246 - Quietly Waiting on God, He Never Delays#
246 - Quietly Waiting on God, He Never Delays
(JP Text Group - Organized by Life Like an Eagle)
Exodus 14:5-14
5 Someone told the king of Egypt, “The people have fled!” Then Pharaoh and his officials changed their minds about the people and said, “What have we done? We have let the Israelites go and have lost their services!” 6 So he had his chariot made ready and took his army with him. 7 He took six hundred of the best chariots, along with all the other chariots of Egypt, with officers over all of them.
8 The Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, so that he pursued the Israelites, who were marching out boldly. 9 The Egyptians—all Pharaoh’s horses and chariots, horsemen and troops—pursued the Israelites and overtook them as they camped by the sea near Pi Hahiroth, opposite Baal Zephon.
10 As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up and there were the Egyptians, marching after them. They were terrified and cried out to the Lord. 11 They said to Moses, “Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? 12 Didn’t we say to you in Egypt, ‘Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians’? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!”
13 Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. 14 The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father, we especially thank and praise You. In this new week, we quietly wait in Your presence, believing that You have already prepared for this week and know all things. We completely entrust this week into Your hands. May we receive strength from You, help us to renew our thoughts and intentions. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, we pray, Amen!
The topic we share today is: Quietly Waiting on God, He Never Delays.
In life, we often encounter urgent matters and difficult situations. When these things come, it is a test of the size of our faith. This is similar to students taking exams; exams are good, but why are some people afraid of them? Some say they are not afraid, but those who are truly not afraid are those who are confident.
Why are some people so worried? Because they lack confidence and fear failing. Exams can reveal a person's true level. Brothers and sisters, do not fear the environment or these problems; they are merely tests of how much faith you currently have in God. Some say, “What if I fail?” If you fail, God still loves you. It’s not that if you fail, God will punish you. He still loves you and can help you, and you can know in which areas you need to rely more on God. Amen!
Many times, when we encounter urgent matters, we expect God to act quickly! But sometimes, being anxious is not necessarily a good thing. Sometimes God wants us to know that just because we are anxious does not mean He is anxious too; but there are things that God is anxious about while we are not. For example, in evangelism and saving souls, our Lord is more anxious than we are. He sees so many souls still in suffering and wandering; He is more anxious than we are.
When we encounter small issues at home, we are more anxious than God. This is nothing to God: He will give you something better. It’s like a small child, two or three years old, who breaks a toy and cries, “What should I do now?” They are more anxious than we are.
A few days ago, my daughter had something torn by her brother, and she said, “Dad, hurry and take me to the store to buy it!” I asked, “Why are you so anxious?” She said, “If we go late, they won’t have it anymore.” I said, “Don’t worry, there are plenty of stores around.” She said, “There definitely won’t be any.”
Why is she so anxious? She thinks this is the most urgent matter that must be dealt with immediately. Why are we not anxious? Because we already know: even if this store doesn’t have it, the one next door will definitely have it; even if it’s not available today, it will definitely be there tomorrow. But to her, it seems particularly urgent.
So I want to tell everyone: in life, when you encounter small problems, sometimes you are more anxious than God. If there are things that God has not accomplished for you, do not be anxious; rest and wait in His presence. Many people lose their peace in the face of these urgent matters and become restless. Some even refuse to quietly wait before God, rushing to do things, which only makes matters worse.
In this article, did you see? The Israelites encountered a very urgent matter: in front of them was the Red Sea, with no way out, and behind them, the pursuing army had caught up with them, pressing in. The Egyptians were armed and charging at them, and they had no weapons or means to fight back. Isn’t that particularly urgent?
What should we do when we are anxious? Some say, “It’s so urgent, should we still pray? We need to do something quickly!” What did the people do? Earlier, our Lord described the Egyptian army in such detail and strength, and then immediately followed with the description of the Israelites’ fear and their poor actions. What did they do? They began to cry out to the Lord.
Verse 10 says, as Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up and saw the Egyptians coming, and they were terrified and cried out to the Lord.
Where does fear come from? It comes from having no assurance about the future. The Israelites felt: the Egyptians were fully armed, so many were pursuing us, it felt like they would be crushed like an ant. This comparison made them feel they were doomed, and fear arose. Because they had no way out, it seemed they were dead for sure, and they cried out to the Lord. It seemed they prayed, but they didn’t pray for long before the army arrived; perhaps they opened their eyes and saw the army still charging forward!
