Brave Waiting

DELIVERED ON LORDS-DAY MORNING, AUGUST 26, 1877,

BY C. H. SPURGEON,

AT THE METROPOLITAN TABERNACLE, NEWINGTON.

"Wait on the Lord: be of good courage and He shall strengthen your
heart: wait, I say, on the Lord." Psalm 27:14.

THE Christian's life is no child's play. All who have gone on
pilgrimage to the Celestial City have found a rough road, sloughs of
despond and hills of difficulty, giants to fight and tempters to shun.
Hence there are two perils to which Christians are exposed–the one is
that under heavy pressure they should stay away from the path which
they ought to pursue–the other is lest they should grow fearful of
failure and so become faint-hearted in their holy course. Both these
dangers had evidently occurred to David and in the text he is led by
the Holy Spirit to speak about them. "Do not," he seems to say, "do not
think that you are mistaken in keeping to the way of faith. Do not turn
aside to crooked policy. Do not begin to trust in an arm of flesh, but
wait upon the Lord."

And, as if this were a duty in which we are doubly apt to fail, he
repeats the exhortation and makes it more emphatic the second
time–"Wait, I say, on the Lord." Hold on with your faith in God.
Persevere in walking according to His will. Let nothing seduce you from
your integrity–let it never be said of you, "You ran well, what
hindered you that you did not obey the Truth of God?" And lest we
should be faint in our minds, which was the second danger, the Psalmist
says, "Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart." There
is really nothing to be depressed about. There is no real danger–you
are safe while God lives, while Christ pleads and while the Spirit of
God dwells in you–therefore be not dismayed, nor even dream of fear.
Be not timorous and unbelieving, but play the man! "Wait on the Lord:
be of good courage and He shall strengthen your heart."

The objective of our discourse this morning will be the encouragement
of those who feel in any degree dispirited and depressed on account of
the hard places of the way, or the opposition of the world. May the
Divine Spirit, whose peculiar office it is to be the Comforter of His
people, now give the oil of joy to all who mourn and courage to all who
tremble! We shall look at our text under four heads. First, God is to
be waited on. Secondly, courage is to be maintained. Thirdly, waiting
upon God will sustain courage and, fourthly, experience has proven
this–for David sets his own seal to the text when he says, "Wait, I
say, on the Lord." As much as to say–I have tried and proven the power
of communion with God and, therefore, personally give my advice that
you continually wait upon the Lord and you will be greatly
strengthened.

I. First, then, dear Friends, GOD IS TO BE WAITED ON. That word,
"wait," is so exceedingly comprehensive that I quite despair of
bringing out every shade of its meaning. The word, "walk," describes
almost the whole of Christian life and so does this word, "wait," for,
rightly understood, waiting is active as well as passive, energetic as
well as patient and to wait upon the Lord necessitates as much holy
courage as warring and fighting with His enemies. We are to wait on,
wait upon and wait for the Lord, for it is written, "They that wait on
the Lord shall inherit the earth." "They that wait upon the Lord shall
renew their strength." And, "blessed are all they that wait for Him."

What do we mean, then, by, "wait on the Lord"? I say, first, let us
wait on the Lord as a beggar waits for alms at the rich man's door. We
are very poor and needy, laboring under such necessities that the whole
world cannot supply what we require. Only in God is there a supply for
the deep poverty of our souls! We have gone to His door, many of us,
and knocked and waited. And, in so doing, we have obtained very
gracious answers. If others of us have not seen the door of Mercy open
to us, let us still wait at the posts of the Lord's door. Let us still
knock and still hope for His salvation.

Are you seeking the Savior and are you trusting Him? Have you not yet
obtained the peace which comes with believing? Then with great
importunity continue in prayer and wait on, remembering that the
blessing is worth waiting for–it is such a treasure that if you had to
wait for a lifetime to fully obtain it, you would be well repaid when
it came. Wait, but knock as you wait, with fervent pleading and strong
confidence, for the Lord Himself waits to be gracious to

you. Agonize in desire and let not the knocker of Heaven's gate ever
rest! Make the door of Mercy resound again and again with your resolute
blows upon it.

