Waiting On the Lord
Therefore wait ye upon me, saith the Lord, until the day that I rise up to the prey. (Zephaniah 3:8 KJV)
Zeph. 3:8; Ps. 25:5, 62:5, and 123:2; Prov. 20:22; Hos. 12:6; Gal. 5:5
What Is God Saying?
Zephaniah is a contemporary of Jeremiah and prophesied in the early days of King Josiah's reign. Zephaniah appears to be prophesying early in Josiah's reign before the king’s reforms took place. Zephaniah warns of a day of the Lord about to break on Judah and the surrounding nations with words that are unparalleled in Scripture for distress and anguish. Zephaniah also describes God's redeeming love regarding final victory with powerful language, "The Lord, your God, is in your midst, a warrior who gives victory; he will rejoice over you with gladness, he will renew you in his love" (Zeph. 3:17).
Zephaniah encourages us to wait on God, trust in God, and believe that God will rise to the prey—in His time and for His glory, God will subdue all enemies.
How Does This Apply To Us?
The more sensitive we are to the leading of God's Spirit and the pure grace of God's holiness and love, the more sensitive we become to the prey. What is preying on us just now? What is gnawing away at the integrity of our relationship with God? What is making it easy for us to compromise? We can wait on the Lord when familiar temptation returns. We are not in this battle alone; the Lord will always rise to the prey.
Pray With Me
O God of eternity, there is neither hasting nor wasting with You. Time and space cannot affect Your purpose. I am impatient to see sudden justice. My heart wonders how God can remain indifferent to pain and oppression. May I learn to "wait upon You" until the day that You "will rise up to the prey."
I am sometimes discouraged when opposition falls across my path. Teach me to "wait upon You until the day that You will rise up." When unjust criticism deals a smarting blow, teach me to wait upon You. When other people are slow to respond to things that I find obvious, teach me to wait upon You. Teach me to wait upon You if I feel alone and misunderstood.
Yet I need not wait for You to rise up to the prey lurking in the shadows of my heart. Come quickly, Lord. Come soon to subdue my wandering affections. Come quickly to reign in my heart without reservations. I claim this victory now.
In Jesus' name. Amen.
Moving On In The Life Of Prayer
All of us have things that prey on us, giving us all the more reason to pray to Him. We must not be surprised when the enemy keeps attacking us, striking us at our weakest points and in our weakest moments. That is why we need to pray without ceasing. No evil can prey on us when we pray to God. It may take some waiting, but it won't be wanting. We can always claim the victory. The victory is ours because it is His.