“Enough praying,” they said to Moses, “Is there no grave in Egypt that you brought us to die in the desert?” Why did they say they would die in the desert? The environment had come, the urgent matter was right in front of them, and they continued, “Did we not say to you in Egypt, ‘Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians’?”
Brothers and sisters, let’s think about another question: Did they ask God, or did God have to save them from Egypt? They couldn’t stand it! The Bible clearly states that the cries of the Israelites reached God, and He went to save them. But now what do they say? “I told you before, don’t disturb us; let us serve the Egyptians.” Did they really want to serve the Egyptians? When a person is anxious or cannot see God’s power, their words become contradictory. At this time, which should you believe? Believe neither! Pray to God.
If Moses listened to them and said: “So do you want me to save you or not? Should I send you back to Egypt?” The people themselves didn’t know what to do. Currently, it seemed that going back to Egypt might offer a glimmer of hope; if they didn’t return, they would surely die. They did not see God’s power.
Brothers and sisters, when Moses encountered so many complaints from the people, he said to them, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again.” Moses’ words were a statement of faith in God, and this is what we should say. After saying this, the people actually did not believe, but Moses believed that the Lord would fight for us, so he continued, “The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”
What does being still mean? “Don’t talk! What you say right now won’t help you at all; it will only make the people’s hearts more anxious. Don’t make a sound.” When you have bitterness in your heart or are very afraid of problems, do not shout it out. Don’t say, “I’m scared to death!” If you shout a few times, you will become more afraid. So when you encounter such matters, do not speak them out; close your mouth and pray to the Lord in your heart, Amen! If you must speak, say what Moses said: “The Lord will fight for me.” This is God’s word to us.
In the face of adversity, we can easily lose the heart to quietly wait, but we need to be still and wait to see the salvation that God will bring us. Jesus is our Savior, Amen! Many people think: “Jesus only saves me from darkness to light, from earth to heaven; as for how to live on the way to heaven, I have to rely on myself!” This is wrong. Jesus means Savior; He not only can save your life, but when you encounter problems in life, He is not idle; He still wants to save you.
In life, whether big or small matters, He is willing to save us. We must learn to look up to Him when we encounter anything. Do not speak of your worries; speak of how great His power is! From the experiences of the Israelites, you will find that some were victorious, and some failed. These are recorded in the Bible to serve as references for us, helping us avoid walking down meaningless paths.
Is it regrettable that the people complained? How many times did they complain to God during those forty years? Time was wasted. Today, do not complain; see that those who rely on God are saved, proving one thing: God never goes back on His word. You must know that God’s promises to you mean that what He says, He will do. What He promises, He will surely accomplish; no one can stop it, Amen!
The first point to share: Quietly waiting means believing and waiting for God to act.
Exodus 14:17-18,
14 I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, so they will go in after them. I will gain glory through Pharaoh and all his army, through his chariots and his horsemen. 15 And the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord when I gain glory through Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen.”
There is a phrase here that I want to explain. I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians; many people do not understand and think that our God hardened the hearts of the Egyptians to destroy the Israelites. In the original Hebrew, it means God allowed their hearts to be hardened.
In Romans 1, it mentions that God gave them a debased mind. What does “debased” mean? It means you can live however you want; since you do not believe in me, do as you please! This is what we call being debased. Brothers and sisters, do not be a person who is given over by God. What does being given over mean? It means I will do things my way; what you say does not matter; I will not listen to you. God says, “Fine, I will not care about you.” Have the Israelites ever been given over by God? Yes, many times, especially during the four hundred years between the Old and New Testaments. The last book of the Old Testament is Malachi, and the New Testament begins with Matthew; there is a gap of four hundred years, known as the four hundred years of silence.
You must know that God’s silence is not a good thing. Brothers and sisters, we should be the ones to be silent. If you let God be silent, God says, “Fine, since you can talk so much, go ahead.” The Israelites at that time provoked God; they offered the lame and the disabled to God and did not listen to His words, justifying themselves. Finally, God said, “Alright, do as you please; I will not speak anymore.” This is the four hundred years of silence, during which the Israelites suffered greatly.
Today, God will not be silent with you; He will never be, because of the redemptive work accomplished by Jesus Christ on the cross. God will no longer be silent with you, so He will use various environments and people to repeatedly urge you: do not live like this! It is mentioned that God wants to save the Israelites, but the Israelites did not realize it in their hearts. Their cries to God actually meant, “Lord, don’t let me die!” Isn’t that the meaning? What can their cries to God accomplish?