The Lord is good to them that wait for Him. He will, in due time,
answer you. It shall never be said that any were sent away empty from
His gate. He has not spoken in secret in a dark place of the earth, nor
said unto the seed of Jacob, "Seek you My face in vain." Pray on,
believe on, and as surely as God's promise is true, He will, in due
time, grant you conscious salvation. Your head shall be lifted high
above your enemies round about you and you shall rejoice with
unspeakable joy and full of glory! The devil bids you cease from
prayer. He tells you that the little faith you have will never save
you. Do not believe him! Stand fast, pray on, believe on, expect
on–though the vision tarries, wait for it–it shall come, it shall not
be long.

The Lord grant you Grace to wait in all humility, for what are you but
a beggar, and beggars must not be choosers! It is good that a man both
hope and quietly wait for the salvation of God, for they shall not be
ashamed that wait for Him. To cling to the Cross, to rest at the altar
of our Lord's Atonement is the safest course. Believingly to wait upon
the Lord, pleading the all-prevailing name of Jesus, is the suppliant's
best posture. I trust many in the House of God this morning have passed
from this stage to the next–they wait as learners for instruction. The
disciple waits at His Master's feet and, according as the Teacher
chooses to speak, so the disciple's ears are opened.

Mary sat at Jesus' feet. Some stand in the crowd and listen a little
and soon they are gone, but the true disciple abides in the school and
waits to hear what his Master will say. We bow down at His feet with
this humble resolve, that whatever He says we will hear and whatever
His doctrine, precept, or promise may be, we will drink it all in with
intense delight. The pupils of the old philosophers were apt to walk in
the groves of academia till the wise men were ready to come and speak
with them. And when any one of the wise men began to speak, the young
disciples quietly followed his steps, eagerly catching up every
precious sentence which he might utter.

Much more should it be so with us towards our Lord Jesus. Let us follow
Him in every page of Inspiration, study every line of creation and
learn of Him in all the teachings of His Providence. Let us catch the
faintest whisper of His Spirit and yield to each Divine impulse. "Wait,
I say, on the Lord." If you are to be instructed disciples it must be
by a diligent, patient, persevering waiting upon Him who is the
Fountain of all knowledge and the Sun of all light. May we never outrun
our Master by conceited speculations and vain imaginations, but may we
wait till He speaks and be content to remain in ignorance unless He
chooses to withdraw the veil.

A third form of this waiting will come out under the figure of waiting
as a servant waits upon his lord. A true servant is anxious to know
what his master wishes him to do and, when he once knows it, he is
happy to undertake it and carry it through. In great houses certain
servants enquire of the master in the morning, "Sir, what are your
orders for the day?" Imitate this and when you rise in the morning,
always wait upon your Lord to know what His commands are for the day.
Say, "Show me what You would have me do. Teach me Your ways, O Lord.
Lead me in a plain path. Inform me as to what to seek and what to shun,
for my will is to do Your will in all things."

Notice how maid-servants watch their mistresses when they are waiting
at table or serving about the house. A word is enough and sometimes a
look or a nod of the head is all the direction needed. So should it be
with us–we should eagerly desire to know the mind of the Lord and
carefully watch for indications of it. As the eyes of a maiden are unto
the hands of her mistress, so should our eyes wait upon the Lord our
God. We, who are the ministers of the Lord Jesus, ought to be looking
all around to see what we can do in God's House. Good servants do not
need to be told of every little thing–they have their master's
interest at heart and they perceive what should be done and they do it.

Oh, to be always waiting to do more and more for Jesus! I would go up
and down my Master's House, seeing what I can do for His little
children whom I delight to cherish! What part of the House needs
sweeping and cleaning, that I may quietly go about it? What part of the
table needs to be furnished with food, that I may bring out, as His
steward, things new and old? What is there to be done for my Master
towards those who are outside and what is to be done for those already
in His family? You will never be short of work if, with your whole
heart, you wait upon the Lord! We do evil if we stand idly gazing up
into Heaven expecting His coming and making it a pretense for doing
little or nothing to win souls! Our wisest course is, as men that
expect their Lord, to stand with our loins girt and our lamps trimmed.

