An important lesson to learn as Christians is to wait on God, which means resting in entire dependence on Him for everything. We can learn how to wait on God by observing nature. God provides for the animals, and they must wait on Him to provide.
“These [animals] all wait for You, that You may give them their food in due season. What You give them they gather in; You open Your hand, they are filled with good” (Ps. 104:27, 28).
It was God’s work to create, and it is God’s work to maintain His creation. The Bible tells us that God is “upholding all things by the word of His power” (Heb. 1:3). That is how He established all things, and that is how He wants us to view Him—as our maintainer and provider. God intimately desires to be connected to His creation—to you and me.”
Jesus used nature as an illustration of our need to wait for God to provide. He promises us that we do not need to worry with Him in charge:
“Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things Sufficient for the day is its own trouble” (Matt. 6:25-34).
“So what is our job; what are we supposed to do? We are to develop an intimate relationship with God, seeking His kingdom and righteousness. If we do this, we have no need to worry about anything. He has promised to provide whatever is needed. We are to live one day at a time and not worry about tomorrow. We are to “wait on God,” resting in entire dependence on Him.
Also, notice what Jesus said in the verse before this section of the Sermon on the Mount:
“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon” (Matt. 6:24).
The next verse begins with the word “therefore.” The word “therefore” indicates the coming statement is related to the statement before it. Hence, Jesus is saying that we are serving “mammon” or the god of money if we worry about the necessities of life. When we worry about the necessities of life, we are actually focusing on money and material things rather than God. That is why Jesus said when we do that we are “serving mammon” or worshipping mammon. Therefore, learning to wait on God to provide for our needs is actually a matter of worship.
Personal Reflection and Discussion
1. What does the phrase “waiting on God” mean?
2. What has God given us to illustrate what it means to wait on God?
3. How does nature reveal the truth about waiting on God?
4. What attitude should Christians have concerning their needs being met?
5. If we are worried about our needs being met, what are we actually doing in relation to worship?
Prayer Activity
• Call your prayer partner and discuss this devotional with him/her.
• Pray with your prayer partner:
1. for God to baptize you with His Holy Spirit.
2. for God to revive you and His church.
3. for God to give you the faith to believe that He will provide for all your needs.
4. for God to help you not to worry about anything.
5. for the individuals on your prayer list.
Excerpt From: Dennis Smith. “40 Days.”