WAIT PATIENTLY FOR THE LORD!

PART I

Here we have before us a proverb of the wise king, and we believe wholeheartedly it was inspired by God the Holy Spirit. All scripture is given by inspiration from God, also this word.

It is a message especially for God’s children. May we now be enlightened by the Holy Spirit so that we may understand the true sense and meaning of this word. That is necessary for us to be able to take it to heart, but we also need that same Spirit to put it in practice. The renewal by God the Holy Spirit is a perfect work. God is perfect, but His works are also perfect. Thus it was in the creation of heaven and earth, but it is the same in the work of recreation. In Christ, the church is complete, but whenever it concerns themselves, then with Paul they must declare, “Not as if I were already perfect, but I follow after if that I may apprehend it.” The more the soul is enlightened by God’s Spirit, the more darkness they shall become aware of. The perfection shall be complete when they shall be delivered before the throne of God and of the Lamb. Their way through this life is a way of strife, bonds, and imprisonment. Through many tribulations they must enter into the Kingdom of God. The way of Christ through this life was one of scorn, insult, disdain, and contempt. Christ was sent to the cross. And now Christ had said to His disciples, “A servant is not greater than his lord. They have persecuted Me, they will also persecute you.”

But if we suffer as an evildoer, then we must be ashamed of ourselves; because then we ourselves are the cause that the name of the Lord is blasphemed. Then we do not follow the footsteps of Christ. Then we grieve God’s Spirit, and then we shall have no access to God. Sin makes a separation between the Lord and our soul, and sins are the cause that the Lord hides His face from us. Blessed is the man that feareth always and is more afraid of sin than of hell.

Our text speaks of the evil that has been done to us. Paul cried out to the jailer, “Do thyself no harm.” But time and again the Lord must preserve us from that, too. In Lord’s Day IX our catechism speaks in reference to faith in God the Father, “and also the evil He sends upon me in this valley of tears.” Everything that befalls God’s people in this life is contained in God’s Providence and has been determined by Him from eternity.

The devil cannot shoot a dart at those people without permission from heaven. The world is also allowed to oppress the church. No dog can move its tongue without the will of God. But faith must surely be active to believe that. Most of the time it is so difficult, yea, so impossible, to submit to God’s reign. Our profession is truly reformed, but it is often different within our heart. That heart is so crafty, so deceitful, so corrupt, so hostile, so full of bitterness, rebellion, and opposition, and especially in the ways of oppression and cross, for then it becomes manifest what is in man’s heart. To cast our burdens and our ways upon the Lord and to commit them into His hands, that is a work of God. We become more and more aware of that during our life. By nature our existence is so evil, so full of self-love, that we only desire to vindicate ourselves, fight for ourselves, for our conversion, for our honor, for our name, for our future, and for our life. We just will not do God’s will, and we are just contrary to everything.

But now our text reads, “Say not thou, I will recompense evil.” We say something. The fool says within his heart, “There is no God.” The atheist lodges also within our heart. How bitter it is to become acquainted with that, and only the all-conquering power of the Most High is able to silence that voice. We can say much, but we must experience that there is no strength in us against that great multitude.

At times we talk along with them. Peter denied Christ. Three times in succession he said, “I know not the Man.” Oh, if we are left to ourselves only one moment then it becomes manifest what really dwells within us. Our heart is an abode of serpents; an abyss, full of abominations. David prayed, “Cleanse Thou me from secret faults.” And how necessary it is that God sets a watch before our mouth and keeps the door of our lips.

Oh, if ever came out what rises up within us, then we would get into the greatest devastation. Even though we have never stretched our hands out to anyone, yet within us how many murders have we already committed! And of course we murder because we are murderers. All that which Romans 3 tells us is true, and those people which have been made honest by God will gladly acknowledge and confess that. We say so often, “The Way of the Lord is not equal.” And although the words of Gideon, “If the Lord be with us, why then is all this befallen us?” cannot be approved of, yet God’s enlightened people understand it very well. Because of the many riddles and problems during their life, they themselves have said it so often. We are so inclined to be our own judge. Our nature is such that we are instantly ready to pray, “Lord, let fire come down from heaven to consume those people.” Only in conformity with Christ do we pray for our enemies and ask, “Lord, forgive them” or “Lord, lay not this sin to their charge.” Only grace can teach us that. At such moments our nature is subdued. Then man is on the side of God. Oh, that warning contained in this text is so necessary since the Lord knows perfectly what is in man.

