Will you stand your watch? Do you wait on the Lord? Friday, May 18, 2012

John Dahlhauser, Friday May 18, 2012

Will you stand your watch? Do you wait on the Lord for His answer to your prayers?

Habakkuk 2: 1-3 in the NKJV states,” I will stand my watch and set myself on the rampart, and watch to see what He will say to me, and what I will answer when I am corrected.( Verse 2) Then the Lord answered me and said; “Write the vision and make it plain on tablets. That he may run who reads it. (Verse 3) For the vision is yet for an appointed time; but at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.

In the Amplified Bible it says it this way,” [Oh, I know, I have been rash to talk out plainly this way to God!] I will [in my thinking] stand upon my post observation and station myself on the tower or fortress, and will watch to see what He will say within me and make what answer I will make[ as His mouthpiece] to the perplexities of my complaint against Him.” (Verse 2) And the Lord answered me and said, Write the vision and engrave it so plainly upon tablets that everyone who passes may [be able to] read[it easily and quickly] as he hastens by. (Verse 3) For the vision is yet for an appointed time and it hastens to the end [fulfillment]; it will not deceive or disappoint.  Though, wait [earnestly] for it, because it will surely come, it will not be behindhand on its appointed day.”

Many times it may seem as if the Lord does not hear our prayers, our cry’s to Him. We see what is going on in the world, or with our family, we see evidence of violence and injustice in the world, in our family, our community and wonder why God does not put a stop to such evil. We will ask ourselves and God, why is this happing to me?  Why do you let this continue on? Why do I have to suffer? Why is my family (your wife, husband, children) suffering? Why is such horrible suffering going on in the world?

The prophet Habakkuk was asking God the same kind of questions and found out the God answered him in unexpected ways (see Habakkuk 1:2-6). Habakkuk humbly gives his attendance upon God (v.1); “ I will stand upon my watch, as a sentinel on the walls of a besieged city.  I will look up, will look around, will look within, and watch to see what He will say unto me. God wants us to bring our questions to Him but we may not get the answers we expect. Habakkuk fully expected that God would respond to his questions, and he waited in a position of watchful expectation.

God not only speaks to us by his word, but He speaks in us by our own consciences, whispering to us, This is the way, walk in it. Beloved, those that expect to hear from God must withdraw from the world, and get above it, must raise their attention, fix their thought, study the scriptures, continue instant in prayer and by that set yourselves upon the tower.

When we have doubts about the way God does things, we are tempted to think it is fate, and not a wise God, that governs the world, and then we must set ourselves upon the tower, to go into the sanctuary of God and labor to end these things. We must go into prayer and carefully listen for God and His answer to us.

When our Father answers you, write the answer or vision down so that you can see it and study it, that way it is before your eyes and you will not forget it or think it was just a dream. Then you must wait for the accomplishment of the vision or His answer. God will do things in His own time, not the time that you think it should be. It is not for us to anticipate His appointments, but to wait His time. This will be an exercise in faith and patience. Most of the time we as human beings do not want to wait, we want it now, especially in this time of instant gratification. We must wait on the Lord; He knows the right time and the right place. When God answers you think about keeping a record or a journal of His responses to your prayers. It will be a wonderful testimony to His faithfulness and will be a testimony for yourself and to encourage others.