Today, how many people are still crying out to God: “Lord, please don’t let me go through this environment; I really can’t take it anymore! So many troubles, one after another; when will it end?” This is a prayer of desperation. Some even say, “Lord, please open Your eyes and see how pitiful I am!” Those who pray like this do not realize that God does not sleep! The one who protects Israel does not slumber or sleep, meaning He is constantly awake, 24 hours a day. Why do you think God is closing His eyes? So do not pray like this anymore.
God wants to save the Israelites; even though the Egyptians were very arrogant and had advanced weapons, so what? Who is greater? Our God is greater. Therefore, when facing the environment, do not describe how powerful the environment is or how small you are; that is not what we should do. What you should do is look at whether your God can overcome it. The people also hoped that our Lord would destroy the Egyptians, but God’s method is more thorough, and it also teaches us to fear our Lord.
Look at the next verse, Exodus 14:30-31,
30 That day the Lord saved Israel from the hands of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the dead Egyptians lying on the shore. 31 And when the Israelites saw the mighty hand of the Lord displayed against the Egyptians, the people feared the Lord and put their trust in Him and in Moses His servant.
You see, after this event, our Lord parted the Red Sea, and the Egyptians drowned inside. They witnessed this with their own eyes, and through this event, they finally understood: our Lord is a God who performs great deeds. They feared the Lord. Why did this happen?
God had performed miracles before, but this time they personally experienced the threat to their lives. Previously, it was not painful or itchy; turning dust into fleas, so what? It didn’t affect them; turning all the water in Egypt into blood, so what? They still had water to drink at home; making all of Egypt dark, but there was light in their homes. They could not feel it. This time, it was a personal experience.
So brothers and sisters, I do not hope that you believe in Jesus just by hearing others’ testimonies or theories; you must personally experience Him, especially when you encounter urgent matters. When you overcome, you will always remember: first, it will make you fear God; second, it will make you believe in the person who prayed for you. You must have your own personal experience, as we see with the Egyptians and the Israelites.
At that time, if they had learned to quietly wait on God, if Moses prayed and they also prayed, there would have been no need for so much worry. That night’s worry was in vain; in fact, they could have completely rested that night. If they thought: it’s okay, even if they charge in, God has a firewall to block them; they can’t kill us, our Lord is greater. They could have sung praises while resting for a night, and just gone over in the morning.
If you were the Israelites, you wouldn’t need to worry so much. It would be much simpler because you would know God’s power. So as we start this new week, you should learn to quietly wait on God with this mindset. When encountering anything, we cannot be anxious or lose our temper. We also need to look at a person named Saul, the first king of Israel. Through King Saul, we will learn to quietly wait on God.
Let’s first look at 1 Samuel 10:1, Samuel took a flask of oil and poured it on Saul’s head and kissed him, saying, “Has not the Lord anointed you ruler over His inheritance?”
From this, we see that Saul was indeed anointed by God, and God’s intention was for Saul to be the ruler of Israel. Brothers and sisters, you must know that God’s intention is for everyone to live a victorious life like Jesus in this world, but it does not mean we can all live it out. Where is the problem?
Look at Saul, 1 Samuel 10:6-9,
6 The Spirit of the Lord will come powerfully upon you, and you will prophesy with them, and you will be changed into a different person. 7 Once these signs are fulfilled, do whatever your hand finds to do, for God is with you. 8 Go down ahead of me to Gilgal. I will surely come down to you to sacrifice burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. You must wait seven days until I come to you and tell you what you are to do.” 9 As Saul turned to leave Samuel, God changed Saul’s heart, and all these signs were fulfilled that day.
Have you noticed that our salvation is somewhat similar to his? The moment you believe in Jesus, the Spirit of God also comes powerfully upon you, you become a new person, and God is with you; all of this is the same. So where did Saul go wrong? We all have this, but perhaps the mistakes we make are similar to King Saul’s.
1 Samuel 13:1, Saul was thirty years old when he became king, and he reigned over Israel for two years…
This indicates that Saul had been king for two years. Samuel had anointed him as king, and two years had passed; it seemed he had forgotten Samuel’s words, but he knew there was such an agreement.
