Encounter Christian Campus Ministry Daily Devotions 2020

May 01 by Ptr. Arnold Pasion

WAIT UPON THE LORD

Four months seem like a year to wait. To wait on God to act and shed a ray of hope from heaven in this pandemic. To the ones who lost their loved ones, it has been a nightmare from which they wish to wake up and everything would be okay. But it is not, it will never be the same again. To those who do not know where to get their next meal because of losing their source of income, it seems like an endless hopelessness. To those who are working in the frontline trying to save lives and trying to control the people in order to control the spread of the virus, their patience is put to the test to the max and their strength is fading fast. To the leaders leading each nation, state, city and community, their leadership will either make them stronger or break them apart—and yes, they, too, are limited in their ideas and in their strength to find solution for this pandemic.

And, of course, there are those of us WHO ARE CALLED TO SAVE THE WORLD BY STAYING AT HOME by watching TV and playing our gadgets in order to minimize people's movement and eventually stop the spread of the Coronavirus or Covid-19.

If you are one of those described above, how well have you done your part? How are you at waiting on God to act and bring deliverance from this disease. One month or two months of lockdown or quarantine is too much – too long. I can't wait, I have to admit. People are becoming restless...no one has the strength and no one is willing to wait.

Isaiah 40:30-31 says,
Even the youths shall faint and be weary,
And the young men shall utterly fall,
But those who wait 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.

What a contrast!!! For many, waiting makes them grow faint, weary and fall; but for those who are waiting on God will really do the opposite—waiting renews our strength. Mark Wheeler, in his article in this subject matter states that the word "WAIT" in Hebrew "Qavah means (1) to bind together, (2) look patiently, (3) tarry or wait, (4) to hope, expect, look eagerly (5) to long for.

Think about it! Whether we are doing something or doing nothing, we grow impatient and restless when we are waiting. But that is not "waiting" in God's perspective. Waiting is not a passive, quiet and inactive stillness; but is a PROACTIVE posture of drawing closer to God. The closer you draw yourself to God, in moments of waiting, the more your strength is renewed. Waiting on God is like binding and intertwining ourselves with God like a rope. It is about binding, remaining and being proactively in the presence of God—it signifies a strong relationship and intense spiritual intimacy.

I am sure that few of us know and have a solution for this pandemic; but that doesn't mean that we will come out from this the same as when we started. We can be a better person and a better child of God. It's a choice we have to make to bind together with God. But there is more to the definition of the word "wait." Isaiah says that "those who wait (or who hope) on the Lord
Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles..." The same force of wind that would trample us down is the same wind that would lift us up and soar like an eagle. The very obstacle we have in life that we eagerly want to avoid can produce power to rise above it.

So, during this quarantine or lockdown while we are waiting for God's deliverance I hope you consider...
I will move ahead, bold and confident. Taking every
step in obedience
While I'm waiting, I will serve You
While I'm waiting, I will worship,
While I'm waiting, I will not faint
I'll be running the race, Even while I wait (While I'm
Waiting-FIREPROOF theme song)

Wait upon the Lord. God will not fail us; help is on the way. But while waiting, be expectant for what God has in store for us. Allie Boman suggests... Instead of worrying, "use your worry to generate reminders to set your mind on things above. If you are waiting on healing, search out Scriptures and stories that describe God as a (great) healer. If you are waiting on provision, immerse yourself in the truth that God takes care of His children. If you are waiting on direction for your life...dwell on the fact that God has promised to guide us." WHATEVER YOUR SITUATION IS, DIRECT YOURSELF UPWARD, TO GOD WHO IS YOUR HEAVENLY FATHER AND WHO LOVES YOU SO DEEPLY.