You know what the Orientals meant by having their loins girt–they
gathered up their loose flowing garments when they meant work–even as
a hard-working man among us takes off his coat and works in his
shirtsleeves. Stand like

workmen with your sleeves up–that is the English of it, ready for any
work which your Master may appoint! You put on the uniform of the Lord
Jesus years ago when you were baptized into His name–take care to keep
it spotless, for it is known to be connected with a sinless Prince!
Never, by disobedience, make the uniform to be a lie, for if you are
not His servant, why should you wear the garb of His household?
Beloved, "He that waits upon his master shall be honored." Let us not
fail in waiting upon ours.

Sometimes the servant will have to wait in absolute inaction–and this
is not always to the taste of energetic minds. I suppose that walking
round Jericho six days and doing nothing must have been very
distasteful to the men of war who wanted to be coming to blows. They
might have said, "Why should we and all the multitude march round the
walls and do nothing? The men of war chafed in their harness and longed
to be at the foe! It is said that Wellington kept back the Guards at
Waterloo till far into the fight and it must, I should think, have
needed much courage on their part to remain calm and quiet while cannon
were roaring, the battle raging and the shots flying about them.

They must not stir till the commander-in-chief gives the order, "Up,
Guards, and at them!" Then will they clear the field and utterly
annihilate the foe. They were as much serving their country by lying
still, till the time came, as they were by dashing forward when, at
last, the word was given! Wait, then, upon your Lord in all sorts of
service and patience, for this is what He would have you do. Another
form of this waiting may be compared to a traveler waiting the
directions of his guide, or a mariner waiting upon the pilot who takes
charge of his ship. We are to wait upon God for direction in the entire
voyage of life. He is at the helm and His hand is to steer our course.

I am fearful that some Christians very greatly fail in waiting upon the
Lord for guidance, yet the types and examples of the Old Testament very
strongly enforce this duty. I will give you one type and one example.
The type shall be Israel in the wilderness. There was a straight way to
Canaan and, I suppose, it would not occupy many days to go from Goshen
to Jerusalem. They must not, however, take that way, but follow their
leader. When they had wandered for a year in the wilderness, they might
soon have reached the land, for, in fact, they were near its borders.
But no, they must go where the famous pillar, which indicated the
Presence of God, should conduct them!

If it remained stationary for a year, the tents must not move. If it
was up early in the morning, again, and again, and again for a whole
succession of weary marching days, Israel must not dare rest. Under the
shade of the pillar of cloud must they abide by day and its light must
be their glory by night. Everywhere they were to wait for the heavenly
signal and never choose their own path. Do you watch the cloud, my
Brethren? Do you wait upon the Lord for guidance? Do you continually
say, "I pray You show me Your way"? Do you commit your own way unto the
Lord? If not, how little you have learned the true position and
privilege of the people of God!

The example I take from David's own life. If you have noticed the 14th
Chapter of the First Book of Chronicles, you will read that David,
being threatened by the Philistines, enquired of the Lord, saying,
"Shall I go up against them?" And he had for an answer, "Go up, for I
will deliver them into your hands." Encouraged by the oracle, he went
forth to the attack and carried all before him like the breaking forth
of a flood. The Philistines rallied again and spread themselves abroad
in the valley–surely David might have felt quite safe in falling upon
them again. What further directions could he need? Would not the former
oracle avail, now that the same circumstances were occurring?

But no, the man of God did not feel safe until he had laid the new case
before the Lord and it is recorded, "Therefore David enquired, again,
of God." This time the response was very different. Possibly to his own
surprise David received orders not to go up after the Philistines, but
to turn away from them and come upon them over against the mulberry
trees. When he should hear a sound of the going in the tops of the
mulberry trees, he was to bestir himself, but not just then. He
followed the new directions and again smote the host of the
Philistines!