1 Samuel 13:8-14,
8 He waited seven days, the time set by Samuel; but Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and Saul’s men began to scatter. 9 So he said, “Bring me the burnt offering and the fellowship offerings.” And Saul offered up the burnt offering. 10 Just as he finished making the offering, Samuel arrived, and Saul went out to greet him.
11 “What have you done?” asked Samuel. Saul replied, “When I saw that the men were scattering and that you did not come at the set time, and that the Philistines were assembling at Michmash, 12 I thought, ‘Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not sought the Lord’s favor.’ So I felt compelled to offer the burnt offering.”
13 “You have done a foolish thing,” Samuel said. “You have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you; if you had, He would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time. 14 But now your kingdom will not endure; the Lord has sought out a man after His own heart and appointed him ruler of His people, because you have not kept the Lord’s command.”
What did Saul do wrong? He just offered a sacrifice. Some say, “This cannot all be blamed on Saul; it was clearly Samuel’s fault. They had agreed on a time, so why was he late? He waited for him for seven days, and he didn’t come; the enemy was about to attack, and the people scattered. Shouldn’t Saul offer the sacrifice?” But don’t forget, what was his position? Saul was not a priest, nor a prophet; he absolutely had no right to perform the priestly duties; he overstepped his authority.
When he despised the prophet Samuel, he was despising God. You must know that in the past, it was not the king who was the greatest; it was the man of God who was the greatest, because the prophet and the priest represented God speaking to the people, while the king represented the people before God. One represents man, and the other represents God; can they be the same? Even if Samuel was late, couldn’t he wait a little longer?
Sometimes we think God is late: “Hurry up, Lord! If You don’t come soon, I will die!” Can God let you die? “Lord, hurry up! If You don’t come soon, this matter will be over.” Can God let it be over? Will our God ever appear and say, “Oh, I’m sorry; I’m late, and this happened. I really feel it was a mistake!” Our God will never have such problems. Saul should have trusted Samuel.
Let’s look at what Samuel clearly said at that time: before I arrive, do not do anything; wait for me to come and tell you what to do. If Samuel had not arrived, he should not have done anything. Is it easier to quietly wait or to do something? It is easier to do something. When you are told to be still and wait, not everyone can wait, especially when facing problems. Now the enemy is invading, and you want me to be still? When the fire is burning my backside, you want me to wait and see?
Our Lord will always have the power to give you strength, no matter how dire the situation is; He can overcome that environment. In fact, at that time, Samuel was just letting him learn to quietly wait on God. Although the Philistines surrounded him, they did not attack. Even if they intended to attack, it did not necessarily mean they would win.
Everyone look at a passage of scripture, and you will know what Samuel had done before, 1 Samuel 7:10-11,
10 While Samuel was sacrificing the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to engage Israel in battle. But that day the Lord thundered with a loud thunder against the Philistines and threw them into such a panic that they were routed before the Israelites. 11 The men of Israel rushed out of Mizpah and pursued the Philistines, killing them along the way to a point below Beth Car.
This event happened before Saul became king. Why did he not trust this prophet? In fact, it was a lack of trust in God’s word. The enemy is also cunning; those enemies around you calculated that you were with the prophet today to offer sacrifices: so now I will attack you; you won’t have time to grab your weapons, and you will die at my hands! They forgot that the sacrifice was to whom? To God. Who will protect us? God.
When the people were all offering sacrifices, the Philistines came to fight, and the Lord went out. What were the people doing? Continuing to offer sacrifices, quietly waiting to see how God would deal with them. As a result, when God went out, those people were defeated. At that time, the people said, “Alright, let’s clean up the mess!” Would you rather fight or clean up the mess? Of course, cleaning up the mess is better; the enemies are scattered on the ground, and there are spoils to take home. How happy is that! But why did you have to fight yourself? Saul chose to fight himself.
The second point to share: When quietly waiting, pray and observe the changes in the environment.
Quietly waiting does not mean doing nothing, saying, “Alright, this is how it is; I won’t care anymore; you figure it out; I’ll sleep.” It cannot be like this. Quietly waiting does not mean you sleep and do not care; it means you pray to God, look up to Him, and after praying, observe whether there are changes in your surroundings and people. If there are changes, cherish that opportunity.
For example, you say, “Lord, what business should I do? I really don’t know; please open a way for me and let me know clearly.” You pray for a long time, and suddenly, an old friend you haven’t contacted for a long time comes to your house. During the conversation, he says, “I’m starting a business and need someone.” Then you cannot ask, “What do you need this person for? Can I do it?” You say, “I’m too embarrassed to ask.” If you should ask, then ask; you must know that such things are not coincidences. Do you understand?
