about waiting on God. The first Hebrew word is quavah. Q-A-V-A-H. This word quavah means to wait expectantly. It means to wait in faith, to look for patience. Let's read a verse or two in the book of Psalms, Psalm 25 and verse 1. Psalm 25 and verse 1. To you, Lord, I lift my soul. Oh my God, I trust in you.

This waiting on God means to trust in God. Let me not be ashamed. Let not my enemies triumph over me.

Indeed, let no one who waits—there's that word quavah—and my margin says, waits for you in faith.

Let no one who waits for you in faith be ashamed. But by contrast, let those be ashamed who deal treacherously without cause. Show me your ways, O Lord. Teach me your paths. Lead me in your truth, and teach me. For you are the God of my salvation. On you I wait all the day.

So continuously, this verse admonishes us to wait in faith on God. Psalm 27 and verse 14.

We'll read several verses on this word quavah to wait in faith, in faith that God is there. He knows what's going on. He knows our circumstances. He's ready to help us according to His will. Psalm 27 and verse 14. Wait, my margin again has, wait in faith on the Lord. Wait in faith on the Lord. Quavah. Be of good courage. We don't need to be discouraged by whatever circumstances we may be facing. Because God is on the job. He will strengthen your heart.

He won't let you become disheartened or discouraged. Wait, I say. Wait in faith on the Lord.

So whatever circumstances come along, we can wait in faith. Let's go also and read Psalm 40 and verse 1.

Psalm 40 and verse 1. I waited quavah, waited in faith patiently for the Lord, and He inclined to me and heard my cry. He also brought me out of a horrible pit. Sometimes our problems can be a horrible pit. Out of the miry clay and set my feet upon a rock and established my steps.

So God is on the job. To wait on God means that we realize that He's not ever unaware of us if we are striving to do His will and walk with Him. The second Hebrew word we could explore is chakah.

C-H-A-K-A-H. C-H-A-K-A-H. This Hebrew word means to adhere to. To wait tenaciously. To wait with determination has that perseverance aspect to it. Let's go to Isaiah 30.

Isaiah 30 and verse 18. Isaiah 30 and verse 18. Therefore the Lord will wait that He may be gracious to you, and therefore He will be exalted that He may have mercy on you. For the Lord is a God of justice.

Blessed are all those who wait for Him, chakah, to wait with determination with tenacity. Also, we find this same Hebrew word in Isaiah 64 and verse 4. Isaiah 64 and verse 4.

Let's read this carefully. For since the beginning of the world men have not heard nor perceived by the ear, nor has the eye seen any God besides you who acts for the one who waits for Him.

God will act for us if we wait on Him. And this verse says no one else in human history has done that. And verse 5 goes on to say, you meet Him who rejoices and does righteousness. God's going to be there if we denaciously with determination seek Him and seek to do what is His will. The next and third Hebrew word is chul. C-H-U-W-L. Chul. And this word means to wait patiently and carefully. Sometimes it does take patience. It may take years and years and years, in fact. Let's go back to Psalm 37 and verse 3.

Trust in the Lord and do good. Dwell in the land and feed on His faithfulness.

Delight yourself also in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.

Commit your way to the Lord. Trust also in Him. He shall bring it to pass. He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light and your justice as the noonday. It shows God is watching over us, taking care of us. Verse 7, Rest in the Lord and wait patiently. They have translated this Hebrew word, wait patiently. Chul. Wait patiently for Him. Since sometimes it does take waiting patiently.

Just keep looking to God. Keep being patient. What if Abraham and Sarah had done that? They would have saved themselves a lot of grief. What if Rebecca and Jacob had done that? Jacob's life would not have been as hard as it turned out to be. Let's also in this chapter, read verse 34. Chapter 37 and verse 34. Wait on the Lord. Wait patiently here. Chul. C-H-U-W-L.

Wait on the Lord. Wait patiently. And keep His way. And He shall exalt you to inherit the land.

So this thing of waiting on God requires determination. It requires tenacity. It requires patience. It requires faith. To wait patiently in faith. The fourth Hebrew word is damah.

D-A-M-A-H. And this word means to wait in silence. To be dumb. To wait in silence. Sometimes things come our way and happen. We just wait and don't say a word. Wait in silence. Let's go to Psalm 62 and verse 1. Psalm 62 and verse 1. Truly, my soul silently waits for God.

There's that word damah. To wait silently for God. From Him comes my salvation. He only is my rock and my salvation. He is my defense. I shall not be greatly moved. How long will you attack a man?

You shall be slain, all of you, like a leaning wall and a tuttering fence.