Brothers, wait on the Lord often! Though you were wise in the last
intricate business, you may be a fool over the next simple matter! In
fact, it is over the simple matters that we make our great blunders in
life, even as Israel did with the Gibeonites when they came with old
shoes and bread that was moldy–half an eye might have sufficed to see
through their trick but Israel acted hastily, ate bread with them, made
a treaty with them–and inquired not at the hand of the Lord. Not so
David–he was never slow to seek Divine guidance.

I admire that which comes out, incidentally, about him in the saying of
Abimelech, the priest at Nob. When Saul accused him of having enquired
of the Lord for David, Abimelech replied, "Did I then begin to enquire
of God for him?" As much as to say, "He is an old frequenter of the
Lord's courts. He has enquired of God many and many a time before

this. To accuse me of inquiring of the Lord for him, as though I was
abetting rebellion, is unjust, for I only did for David what I had
often done before." And so it was that David behaved himself wisely in
a perfect way–because he followed not his own judgment but waited on
the Lord.

There was one occasion, when he marched against Nabal in the heat of
his wrath, when he went in his own spirit and not under heavenly
influences. And had it not been that the Lord sent a wise woman to
cross his path, he would have shed blood that day and it would have
been a grief of mind to him all his life. Oh that we did more sincerely
wait upon the Lord in the sense of seeking instruction as to our path
in life–then would He fulfill His promise to us–"Your ears shall hear
a voice behind you, saying, This is the way, walk you in it."

I have not yet exhausted the word, "wait," for we ought to wait upon
God as a child waits upon its parent. Our children can seldom be
accused of having small expectations with reference to us. They have
almost countless desires and wants–and they always expect their
parents to readily supply them–in which reckoning, I have no doubt,
they have been strongly confirmed by their past experience! No little
child thinks of providing for himself, nor does he dream of directing
his own course in life. You cannot get that little head to be
thoughtful about tomorrow's food! You cannot force that little heart to
be anxious about the next suit of clothes. To all suggested doubt, the
little lips reply, "My father knows what I need and I am sure he will
give it to me."

Such is the happy, restful life of a loving child and this is as it
should be with us. It is my Father's business to provide for me. His
name is Jehovah-Jireh. It is my Father's business to preserve me. He
has given His angels charge to keep me in all my ways. It is my
Father's business to mark out the future for me–I cannot see, even,
into tomorrow! My eyes are dim, but my Father knows all about what
shall be and He will be ready for whatever shall happen–therefore I
should wait upon Him, raise no questions and expect great mercies.
Blessed are they who are thus found waiting.

And then, perhaps, I may add one more thing–we should wait upon the
Lord as a courtier waits upon his prince. He that is at court and seeks
to rise to favor waits upon his prince with the desire to be employed
in the royal service, that he may prove his loyal zeal. He counts any
sort of employment at court to be a great honor. He tells his friends
and they accept it as a subject of congratulation that he has obtained
such-and-such work to do for the king. He delights to increase the
honor and dignity of his prince's court, for he shares in it himself.

Brethren, how carefully should you and I endeavor to show forth the
honor of our Lord Jesus among the sons of men! Has He not made us kings
and priests? And should we not exalt His glorious name forever? We
should seek to make our Lord Jesus famous to the world's end–our daily
conversation and our current character–our private and public behavior
should all tend to increase our Master's honor among the sons of men.
We must be ready for anything for Jesus and everything for
Jesus–counting that we, ourselves, are honored by disgrace if we bring
honor to Him.

Sir Walter Raleigh was wise in his generation when he took off his
richly embroidered cloak to spread it over a miry place, that Queen
Elizabeth's feet might not be dampened. The courtier knew how to smooth
his own road by caring for his queen. And thus, with unselfish motives,
out of pure reverence for our Lord, let us be willing to be made as the
street to be walked over if Jesus can be honored! Let us lay out for
our Lord the best that we have, even our life, itself, if by so doing
we may bring glory to the holy and blessed name of our Redeemer! From
now on it is ours to live unto the Lord and die unto the Lord! We will
wait on the Lord and keep His way and may His Grace enable us daily to
say, "I wait for the Lord, my soul does wait, and in His Word do I
hope."