God will not treat you unfairly or abandon you. After you pray, you must pay attention to the changes in your surroundings; God will surely send all people, matters, and things to work for you, Hallelujah! Just like Saul’s situation, he should have believed: if I wait a little longer, Samuel will surely come. Even if Samuel does not come, he should know that the Philistines are about to attack; he will pray for me, and God will act. In this situation, wouldn’t our lives become much simpler?
Let’s look at another person. After Saul was rejected, who did Samuel refer to? David. What is the difference between David and Saul?
2 Samuel 5:17, When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over Israel, they went up in full force to search for David, but David heard about it and went down to the stronghold.
Let’s continue to look at 2 Samuel 5:23, David inquired of the Lord. …
Now do you see the difference? You can pray to God. Isn’t it enough to pray to God? Why must you offer sacrifices? Offering sacrifices is the work of priests and prophets, but can you pray?
Yes, in verse 23, David inquired of the Lord. The Lord said, “Do not go straight up; but circle around behind them and attack them in front of the balsam trees. 24 As soon as you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, move quickly, because that will mean the Lord has gone out in front of you to strike the Philistine army.” 25 So David did as the Lord commanded him, and he struck down the Philistines all the way from Gibeon to Gezer. (2 Samuel 5:23-25)
Now do you see the difference between these two kings? Both encountered attacks from the Philistines and were seeking them, but David inquired of the Lord, “Should I go up?” God gave him a word: when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, is that the sound of people’s footsteps? Who can run to the tops of the balsam trees?
Moreover, how can you hear the sound in the tops of the balsam trees? This represents David’s relationship with God. Let us see, it is the wind that moves the tops of the balsam trees; a gust of wind passes by, and David, through his spiritual ears, hears that the Lord has already gone out to fight ahead of him, and he says, “We can go up.” Who is fighting ahead? God.
Always let our Lord go ahead; do not run ahead. If you run ahead, you will only tire yourself out more. Many times we run ahead of God; we are more anxious than God; we cannot sit still, rushing to fight. You need to calm down and learn to be like David, Amen! David did as the Lord commanded him and defeated the Philistines; it was very simple. So brothers and sisters, quietly waiting on God and praying means paying attention to the changes in your surroundings. Amen! David was a servant after God’s own heart. David has a psalm where he advises us to wait on the Lord. Let’s take a look at it.
Psalm 27:13-14,
13 I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. 14 Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.
Why does David keep emphasizing that you should wait on the Lord? It means to seek Him, and your heart will naturally be strengthened. “If I had not believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living,” some say, we suffer, endure hardship, and die on earth; after we die, God will give us abundant rewards. Is that the case? David means that I see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living (grace). What is God’s grace? It is given freely.
Do you know how many times David experienced such things in his life? The Israelites experienced crossing the Red Sea, but how many life-threatening situations did David face in his life? God saved him time and again from life-threatening dangers, so David said, “I have seen the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living; otherwise, I would have lost heart and not been able to live.”
Not to mention anything else, just the previous king Saul, who hunted David, did not do anything right, but every day sought where David was to kill him! This scared David, making him run around like a frightened bird. Yet every time he was saved by God. Brothers and sisters, you should be the same! David did not say this casually; he had experiences. He said: wait on the Lord.
Why did David say this? He knew that God wanted to establish him as king over Israel because the promise had already been given to him, and the oil had already been poured on his head. He seemed less fortunate than Saul, who became king immediately after being anointed. He had to wait many years until Saul died before he could take the throne. Brothers and sisters, during this period, you must wait on God. The process of waiting is to prepare yourself, pray to God, and not be anxious; what is yours will be yours. Wait for the Lord! Be strong and take heart, meaning do not be afraid; God is your guarantee. I say again, wait for the Lord.
The third point to share: Quietly waiting means expecting good things to come with a restful heart.
We must not wait in a “whatever” attitude, saying, “Alright, look, it’s already like this; I won’t struggle anymore; Lord, You handle it; I’m a dead pig not afraid of boiling water; I won’t move; whatever You say doesn’t matter; no matter how many promises You give me, I don’t care anymore; I don’t believe anymore; I’m just waiting for You to do something.” Is that what I said? I never said, “You lie at home every day and see how God does things.” It is to let you pay attention to observe all these changes and also to wait.