He knows us and understands our thoughts afar off. The imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth. Oh, what love and mercy the Lord manifests by constantly opposing us, by breaking us down, by breaking us in pieces, and by bringing us to nought.

“Mighty kings of mighty name
He destroys and puts to shame.”

Then by grace we experience that Christ has received power over all flesh, and as the Eternal King He subdues all that opposes Him.

“Who in the heavenly dwellings fair
Can with the Lord Himself compare?
Or who among the mighty shares
The likeness that Jehovah bears?”

He is the mighty God, and the government rests upon His shoulders, Isa. 9:6. Yea, God’s poor people receive times in their lives that they are so pleased with God and become so pleased with Christ. The hypocrite is content with himself, but God’s poor people are ever condemned and irreconciled with themselves. They are ever at war with themselves. It is a constant warfare which will end only at death. It becomes a wonder to those people that God does not deal with them according to their sins, and does not reward them according to their iniquities. And whenever there are lively impressions of that in their heart, they will not recompense evil. Then everything is reversed within their heart. “What shall I render unto the Lord for all His benefits toward me?”

Then it becomes a blessing to us that God brings all that evil upon us in this vale of tears. Then it becomes a wonder that God has put enmity between the Seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent. Then something is experienced of that which Christ said to His disciples in the sermon on the mount, “Blessed are ye when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceeding glad, for great is your reward in heaven.” Bunyan wrote at one time, “When I saw the footsteps of the old pilgrims, then I took courage.”

Our experience teaches us constantly that time and again the Lord must open ways of burden and cross in order that we may need God. We are only deserters, forgetful people, and forsakers. When we sail along smoothly, we become such lofty Christians, we become so careless, and we lose our anxiety so soon. It is a painful yoke for flesh and blood when so much evil is done to us. Even when at times the people only point at us, we burn inside, and we become aware how highly we esteem ourselves, and what a bitter enemy we are of self denial. We pray against evil more than we thank God for it. But sometimes we do the latter when the Lord puts us in our place and we see and experience the benefits of it. Then there is silence, but not silence of our mouth while our heart is full of war, but a silence of faith; a silence in a childlike submission of heart, a silence because the Lord has taken it over from us. Then we have nothing to do except, “Wait for the Lord.” When we consider and read that superficially, then we would say: “That is not so difficult.” But if we have some knowledge of self through the discovering by the Holy Spirit, then we change our mind about it. To wait, to wait patiently for the Lord is no fruit from our field. We read of Saul, Israel’s first king, that he could not wait for God. He was a graceless person and what is to be expected from such? But let us not be so severe in our judgment. Could Abraham, the father of the faithful, wait for the Lord? Could Rebakah abide God’s time? Moses was meek, but how hasty he was when he was forty years old and he thought surely that the time had arrived to deliver Israel. And thus we could go on mentioning examples to prove that of ourselves we cannot wait. Rashly and without thinking, Peter took the sword and cut off the ear of Malchus, the servant of the High Priest, and even after the resurrection he could not wait for Christ but decided to go fishing.

Waiting is such hard work. Yea, of ourselves it is impossible. Waiting is an act of saving faith. It becomes ever more apparent that of ourselves we have nothing but are also unable to do anything. God’s people become ever poorer and more needy, ever more dependent, and we experience that for every new pathway we need new grace from heaven. In His eternal love, God cuts His people off from everything. By nature we expect it of ourselves, of the hills, and of the mountains, of everything which is neither God nor Christ.

Our blindness is so great, and the enmity which fills our heart is so strong that as we experience those things we must be ashamed and blush with shame about ourselves. We would want to work everything out by ourselves, and keep the Lord out of everything. But God’s thoughts are higher than our thoughts. He leads His people according to His counsel.

The Lord directs it in such a manner in the life of His people that they cannot find their own way; that they cannot work out anything of themselves, that their own strength is broken and that nothing remains except to trust in the Lord. How good the Lord is for His people.

He reveals Himself in Christ to His people to their joy and salvation. They learn to know Him as holy and righteous, but also as gracious and merciful, and abundant in goodness for all those that call upon Him. They learn to know Him as faithful and unchangeable in the fulfilling of His promises as well as in the carrying out of His threatenings. All men are liars, but God is true. His people can depend upon God. He is an eternal Rock. There is no unrighteousness in Him. God’s people have only to rest, and with anticipation to rely upon God. He will contend with those that contend with His people.