II. Secondly, COURAGE IS TO BE MAINTAINED. "Be of good courage." Our
good Lord and Master ought not to be followed by cowards. Be of good
courage, you that wait on the Lord! Have the courage of hope concerning
the faith which you are exercising upon Christ. You are just beginning,
some of you, to believe in Jesus, and you are afraid that He will cast
you away, or fearful that you will not obtain full salvation from sin.
I have already told you to continue to knock at Mercy's door–do so,
but be of good courage–for that door will certainly open to you. He
that asks receives, he that seeks finds and to him that knocks it shall
be opened.

Take heart, poor fainting one, the Lord has a tender eye towards
mourning souls! He is very good to those who seek Him. Though you are
like poor trembling Mercy who fainted outside the door of the
interpreter's house, yet your Lord thinks upon you and He says, "Come
in, you blessed of the Lord, why do you stand outside?" He will not
suffer those to perish who humbly wait on Him. The light of His
countenance shall yet be yours. Be of good courage, O Seeker! Be, also,

of good courage, you who have newly found Him. Be bold to avow your
faith. Remember that the trust which you repose in Jesus is a
justifiable one and can be vindicated against all comers–therefore do
not hide it.

I hate to see a Christian act like a rat behind the wall who comes
peeping out, when everything is still, to see if anybody is about so
that he may get his crumbs. If there is half a sound of a foot
anywhere–away he slips and hides himself in his hole! No, if you
belong to Christ, acknowledge it! What is there to be ashamed of? To
believe the Truth of God–shall a man blush at that? To follow infinite
purity and holiness incarnate in Christ Jesus–is there anything to be
ashamed of in that? No, rather let us wear our colors before the face
of all men and lift high our banner in all companies, for it is a cause
for glorying rather than for blushing that we are on the Lord's side!
It is the best thing about us! It is the greatest mercy we have ever
received! Why should we conceal it? Wait on the Lord, be of good
courage and confess your faith before men, you that have newly been
brought to Jesus.

Then go farther. Be of good courage in endeavoring to spread the faith
which you have received. When you go to speak to others about the great
salvation, be not afraid! If it is new work for you, I dare say you
will tremble, but still do it and ask the Lord to give you greater
confidence in proclaiming the tidings of His Grace. If you speak with
infidels, be of good courage, though for a while you cannot lead them
to believe. If you speak to those who are incensed against the Truth of
God, be of good courage–what harm can they do to you that shall be
equal to the harm you will suffer by being a coward? Be of good courage
and undertake great things for Christ! Do not expect a defeat, but dare
and venture all for Him.

Do something more than you are able to do, expecting strength beyond
your own to be afforded you, and it will certainly come. "Wait on the
Lord: be of good courage and He shall strengthen your heart." Be of
good courage, then, in the way of practical energy for the advancement
of your Redeemer's cause. Be of good courage when you pray for others.
Wait on the Lord about your children and be of good courage and expect
to see them saved. Wait on the Lord about your servants, about your
brothers and sisters, about your neighbors–be of good courage about
them–believe that God hears prayer and that your intercessions will
bless those for whom you pray.

Intercession has great influence with God. It is no vain thing to wait
upon the Lord for the souls of others. Thousands now in Heaven owe
their conversion to the prayers of the saints and, therefore, plead
with great courage! Never cease to pray! And when you pray, pray not as
though you spoke to a tyrant reluctant to hear, or to a forgetful God
who would fail to answer, but wait on Him with quiet confidence and you
shall not come away empty. Be of good courage, too, in making
self-sacrifices for the cause of Christ. If you lose a situation
because you are honest, be of good courage–you will be no loser in the
long run.

Are there some who despise you because you are a Christian? Be of good
courage, their opinion is of very little worth and in the judgment of
angels and good men you stand very high. Are you like Moses when he
refused the treasures of Egypt with all the honors of the court? Be of
good courage, the Lord will give you, even in this life, a recompense
and, in the world to come, life everlasting! If it should come to
losing all you have for Jesus' sake, be of good courage, for he that
loses his life for Christ's sake shall find it and he that becomes poor
for the cause of Christ shall be eternally rich! Be of good courage!