Expectation, when do you expect? Is it when good things happen? No, it is when good things have not yet come that you start to expect good things to happen; in difficulties, you expect the arrival of ease; in tribulations, you expect joy to come. It is not waiting for things to arrive and then finally expecting good things; it is not like that. The world waits for results: “Oh, I’m happy now.” We are not like that; when you do not see it yet, you first have expectations of God, and then you can strengthen your heart.
Look at a passage of scripture, James 5:7-8,
7 Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. 8 You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near.
In this passage, our Lord wants us to understand that resting and waiting is not a passive wait; He gives us a metaphor, comparing it to a farmer waiting for the valuable harvest from the land. This means if a farmer never sows seeds and waits, there will be no effect. You must believe that God has promises for you first, then sow the seeds, and after that, you can rest assured and wait.
For example, in autumn, we plant wheat, and it will not be harvested until the following June or July. You say, “I have faith; I will harvest by the end of this year.” No matter how great your faith is, this cannot be accomplished; the time is not yet. You cannot dig it up; you cannot soak it in water every day; you cannot give it the best fertilizer in the world; it must wait until the time comes. It is not that God is partial and makes us wait; after going through winter and spring, the food is the best.
Many times, we do not want to go through the harsh winter, do not want to go through death and resurrection; that is the trouble. Winter symbolizes a season of death; especially in winter, you see the leaves fall off the trees, and everything on the ground looks dead. But when spring comes, revival comes.
This means that you are now in a place of death, looking like there is no hope, just like winter. Do not forget, the seeds have already been sown; it does not matter; after going through the harsh winter, the seeds will grow stronger. These tribulations are actually our food, meant to make us stronger; these problems are merely stepping stones that allow us to rise higher. This is the hope we should have. So brothers and sisters, do not think, “Why do these things keep happening to me?” Welcome them joyfully, let God give you strength to overcome them, Amen!
You say, “I have prayed all day; why is there still no effect?” Can you wait one more day? Just like the farmer waiting for the valuable harvest from the land until he receives the autumn and spring rains. The autumn rain falls in autumn, and the spring rain falls after death and resurrection; both rains are crucial, but who does this? God does. In the process of waiting, see how God does things. We must sow seeds; you sow seeds so you can have hope!
If we talk about tithing for a moment, because recently many people have asked me a question.
They said, “Teacher, I have heard a lot of grace messages, and there is one thing I understand, for example, healing from illness; this works every time.”
I said, “You don’t need to try; it works.”
They said, “I have prayed for many people, in the name of Jesus: your illness will disappear, curse this illness to leave you, curse this cancer to die in you. It has all been accomplished, but there is one thing I don’t know how to pray.”
I said, “What is it?”
They said, “My family’s finances cannot turn around; what should I curse? How should I declare?”
This matter is really not a matter of declaration. This may be a question for many people: I can declare about illness and other aspects, but how do I declare about this? This requires you to sow seeds with your heart.
After sowing seeds, you hope, just like a farmer sows seeds and expects a bountiful harvest the following year; is it a painful hope? Are there any farmers who say, “I’m so miserable! I sowed a thousand pounds of wheat! I’m so pitiful!” How many farmers are like that? Isn’t it that the more they sow, the more they reap? Why is there so much joy? Because even if they sow one seed, how much will they reap the following year? One ear.
Do not think that saying, “Lord, I will only sow one seed; give me a thousand pounds next year!” Your faith is no longer faith; that is wishful thinking. God’s blessings also have principles; one seed sown will yield one ear, thirtyfold, sixtyfold, or a hundredfold, which exactly aligns with our biblical principles. If you want to reap more, you must sow more; it relates to how much seed you have.
How do we endure waiting for the Lord? Just like the farmer endures waiting for the valuable harvest from the land until he receives the autumn and spring rains. You should also be patient. The original meaning is, just like the farmer patiently endures, overcome your current environment.
You say, “My current environment is terrible!” Do not describe it; you should say, “In the name of the Lord Jesus, the blessings God has prepared for me are greater!” Although it is winter now, winter will eventually pass; the snow has fallen; is spring far away? You are not like the world with empty hopes; you have biblical basis. Just like David said, “Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,” it is passing through that doorway, not living in the valley of the shadow of death.