They only consult to cast him down from his high position. They delight in lies. They bless with their mouth, but they curse inwardly. Just there is opposition here, but what is David? This is written in Psalm of David. What is he doing? Verse 5. My soul waits silently for God alone.

For my expectation, the margin says, hope is from Him. Sometimes we just wait silently. We know and have complete confidence that God is going to work it out. He's going to take care of the problem. These four Hebrew words mean that waiting on God is to have a strong trust and belief that God is with us to help us at all times. It takes patience. It takes a strong faith. It takes determination and sometimes just silence on our part. Waiting for God to work it out. There are excellent examples of this kind of trust in the Bible. Trusting in God in time of sorrows, in time of sickness, in deep trouble, when everything is going wrong, in times of calamity. Three examples we will not turn to that show waiting on God. Just excellent examples. What about the three friends, three young friends of Daniel when they came into, when they were in Babylon and they were tested. They were told that anybody that did not bow down to this golden image would be thrown into the fiery furnace. These three friends of Daniel trusted God. They waited on God.

They said, our God will deliver us, and if He does not, we still will not bow down to this golden image. Of course, God allowed them to be tested to the last minute, didn't He? They were thrown into that fiery furnace which was heated up seven times hotter. It killed the men that cast them in. But these three friends, God delivered. So many times God allows us to be tested that way, waiting to the last minute to intervene. What about Daniel and the lion's den? Anybody that worshipped any other God for 30 days would be thrown into the lion's den, and Daniel still got down just like he did before, three times a day. The window being opened toward Jerusalem didn't change anything. He could have gone to a closet where nobody would have known he was praying, but just like he had been praying three times a day, he just went. And of course, he was an old man by this time. He had this relationship with God and trusted God.

So we know that God delivered him, but he did allow Daniel to be thrown into that lion's den, but closed the mouths of the lions and waited to the last minute, though, for Daniel to...

It was a test of Daniel's faith. And what about Abraham, who was told to go and kill that son that he loved? And again, God waited to the last minute to tell Abraham, don't kill him, and God intervened. So God will allow us to be tested, sometimes intervening at the very last minute.

And they seem like God is not going to act. You know, in the case of Jacob and Rebecca, if they had trusted God, what way would God have worked it out? Would God have allowed Esau to come in with this game, prepared it, and bring it to him, and then in some way let Abraham know, the Abraham promises are to flow through the younger Jacob. Maybe Rebecca had told that to Abraham after she had been told it herself. We just don't know how God would have done... He may have waited to the last minute to have let Abraham, or to let Isaac know, rather, that the promises were to flow through Jacob. Waiting on God means there's nothing that we ourselves need to do. Okay, we have a false on that one. That is correct. Sometimes there is nothing that we can do. We just wait on God to work it out. I mean, what could Daniel's three friends do? They couldn't run. The fiery furnace was right there. What could Daniel do? Sometimes there's nothing to do, but stand still. Just stand still and let God work it out. Sometimes, like God told the Israelites, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord. Then the Red Sea opened up, and they did have something to do. They needed to walk through that bottom of the Red Sea that God opened up to them.

So sometimes there are things that we do.

For example, a member of the church wanted to get married. Well, that's a good thing. He wanted to marry someone in the church. The Bible supports that. He did the right thing. He prayed about it, but he also went to singles activities, and he met single people, and he waited.

Waited on God, and in due time, God heard and answered his prayer.

Another true example, we had a minister many years ago that came down sick, and it just didn't go away. He was anointed. He may have been anointed a second time, and he looked to God, and he didn't get any better. Finally, after two or three weeks, Mr. Armstrong came in and said, have you been to a doctor? You might find out some things that will help you and things you can do. No, he had not been to a doctor. The doctors have their place.

They sure they really do. And so he went to the doctor and found out what it was, and he did a few things that helped him recover before too long.

So sometimes waiting on God, there are some things that we ourselves need to do.

Sometimes we stand still and look to God. We wait on God, but we also have things that we can do and must do as well. Does waiting on God mean that God will always deliver us at this time?

You know, where I'm coming from on this is that there are examples in the Bible of ones who waited on God, who served God, trusted God, like Stephen, for example, in Acts 7. We won't turn to this Scripture there in Acts 7, but did Stephen trust in God? Yes, he did.

And he looked to God, and he gave that powerful message. But God allowed Stephen to be martyred.

Did God not see that there was a man that waited on him, trusted him implicitly?