Once again, if you are called to endure great affliction, sharp pain,
frequent sickness. If business goes amiss, if riches take to themselves
wings and fly away. If friends forsake you and foes surround you, be of
good courage, for the God upon whom you wait will not forsake you.
Never let it be said that a soldier of the Cross flinched in the day of
battle! Bear your Father's will, glad to have such a Father's will to
bear! If Grace cannot enable us to endure all that Nature can heap upon
us, what is Grace worth? Now is the time, my dear Brothers and Sisters,
in the floods of adversity, to see whether your faith is real faith or
not! Mere sunshine faith is not worth having! We need that which will
outlive the most terrible storm that ever beclouded the heavens.

Wait on the Lord, be of good courage, though heart and flesh should
fail you. Though eyes grow dim and the light of day should be quite
shut out. Though hearing should fail and the daughters of music be
silent. Though all the doors of the senses should be closed. Though the
bearers of the body should totter and the keepers of the house should
tremble, yes, though death itself should remove this feeble body, yet
there is no cause for fear! We may exclaim with dying Jacob, "I have
waited for Your salvation, O Lord." Let not your hearts be troubled!
Wait on the Lord and courage shall revive.

III. Our third point is that WAITING UPON GOD SUSTAINS COURAGE.
Beloved, if ever you begin to grow weary in the good ways of God, wait
upon Him with double earnestness. You have heard of the famous giant
whom Hercules could not kill because the earth was his mother. Every
time Hercules dashed him down, he obtained fresh strength by touching
his parent and rose again to fight. We are of like nature–every time
we are driven to our God, though we are dashed upon Him by defeat–we
grow strong, again, and our adversary's attempt is foiled. Our foe will
never destroy us unless he can separate us from the love of God which
is in Christ Jesus our Lord and that is impossible! Waiting upon God is
the way to renew our strength until we mount up with eagle's wings and
leave the world below.

In the first place, our heart is strengthened by waiting upon God
because we thus receive a mysterious strength through the incoming of
the Eternal Spirit into our souls. No man can explain this, but many of
us know what it is. We do not know how the Holy Spirit operates, but we
are conscious that after a season of prayer we are often much refreshed
and feel as if we had been ground young again. We have gone in before
the Lord haggard and worn, desponding and, (shame upon us, we must
add), ready to give up, turn tail and run away!

We have not long drawn near God before we have felt our spirit revive.
Though our approach was mostly a groan, yet we did wait upon the Lord
and the Eternal Strength came into us. How wonderfully do the secret
springs of Omnipotence break into the feeble soul and fill it with
might in the inner man! Through the sacred anointing of the Holy Spirit
we have been made to shout for joy! We have been so glad in the Lord
that we could not contain our joy! He that made us has put His hands, a
second time, to the work and restored unto us the joy of His salvation,
filled our emptiness, removed our weakness and triumphed in us
gloriously!

The poor harp which had been long played upon could not, at length,
yield music to its owner's hands. In vain the fingers roamed over the
strings, the more heavily they were struck the more discordant were the
sounds. The harp was taken from the hall and laid aside in a quiet
chamber and there its maker came to deal with it. He knew its frame and
understood the art of tuning it. He put new strings here and there and
set the rest aright–and the next time the harper laid his fingers
among the strings, pure music floated forth and flooded the palace with
melody! Where discord had peopled the air with evil spirits, all was
changed and it seemed as though angels leaped forth with silver wings
from every chord! Yes, go to your God, poor Soul, when you are out of
order! Wait on the Lord and He will strengthen your heart by His
mysterious power.

Besides this, waiting upon the Lord has an effect upon the mind which,
in the natural course of things, tends to strengthen our courage, for
waiting upon God makes men grow small and dwarfs the world and all its
affairs till we see their real littleness. Poor David sat fretting
about the ungodly as he saw them prospering in their way, while as for
himself he was plagued all day and chastened every morning. Foolishly
and ignorantly he complained of the Lord and questioned His justice,
"until," he said, "I went into the sanctuary of God, then understood I
their end." Set your great troubles before the infinite God and they
will dwarf into such little things that you will never notice them
again!

