by Wade E Taylor
“But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world to our glory.” I Corinthians 2:7
The greatest gift and blessing that we possess is our spiritual sensitivity and hunger.
Unless we maintain a time of active daily communion and fellowship with our Lord, this “hunger,” along with the anointing that enables us to unlock and understand the deeper levels of revelation within the Word of God, will gradually fade until we are left spiritually barren.
“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….” Isaiah 40:30-31
To maintain our spirituality, it is essential that we set apart a specific time and place in which to “wait upon the Lord.” As we do this, we will be “re-charged” spiritually. Just as a battery that has been discharged through use must be re-charged, so also, we must hold ourselves before the Lord, to allow His life and power to flow back into our being.
“But you shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and you shall be witnesses to Me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and to the uttermost part of the earth.” Acts 1:8
The word “after” tells us that this “power” is given after we spend time in the presence of our Lord. These times of specific “waiting upon the Lord” will impart to us a “divine strength” that replaces our human weakness. This will result in an increase of our love for the Lord Himself, and produce within us the anointing that will quicken our understanding, enabling us to respond to the presence and promptings of the Lord.
“Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me.” Revelation 3:20
The emphasis is on our ability to hear, and our willingness to respond. This “hearing” is through the inner ear of our Spirit.
“Who has ears to hear, let him hear.” Mathew 13:9
As we wait on the Lord in His presence, this ability to hear spiritually can be developed and improved.
“The secret of the Lord is with them that fear Him; and He will show them His covenant.” Psalm 25:14
This word, “fear,” speaks of a reverential awe, or respect that stimulates us to respond to His presence and voice, and “wait upon Him” with focused, undivided attention.
It is important for us to recognize that we function on two different levels of life.
“It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.” I Corinthians 15:44
Either one, or the other of these will predominate – the “natural,” or the “spiritual.” As our spiritual life increases, our carnal desires will decrease. The “strength” of each of these is determined by the choices we make, the preferences we give, and which of these we nurture with our thoughts and actions.
The level of our spirituality is greatly affected by the amount of time we spend in “waiting upon the Lord.” The time in which we come apart and look upward toward the Lord should never be passive, but rather, an active waiting in “anticipation,” as one who watches for someone to enter a room. It should include a time of quiet worship and the expression of our love to the Lord.
“I love them that love Me; and those that seek Me early shall find Me…That I may cause those that love Me to inherit substance; and I will fill their treasures.” Proverbs 8:17, 21
As we express our love for the Lord, it will bring a response from Him (I love them that love Me), lifting us into a higher level of communion and fellowship with Him. As we look toward Jesus in an attitude of receiving, the “substance” of His being will flow into us, to change us into His image and likeness.
As we continue to daily “wait on the Lord,” to receive the impartation of spiritual life and strength that is essential to our spiritual well being, there must be a parallel “crucifixion” of our natural, soulish life. This is accomplished as we commit to the cross all things which are contrary to our spiritual development – that seek to hinder or replace our times of waiting before the Lord.
The Lord will, through this process of crucifixion, remove the agitations and all that rebels against our becoming “still” before Him. We must pass through this time of “processing” before we will be able to fully experience the release of spiritual life that the Lord desires to make available to us.
Our ability to “wait upon the Lord” will increase as we “wait upon the Lord.” As desirable and well intentioned as they may be, relationships with other Christians will never nurture or satisfy our spiritual hunger.
There must be the lifting of our being into a “vertical” relationship with the Lord – an intimate, personal coming to the Lord Himself, as coming to a person who desires to be known. As we “wait in His presence,” He will make Himself known to us. Then, we will be better able to fellowship one with another.
“But you, when you pray, enter into your closet, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father which is in secret; and your Father which sees in secret shall reward you openly.” Matthew 6:6
It is very important that we set apart special times when we are absolutely alone with the Lord. “…I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me” (Revelation 3:20).
In “waiting upon the Lord” we are both “quickened” and “lifted” into the realms of the Spirit. While we wait, the Lord works, re-orienting our desires and creating within us a sensitivity and openness to the “realm of the Spirit.” This process of maturing us spiritually may be hindered, as while we work, the Lord waits. It is much easier to work for the Lord, than to come apart and become quiet, so we can wait on Him.
As our spiritual senses are sharpened, we will become more responsive to the desire of the Lord for communion and fellowship with us, and toward His desire for the redemption of mankind through us.
“That I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable to His death.” Philippians 3:10
This increased spiritual sensitivity, which we receive through our extended times of “waiting upon the Lord,” will also cause us to become more sensitized to the natural realm. We must learn how to bear this sensitivity, without any reaction or retaliation, because of what we see or feel.
“Who is blind, but My servant? or deaf, as My messenger that I sent? who is blind as he that is perfect, and blind as the Lord’s servant? Seeing many things, but you observe not; opening the ears, but he hears not.” Isaiah 42:19-20
Because of the keen spiritual sensitivity that Jesus possessed, He knew the hearts of men, but He refused to react according to circumstances. He maintained His position in the heavenlies and was motivated according to what His Father was saying and doing, not man.
“However that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual.” I Corinthians 15:46
“First… that which is natural; and afterward….” We are to move in the faith that we have, no matter how limited it may be, and then, we will be lifted upward into the “realm of the Spirit,” where we will begin to move into that which is spiritual.
As we continue to “wait on the Lord in expectancy,” in time we will pass from the natural realm into the “realm of the Spirit,” where we will begin to move in that which is spiritual. At times, we may “feel” very little of Him, or of His presence. Even if we seemingly feel nothing as we “wait,” we will later notice that it has, in a good way, affected all that we do or say.
“The Lord God has given Me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: He wakens morning by morning, He wakens My ear to hear as the learned.” Isaiah 50:4
It is essential that we set apart time within the schedule of our busy lives to “wait upon the Lord.”
If we will do this daily, we will never be disappointed.