The cold winter is like this; we pass through it, not that we live in the cold winter for a lifetime! After passing through, it is spring, and when we see spring, we see hope; everything begins to rise, and people become more hopeful. Our lives are like this; if you say, “The current situation is terrible,” congratulations, you are starting to rise! You must have this hope and strengthen your heart with it.
Some say, “I have not been doing well for the past few years; it has been really hard!” I give you the greatest hope: the Lord Jesus is coming soon! Some say, “What kind of hope is that?” Even if you have been suffering for many years, if Jesus comes tomorrow, your suffering will not be in vain. We always have hope, brothers and sisters!
Ecclesiastes 11:1, Cast your bread upon the waters, for after many days you will find it again.
Our bread should be sown in the soil; why cast it upon the waters? After a long time? If you wait too long, it will be gone; the seeds will not know where they went; they will be eaten by fish. Wouldn’t we think like this? What does this verse mean? Let me explain. First, let’s talk about the background of this verse; it refers to a situation in Egypt. In Egypt, water is not abundant, but there is a river, the lifeblood they rely on, the Nile.
In autumn, the Nile has a lot of water, flooding the fields of the people on both sides. The flooded land is not very deep, just like rice paddies, where people can walk on it without drowning, keeping a certain distance from the deeper water. In this situation, the people would cast their grain into the water without even needing to dig the soil. After the rainy season, when the water recedes, the grain is just right in the mud, and then it begins to grow. This is what is meant by casting your grain upon the waters; after many days, you will find it again.
In the water, you cannot see where the grain has gone; after the water recedes, you cannot see the grain either. But when the next year comes, you will see, “Wow,” a sprout has grown! This requires faith because you cannot see it. We are better than them; when we plant wheat, we can see it; when we dig the soil and put the grain in, can you see it after a while? You can see it. But in the Nile, casting seeds requires faith.
Some say, “No, if you cast it, a big wave will come, and the seeds will be blown away.” This is what I mean by faith; God blesses that place. When you cast it, the seeds will sink into that sandy soil; they will not run away. When the water goes down, the sand will cover them, and there will be moisture and everything; it is very miraculous, right?
As Christians, this should be our faith, the faith of hope. We do not require immediate results. Many people always say, “No, I prayed today; I must see results tomorrow.” Some people even have a utilitarian mindset: “Lord, look at how much I have done; please accomplish this matter for me.” We should not do this.
“Cast your bread upon the waters,” has another spiritual meaning: when you help others, even if you do not see results now, do not be anxious; over time, you will reap more. It seems impossible, but unexpectedly, when the river water recedes, there is fertile land. In the Lord, it is the same; everything you do for the Lord is not in vain.
1 Corinthians 15:58, Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.
Just like the farmer sows seeds, expecting a good harvest, you are the same. Today, when you share the gospel with someone, tell them, the seed has already been sown, and then pray for them. You say, “No, I have been sharing the gospel with him for a month; why hasn’t this seed sprouted yet?” Why would it sprout in winter? Isn’t it better to stay in the soil? Let it stay there, waiting for spring to come, and then it will grow. So do not lose heart; when you encounter any environment, quietly wait in God’s presence, offer prayers, and watch for changes in that environment.
The fourth point we share: In times of weakness, pray and wait on God; He will give you strength.
We all have weak moments; what should we do? Quietly wait in God’s presence! Do not rush to do things, and do not easily seek to end your life. You know how many people, when faced with difficulties, say, “Lord, I don’t want to live anymore.” Do not pray like this lightly. Let me give you an example; there was a very great prophet in the Old Testament named Elijah.
Elijah performed many miracles! He killed four hundred and fifty false prophets and made the Israelites know that the Lord is God; even the king respected him greatly. But the king’s wife, Jezebel, said, “Elijah, I will kill you!” Because of this woman’s threat, Elijah began to run away (1 Kings 19).
Elijah saw this situation, got up, and fled for his life, reaching Beersheba in Judah. Under a broom tree, what was he doing? Just like many of our prayers today: “Lord, I don’t want to live anymore; look, I have no effect from this work; I just proved to them that You are God, and now they want to kill me. How pitiful I am; I am all alone!”
How many people feel very lonely? Especially today, many who accept grace say, “Teacher, I feel very lonely; my church doesn’t want me; I have no relatives, no body.” No, you are never alone; our Lord is always with you. Hallelujah! Do you know how many people who hold onto the truth are hidden around you? You just haven’t met them yet.