And the answer is yes, God saw. God did see. And he opened the heavens so that Stephen said, I see the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God. So, yes, Stephen waited on God. He did all that he was supposed to do. But God allowed him to be martyred. But he will be richly rewarded in the first resurrection. What about Paul in 2 Corinthians 12? Here was this man there, no doubt the Apostle, who was given a thorn in the flesh. And he went to God three times. He looked to God. He waited on God, trusted God, did it God's way three times, asked God to take it away. And God told him, My grace is sufficient for you, for my strength is made perfect in weakness.

So the Apostle then accepted that. So, you know, God does not always, even for those who wait on him, he does not always deliver us from our present problem or suffering. He will do what is best for us. He may allow us to have a thorn in the flesh or something that helps us to draw us closer to him.

Maybe it may be the best thing for us. What about the faith chapter in Hebrews 11?

Many names of people that waited on God, but some were martyred, some were tortured, some were not delivered. They all waited on God. So what we learn from this is, whether we live or die, we wait on God. Our life is in God's hands. We totally trust Him. Our hope is not in this life.

Brother, as we come to the end of this age, we'll begin to wind down a little bit this sermon.

As we come to the end of this age, I believe we will need to be perfected in this doctrine of waiting on God and really trust God and believe God as conditions worsen to patiently wait in faith that God will take care of us. He will act for us. Waiting on God actually reflects our relationship with Him. And if our relationship is strong, we just entrust it all to God. He will provide. He knows we need food every day. God knows if some dangerous situation comes up, does He not know that we need protection or that we need to shoot our way out of it? Well, God is our protector.

He promises. Psalm, read Psalm 91. Some dire sickness or disease. God is our healer. He is our deliverer. He is true to His promises. He's constantly watching over us, just like a loving parent does his little child. Let's go to 1 Peter 5 and verse 7. So, waiting on God is very important. It gets right to the core of our relationship with God. That our relationship is one of faith and trust implicitly that He is our God. He is faithful. He will not let us down. 1 Peter 5 and verse 7. Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. So, nothing is going to happen in our life that God is unaware of. He's going to see whatever it may be. Sickness, a dangerous situation, whatever is coming our way. We can cast all of our worries on God.

He is faithful. Jesus said in Matthew 28, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.

And that is talking collectively, but that's also talking individually to you and me. He's with us.

We can wait on Him and trust Him. We can do anything that we see that we ought to do. We should.

But most of all, we wait on God. We don't worry or have fear. It certainly would be dangerous to try to work out things for ourselves. I think we would look back and learn from it if we did.

Be much better to wait on God. Young people, we have some of our young people here.

That's part of our congregation. And you too will be blessed as a young person if you learn to wait on God in this evil time. Just a couple of things in concluding. The new magazine, Beyond Today magazine for July and August, has good articles for looking to God in this dangerous age we live in. And articles like Keys to Coping in Troubled Times. How can we endure in times of crisis? Bible answers for coping with stress. Just excellent articles that help us to wait on God and trust God and look to God in this dangerous age we're living in.

Okay, we're going to read three scriptures to conclude. Let's go to Isaiah chapter 26.

Isaiah 26, and we'll begin reading in verse 3.

Isaiah 26, in verse 3. Isaiah 26, in verse 3.

You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.

And so this thing of waiting on God really gets down to our trust in God that he will provide. He will take care of us. In verse 8, yes, in the way of your judgments, O Lord, we have waited—the word here is quavah—we've waited in faith, we've waited expectantly then for you. The desire of our soul is for your name and for the remembrance of you.

With my soul I have desired you in the night. Yes, by my spirit within me I will seek you early, for when your judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.

Of course, that will be in the millennium when that happens. Let's go to the second scripture in Isaiah chapter 40, beginning in verse 29. Isaiah 40, in verse 29, He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might He increases strength.

Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall. But those who wait, again the Hebrew word is quavah—wait in faith, wait expectantly. Those who wait in faith then 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. And the third scripture is in Daniel chapter 12. Daniel chapter 12, beginning to read in verse 9. Daniel 12, in verse 9, He said, Go your way, Daniel, for the words are closed up and sealed until the time of the end.

Many shall be purified, made white, and refined. The wicked will do wickedly, and none of the wicked shall understand, but the wise shall understand.

In verse 12, it's talking then about the end of this age. In verse 12, Blessed is He who waits.

And the word here is that Hebrew word, chakah, C-H-A-K-A-H. The word that means to adhere to, to wait tenaciously with determination. So He that waits with determination tenaciously and comes to the 1,335 days will be blessed. This is talking about that coming time of trouble. Verse 1 talks about the time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation to this time. God says we will be blessed if we patiently, tenaciously, expectantly in faith wait on God.