He takes up the isles as a very little thing and the nations are as a
drop in a bucket–and this great God will teach you to look at earthly
things in the same light as He does, till, though the whole world
should be against you, you would smile at its rage and though all the
devils in Hell should rise against you, you would defy their fury! Our
worst ills are utterly despised when we learn to measure them by the
line of the Eternal. Thus you see that waiting upon God strengthens the
heart by lessening the causes of fear.

And then it inflames the heart with love. Nothing can give us greater
courage than a sincere affection for our Lord and His work. Courage is
sure to abound where love is fervent. Look among the mild and gentle
creatures of the brute creation and see how bold they are when once
they become mothers and have to defend their offspring! A hen will
fight for her chicks, though at another time she is one of the most
timid of birds. Mr. White, in his book on Selborne, tells of a raven
that was hatching her young in a tree. The woodman began to fell it,
but there she sat. The blows of the axe shook the tree, but she never
moved–and when it fell, she was still upon her nest! Love will make
the most timid creature strong and, oh, Beloved, if you love Christ you
will defy all fear and count all hazards undergone for Him to be your
joy!

In this sense, also, perfect love casts out fear. It hopes all things,
endures all things and continues, still, to wait upon the Lord. To have
more love we must more continually wait upon the Lord and this will
mightily renew the strength of our heart. Again, waiting upon the Lord
breeds peace within the soul and when a man is perfectly at rest
within, he cares little for trials or foes. It is conscience that makes
cowards of us all, but let conscience be pacified through the atoning

blood of Jesus and you can smile when others spit their venom at you
and, like your blessed Master, you can bear their taunts without reply,
for there is a heavenly calm within. A heart unsettled towards God is
sure to be afraid of men, but when the soul waits on the Lord in glad
serenity, it stoops not to fear.

And, Beloved, this waiting upon the Lord produces the effect of
increasing our courage because it often gives us a sight of the eternal
reward. And if a man gets a glimpse of the crown of glory, the crown of
thorns will no more prick his temples. He that sees what he shall be in
the day when Christ shall be revealed, mourns not because of what he
now is while he bears the reproach of Christ. In fact, waiting upon God
makes us see that we are in fellowship with Christ and causes us to
know that the load we carry is a cross of which He always bears the
heaviest end! It lets us see that His heart is full of sensitive
sympathy towards us and so it makes us suffer without complaining. Is
it not sweet to sing–

"If on my face for Your dear name, Shame and reproach shall be, I'll
hail reproach and welcome shame For You will remember me"? Thus waiting
upon the Lord pours power into the central reservoir of our strength.

IV. Now I finish with the fourth point, which is, EXPERIENCE PROVES
THIS. I want you to keep your Bibles open at the 27th Psalm and see how
my text is a summary of the entire Psalm. All the rest of the verse may
be compared to the figures of an account and this closing verse is the
casting up of the whole–waiting on the Lord is the path of wisdom.
For, first, in the opening verses David had been surrounded by enemies.
He waited upon the Lord and the Lord made them stumble and fall.
Afterwards, when they fought against him, he told his sorrow to God and
God lifted his head high above his enemies till he could sing in the
sanctuary songs of exultant joy unto the Lord.

My Brothers and Sisters, do the same when you are assailed! You are not
in a country subject to actual war, but you have many adversaries,
spiritual and otherwise. You have the Prince of Darkness armed against
you and a host of evil spirits in high places. Wait on the Lord in this
conflict and He will give you victory. Your strength is to sit still.
Fret not! Quietly refer all the contests to Him who returns from Edom
with dyed garments from Bozrah, traveling in the greatness of His
strength, because His foes and yours are trod beneath His feet. Wait on
the Lord. Get away to the shadow of His pavilion. Hide in the secret of
His tabernacle. Climb up upon the Rock and stay there–and all the
adversaries of your soul shall be broken in pieces.