At that time, God said to Elijah, “Elijah, do not say this; there are still seven thousand who have not bowed to Baal; I have hidden them.” He did not know this. Brothers and sisters, today there are many people who hold onto the truth around you; do not say you are lonely and do not want to live! God does not want you to pray like this; God wants you to have hope in Him, quietly wait on God, and when the time comes, you will meet Him; He is your strength.
At that time, Elijah sat there asking for death, saying, “Lord, take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.” He lay down under the tree and fell asleep. Was he wanting to die? “I can’t walk anymore; I have no food or drink; what else can I do? I’ll lie here and wait to die.”
God did not give up on him; He sent an angel to bring him food and woke him up, saying, “Get up and eat!” He knew it was an angel. You see how big Elijah’s heart was! When a person wants to die, they really do not care about anything. After eating, he lay down again, ate and drank, and lay down again waiting to die.
Then a second time, God sent an angel to wake him up, saying, “Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.” He got up and ate and drank. The Bible has a very important phrase here, in 1 Kings 19:8, it says, he got up and ate and drank, strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God.
Did God give him strength? So brothers and sisters, you must know that when you are weak, do not seek death; when you are in illness, do not seek death; when you are in an environment, do not say, “Lord, hurry and take me away!” This is not the best prayer. The prayer you should make is: “Lord, give me strength!” Then, relying on God’s strength, you can walk for forty days like Elijah. May I ask: what food allows you to eat and walk for forty days without being hungry? That is heavenly food. Amen!
Do not say this is a story; this is a true story. When we encounter environments, comfort and strength from people are very small; what you need is direct comfort from God, and that strength can last a long time. When facing suffering, danger, and worry, people can comfort you, but it is short-lived; perhaps two days, perhaps three days, and then they forget. But if you draw strength from God, it lasts a long time, Hallelujah! Thank and praise the Lord!
Isaiah 40:29-30,
29 He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. 30 Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; 31 but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not be faint.
This is very clear; if you are weary, quietly wait in God’s presence, let Him give you strength, and He will grant you power. If you are weak, He will give you strength. This is what our God does; thank and praise the Lord! Do not say, “It’s okay; I can hold on a little longer.” Then wait until you can’t hold on anymore, and God will give you strength! So do not say, “Lord, I can still do it!” Admitting your weakness before God is not scary; when we admit it, the Lord will give you strength.
Verse 30 says, even youths grow tired and weary. What is a characteristic of youth? They are full of energy! Especially children a few years old, after eating, they bounce around all day long. Watching them makes us tired; they are not tired! They are full of energy! This is a characteristic of youth, but even youths grow tired and weary. Children bounce around all day; can they still bounce at night? How long can they bounce?
Are there weak moments? Are there times of fatigue? Our Lord is never weary. Even the strong will fall completely; what does this mean? Even the strongest person can fall; perhaps falling is worse. But it is a turning point; although we have weaknesses and fatigue, if you quietly wait on God, you will be renewed in strength. This means, whenever you say before the Lord, “Lord, I am weak now; I have no strength; please give me strength,” you will be renewed in strength. Hallelujah!
This means that when we encounter any problems, we must draw strength from Him, and the strength God gives you is not the kind that comes from working all day and sleeping at night, waking up refreshed the next morning. No, the strength God gives you is like soaring on wings like eagles! Hallelujah!
Not only do you have strength, but how great is that strength? You can also help others and comfort others. This is what we often say; a person who has stood up from weakness has relied on our Lord. Not only can he stand up, but when he sees others weak, he can encourage them, saying, “It’s okay; I have encountered a situation similar to yours; I relied on the Lord and stood up; you can too!” This means he can not only stand up himself but also help others rely on the Lord and stand up. He can give this strength to others; this is what God wants to give you. You will not only have God’s joy and peace, but you will also share this joy with others, just like eagles soaring on wings, Amen!
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father, we thank and praise You. Thank You for helping us today through these words. You let us see that many people in the Bible, when encountering troubles and problems, quietly waited in Your presence, prayed to You, and had positive hope. We know that You are a God who never delays; You will do the right thing at the right time and place.
Today, I entrust all the time of this week into Your gracious hands. You personally help me, give me a heart that quietly waits for You, and let me not be anxious or impatient no matter what problems I encounter. I believe You will arrange the best way out for me. Thank and praise You; I believe You are the Lord who gives grace to me. Everything is in Your hands; please help me. Thank and praise You! All glory be to You, in the name of our Lord Jesus, we pray, Amen! Hallelujah!