WAIT ON GOD

WAIT ON GOD

Matthew 4:1-4  Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted there by the devil.  (2)  For forty days and forty nights He fasted and became very hungry.  (3)  During that time the devil came and said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, tell these stones to become loaves of bread."  (4)  But Jesus told Him, "No! The Scriptures say, 'People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'"

Jesus was preparing further for His earthly ministry. Part of the preparation was for Him to fully understand temptation because He is our High Priest who knows what we deal with on a daily basis… (Hebrews 4:15)  “This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for He faced all of the same testings we do, yet He did not sin.”

So, after having fasted all this time Satan tries to get Him to fix the situation Himself instead of waiting on God. Jesus points to the Word in all three of the temptations. In this case He says bread, earthly bread is not what will solve His dilemma. The Word of God is what will satisfy and yet He truly was physically hungry.

In our daily lives, Satan will always have a short cut for us to take. If we need money he will show us ways to steal or to get further into debt. What we need to do is to pray and turn to the Scriptures. What does God tell us to do? Often when we have need, the best thing to do is to give to others in need and watch God keep His promise to bless those who give. (Ecclesiastes 11:1)  “Send your grain across the seas, and in time, profits will flow back to you.”

The desire to fix things ourselves is not new. King Saul dealt with this same temptation in 1Samuel 13, but he chose not to wait on the Lord. He was to wait for Samuel to arrive and perform the necessary sacrifice, but he became inpatient and fearful and made the sacrifice himself. Read his excuse and Samuel’s response…

1 Samuel 13:12-14  So I said, 'The Philistines are ready to march against us at Gilgal, and I haven't even asked for the LORD's help!' So I felt compelled to offer the burnt offering myself before you came."  (13)  "How foolish!" Samuel exclaimed. "You have not kept the command the LORD your God gave you. Had you kept it, the LORD would have established your kingdom over Israel forever.  (14)  But now your kingdom must end, for the LORD has sought out a man after His own heart. The LORD has already appointed him to be the leader of His people, because you have not kept the LORD's command."

Saul became inpatient and wound up losing the blessing of the Lord. Even though Jesus was very hungry He chose to feast on God’s Word and wait for Him to meet the need at hand. And God did see to it that Jesus was cared for. Matthew 4:11  Then the devil went away, and angels came and took care of Jesus.

If you are being pressured to make a quick decision and there doesn’t seem to be time for prayer, take that as a sign that you need to step away, seek your heavenly Father and wait on Him to meet the need or to give you direction. He is faithful. He loves you and He will guide those who wait on Him. Psalms 37:7  Be still in the presence of the LORD, and wait patiently for Him to act. Don't worry about evil people who prosper or fret about their wicked schemes.

Matthew 6:31-33  "So don't worry about these things, saying, 'What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?'  (32)  These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs.  (33)  Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need.

Father in heaven, strengthen us to walk in peace, Your peace. We desire to trust you to meet our needs. Holy Spirit, set our eyes on Jesus and increase our faith.

In Jesus Name, AMEN!

(All scripture references are from the NLT unless otherwise stated.)