Next, read the 7th and 8th verses and you will see David occupied in
prayer, and there, too, he succeeded and prospered abundantly because
in prayer he waited on the Lord. The very essence of prayer is to get
the ear of God. You might as well whistle as pray, unless you pray in
spirit and in truth–and the very spirit and truth of prayer must lie
in communion with God Himself. If you have been praying after a fashion
and you have not gained that which you prayed for, surely you have not
yet reached the ear of God! Get into the secret place. Go close to your
Lord and wait upon Him in very deed–then you shall have great courage
in prayer, renew your strength and come back victorious.

Next, David had been enveloped in darkness. He was afraid that God was
about to forsake him. He had lost the light of Jehovah's Countenance. I
think I hear one say, "What am I to do in such a case?" Wait on the
Lord! If He does not smile, still wait on Him. The smile of His face is
delightful, but if you lose it, hide under the shadow of His wings!
When He does not smile, He still loves. "Though He slay me," said Job,
"yet will I trust in Him." Even when He seems an angry God, throw
yourself at His feet! Let nothing drive you away from Him. If He lifts
His sword to strike you, the further off, the heavier the blow will
fall. Run close in, dear child, if your Father is going to whip you!
Run close in, then He cannot strike hard.

Draw very near to your Father's heart. Lay hold on His strength and put
Him against Himself, as it were, pleading His love against His wrath
and saying, "You have sworn that You will not be angry with me, nor
rebuke me, therefore deal tenderly with Your child." If any walk in
darkness and see no light, let him still trust and wait on the Lord. In
the next sense we find David forsaken by everybody. Father and mother
had left him–still he waits upon the Lord and the Lord takes him up.
Now that you are quite alone, dear widow, and the husband of your love
is gone, wait on the Lord! Now that the children, one by one, have been
carried to the silent tomb, wait on the Lord and He will be better to
you than 10 sons!

Now, young man, you are drifting about London without a helper–wait on
the Lord and He will direct your ways. Yes, all of you who, either from
persecution or bereavement, have come to be alone, remember the Lord
sets the solitary

in families and makes them families like a flock. Wait upon Him and all
will be well. Next we find David in a difficult road, so that he prays,
"Teach me Your ways, O Lord, and lead me in a plain path, because of my
enemies." But waiting on the Lord met the case exactly. Whenever you
cannot tell what to do, wait upon the Lord. When the road turns this
way and that and you know not which is right, kneel down and pray–you
will know which way to go when you rise from your knees, or if you do
not, kneel down again. The directing post is best seen when we are in
prayer. The oracle shall answer to you out of the excellent majesty
when you have resigned your will and believingly sought directions from
the Most High.

To conclude, we find, next, that David had been slandered by His
enemies–"False witnesses are risen up against me, and such as breathe
out cruelty." What then? Wait upon the Lord! "Oh, but I must answer
them." Yes, and then you will make bad, worse. Your slanderers will
forge another lie when you have answered the first. "Oh, but," one says
"I could bear such a charge if it were true." Ah, but then you ought
not to bear it! The truth of an ill report ought to grieve you,

but if it is not true, never mind, let it alone. "Oh, but they say_."
What do they say? Let them say it! No hurt will

come of it. Wait upon the Lord!

They rail at you. Take care not to rail back. Make no reply to howling
wolves. When dogs bark, let them bark, for it is their nature. They
will leave off when they have done and so, with all our adversaries,
they will confute themselves if we will but leave them alone. Our
strength is to wait upon the Lord! Tell Him about it and leave it with
Him. Go to the Law? Yes, but get a suit which will not wear out in a
hurry. Go to the Law and bring upon yourself no end of troubles. In all
other things except slander–if you want a thing done–do it yourself.
But there, if you want to be well defended, let others defend you. Dirt
will rub off when it is dry–be bravely patient.

Wait upon the Lord, commit everything to Him and He will see you
through, even to the triumphant end. All that you can do in your own
justification will only make more mischief. Hands off, there, and leave
it with the Most High. So we close by repeating our blessed text–"Wait
on the Lord: be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart:
wait, I say, on the Lord," May He keep you waiting courageously, for
Christ's sake. Amen.
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