Radical Obedience – Waiting

Thanks to a book by Joy Dawson, Forever Ruined for the Ordinary, the Lord has been working in me about radical obedience to Him. When I say radical obedience, I’m not talking about obeying directions like God gave Old Testament prophets – having to go without clothes for three years, marrying a prostitute, etc. I’m not even talking about being part of the answer to the prayers you pray (September 2006 Nuggets), though that’s important, too. I’m talking about praying and then waiting until the Lord gives the answer before doing anything more about the issue. Though this is what we’re to do when we live by the Spirit, in actuality, how many times do we ask the Lord about something and then move on to the next thing? How many times do we ask over and over, not hearing anything in response, and just give up on ever hearing?

John 12:49-50 “⁴⁹ For I did not speak of my own accord, but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and how to say it. ⁵⁰ I know that his command leads to eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say.” NIV

John 14:31 “But [Satan is coming and] I do as the Father has commanded Me, so that the world may know (be convinced) that I love the Father and that I do only what the Father has instructed Me to do. [I act in full agreement with His orders.] . . . “ AMP

Jesus was radically obedient. He only spoke what and when He heard His Father speak. He only did what the Father told Him to do, when He told Him to do it. Should it be different with me? When Jesus didn’t go immediately upon hearing that Lazarus was sick, either the Father had told Him to wait, or He hadn’t heard anything at all, and was willing to wait until He did, in order that all glory would go to the Father. Jesus was willing to wait on God’s timing despite what it looked like in earthly time, and this was literally a matter of life and death. Am I willing to do the same? Will I choose to wait, trusting God will never be late, even when everything in me screams that I must do something? Will I take over in my own strength and reasoning, coming up with an answer or a plan of action, though it isn’t His answer or plan of action? Remember Ishmael? Who gets the glory in that? It’s not the Father, for sure.

John 7:18 “He who speaks on his own does so to gain honor for himself, but he who works for the honor of the one who sent him is a man of truth; there is nothing false
about him.” NIV

We must remember that God knows the end from the beginning in every situation. He knows the precise moment to give the answer – the one that’s best for us, results in the most glory for Him, and has an impact far greater than anything we could work out on our own at any time. It’s so exciting to think about how different the body of Christ will look as we take this radical step of obedience through waiting for God to answer our prayers. We will begin to see Him working in ways we have only seen in the Bible, and we’ll have the wonderful privilege of taking part in it – because we prayed . . . and waited to hear God’s answer before taking further action in word or deed. And all the glory will be to Him!

© Copyright 2006 Kay V. Stocking