Beloved, avenge not yourselves. “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” saith the Lord. Oh, it is true, those people must wait long at times, but Christ as the Surety had to do that also. In Psalm 69:20, He says: “I looked for some to take pity, but there was none, and for comforters, but I found none,” and in Psalm 40:1, “I waited patiently for the Lord.”

God lets His people wait long at times, but that is to try them. They must learn what they are, but also what God is, and what He will remain for His people. We experience the most disappointments with ourselves, but

“For righteous is the Lord and just;
He is my Rock, in Him I trust.”

He makes His people wait in order that they will expect their help so much the more from Him so that they may be ever more tenderly and closely bound to Him; and to seek Him more and more with all their heart. Oh, God is so good that He takes away all their own works and deliberations, so that they may expect help only from the Lord.

The life of that people is so grievous at times because of the persecutions and revilements of the enemies. There may be so much inward grief and sorrow. Just think of Ahithophel, what he was for David, and what Judas was for Christ, but what strength and comfort is to be found in bringing our troubles before the Lord. At times, God’s people can find no relief anywhere in the world, but when all doors in the world are closed, then the gate of heaven is open. The Lord does not allow His people to be tempted above measure. God determines the measure of their sorrow. Whenever they must go into the fire to be purified and cleansed, that Great Refiner is present too. His eye rests upon them in love. When they are forsaken of all, God does not forget them.

He makes His people honest and upright. Before Him they lay bare all the evil and wickedness of their heart. They do not conceal from Him how many guns and how much powder they have bought already, and how many weapons they have already assembled to avenge themselves. They confess it honestly that they cannot wait for the Lord. Oh, those harsh thoughts which they have of Him, and because of that unbelief which fills their heart, it is impossible to wait for Him.

But then there is a supplication, “Lord, please do take everything out of my hands, and grant grace to my soul that I may follow Thee, and by grace teach me to await Thee and to wait in faith for Thee. Lord, at times I am so discouraged, then again so hostile; at times it screams within my heart, ‘Why should I wait longer for the Lord?’ but Lord I don’t want to deny Thee. I desire to give it all into Thy hands, but I perceive that I cannot do it. Ah, wilt Thou Thyself take it out of my hands, heart, and thoughts, and grant unto me grace to wait believingly, childlike, and humbly for Thee, and with that confidence that Thou shalt plead my cause. Lord, I am fully aware that I can only spoil everything, but Thy way is altogether perfect and right.”

After this manner those people cry to heaven and sigh for that which they have not of themselves. However unworthy they are in themselves, however undeserving, still their eyes are raised up to the Lord. He will and He can, and He shall out of grace and for Christ’s sake, grant unto them what they need. The knowledge of guilt and sin always presses down, but as soon as there are any exercises of faith, then their soul is raised up.

Although the believer is full of doubts, yet there is no doubt in faith. Faith is a grace which overcomes the world, both in and outwardly. When the soul waits for the Lord, then there is an inward peace, although the outward circumstances are the same. Oh, how great it is when our soul may be patient in and under oppression, and when we may believe that the Lord reigns and that He is stronger than the noise of many waters. Then we wait for the Lord, and then it is, “In quietness and in confidence shall be your strength.” Then God is near, and then He is the strength of their heart. The poor trust in Thee. God is their one and all. He will not leave nor forsake them. At times He allows the waters to rise up to the lips, but never above them. Oh, the gracious thoughts which they then acquire of that dear Being humble their heart. Oh, when everything is turned against them in hatred and enmity then the faithful Jehovah is nigh to them with His love. Then they are Divinely sustained and Fatherly encouraged and cheered. While under the greatest burden and cross God becomes the most highly valued. They must be weaned from everything upon which they lean and depend in order that Christ may occupy the highest place in their heart. Then they experience that there is a Friend that sticks closer than a brother, and that the Blessed and most lovely Christ is a Friend Who loves at all times. The slanders have also pierced His soul, but He, too, waited for the Lord. He said in Psalm 69:29, “But I am poor and sorrowful, let Thy salvation, O God, set me up on high” and in Isaiah 50:8, “He is near that justifieth me.” When we wait for the Lord, that is proof that the work of God has been glorified in us; that the Spirit of Christ dwells within us, and that we are no strangers to the ministration of the Holy Spirit whereby we are taught to put our hope only in the Lord Who in His own time will contend with those that contend with His people. Then they are kept from acting as their own judge and avenger. Then we would rather suffer damage and wrong than that we would stretch forth our hands to our enemies. Then we expect deliverance from the Lord, and as it has also been promised to all of God’s favorites: “He will save you.”

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