Overview: Waiting on God is one of most difficult things in the world to do. The world’s philosophy would tell us to make things happen, you are in control of your own destiny, think and grow rich, you create your own destiny and many other countless worthless clichés.
In Chronicles Chapter 20 during the reign of King Jehoshaphat, about 870 years before Christ and about 100 years before the northern 10 tribes of Israel were taken into captivity. In this story God has given us one of the greatest examples of deliverance against overwhelming odds by prayer, praise and by waiting on God. The nation of Israel was hopelessly surrounded by three armies determined to destroy them. King Jehoshaphat, knowing they would surely be defeated, turned to God through prayer. The Word of the Lord was to go down to the battle singing praises to God and to wait and watch what God would do.
The nation of Israel was miraculously delivered by God without a single person being killed.
(See story below)
To wait on God sometimes means exactly that, wait on God. Sometimes God may move us to go and speak to someone, write a letter or to do something that requires action. However, we should always be sensitive to the Holy Spirit because the next step may be simply to wait on God.
II Chronicles 20:1 After this, the Moabites and Ammonites with some of the Meunites came to make war on Jehoshaphat.
II Chronicles 20:15-19 He said: "Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the LORD says to you: 'Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God's. 16 Tomorrow march down against them. They will be climbing up by the Pass of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the gorge in the Desert of Jeruel. 17 You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the LORD will be with you18 Jehoshaphat bowed with his face to the ground, and all the people of Judah and Jerusalem fell down in worship before the LORD . 19 Then some Levites from the Kohathites and Korahites stood up and praised the LORD , the God of Israel, with very loud voice.
II Chronicles 20:20-21 Early in the morning they left for the Desert of Tekoa. As they set out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, "Listen to me, Judah and people of Jerusalem! Have faith in the LORD your God and you will be upheld; have faith in his prophets and you will be successful." 21 After consulting the people, Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the LORD and to praise him for the splendor of his holiness as they went out at the head of the army, saying: "Give thanks to the LORD , for his love endures forever."
II Chronicles 20:22-25 As they began to sing and praise, the LORD set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated. 23 The men of Ammon and Moab rose up against the men from Mount Seir to destroy and annihilate them. After they finished slaughtering the men from Seir, they helped to destroy one another. 24 When the men of Judah came to the place that overlooks the desert and looked toward the vast army, they saw only dead bodies lying on the ground; no one had escaped. 25 So Jehoshaphat and his men went to carry off their plunder, and they found among them a great amount of equipment and clothing and also articles of value-more than they could take away. There was so much plunder that it took three days to collect it.
Isaiah 64:3-5 For when you did awesome things that we did not expect, you came down, and the mountains trembled before you. 4 Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who acts on behalf of those who wait for him. 5 You come to the help of those who gladly do right, who remember your ways. But when we continued to sin against them, you were angry. How then can we be saved?
Psalm 25:4-6 Show me Your ways, O LORD; Teach me Your paths. 5 Lead me in Your truth and teach me, For You are the God of my salvation; On You I wait all the day. 6 Remember, O LORD, Your tender mercies and Your loving kindnesses, For they are from of old.
Psalm 62:1-2 Truly my soul silently waits for God; From Him comes my salvation. 2 He only is my rock and my salvation; He is my defense; I shall not be greatly moved.
Lamentations 3:22-26 Through the LORD's mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. 23 They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. 24 "The LORD is my portion," says my soul, "Therefore I hope in Him!" 25 The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, To the soul who seeks Him. 26 It is good that one should hope and wait quietly For the salvation of the LORD.
Zephaniah 3:8-9 "Therefore wait for Me," says the LORD, "Until the day I rise up for plunder; My determination is to gather the nations To My assembly of kingdoms, To pour on them My indignation, All My fierce anger; All the earth shall be devoured. With the fire of My jealousy. 9"For then I will restore to the peoples a pure language, That they all may call on the name of the LORD, to serve Him with one accord.
Isaiah 40:28-31 Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the LORD, The Creator of the ends of the earth, Neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable. 29 He gives power to the weak, And to those who have no might He increases strength. 30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary, And the young men shall utterly fall, 31 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.
Isaiah 30:15-18 For thus says the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel: "In returning and rest you shall be saved; In quietness and confidence shall be your strength." But you would not, And you said, "No, for we will flee on horses"-- Therefore you shall flee! And, "We will ride on swift horses"-- Therefore those who pursue you shall be swift! 17 One thousand shall flee at the threat of one, At the threat of five you shall flee, Till you are left as a pole on top of a mountain And as a banner on a hill. 18 Therefore the LORD will wait, that He may be gracious to you; And therefore He will be exalted, that He may have mercy on you. For the LORD is a God of justice; Blessed are all those who wait for Him.
Waiting on God will bring results that we could never do ourselves. Sometimes God requires that we wait and do nothing, so that when something happens, we will know it was by the Hand of God.