Words in the Bible are active, full of life and are like a two-edged sword because they are spoken by God Himself. When man speaks, he reveals his character because they are coming from his heart. Likewise, when God speaks, His words reveal Him to us.

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” – Isaiah 55:8-9

To understand God’s word we should understand His mind first. The word “finish” may mean different things based on who is saying it. When a teacher says it, it may be an instruction for the students to complete a given assignment but when a mob boss utters the same word ‘finish’ , it is a task given to his men to kill someone. Though the word used is the same, it carries a command for either a constructive or destructive work depending upon the speaker’s character. We cannot understand God’s word in the way we understand the world’s language. God’s word carries the character of God, loaded with love and life.

Understand God’s heart to understand His Word

To understand God we have to calm our troubled soul and wait on Him. We see the Psalmist often asking his soul to be calm. If we cannot do this then our heart will start ruling us instead of we ruling our heart. For this reason, God says,

“Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” – Psalms 46:10

Solomon approached this in his limited sight and said that while we are young and healthy, full of valor and vigor, it is easy for us to understand God. This is in line with what the world also says like saying a sick person who is physically weak cannot think about his salvation but only about physical healing.

“Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come addiction years approach when you will say, “I find no pleasure in them”— Ecclesiastes 12:1

God tells us even when we are weak and weary we will gain strength. In this article we will come across three words that are waiting, weakness and strength.

“Waiting is psychological torture”, is a saying of the world. Waiting, according to the world is either sitting idle or killing time by doing some thing else till your turn comes. In God’s words waiting means counting on His mercy and relying on Him from the bottom of our hearts all the time. Weakness in the world talks about our physical illness or about our mental addiction while in God’s perspective it is submission and humility. Strength in worldly terms, speaks about one’s muscle power or influence, while God speaks about patience and perseverance. Every syllable of God’s word lifts up to a greater level when we understand it in God’s perspective.

The world’s perspective

God, out of compassion and grace provided a way to heal the sick. Many are healed while a man with some sickness was waiting for his turn for many years.

​“When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to get well?” – John 5:6

Jesus understood that he was waiting for his turn in the manner of world but not in the manner that God wanted. He forgot the provider and looked only at the provision. When we miss God, we include men, the trouble makers into our lives. The man at Bethesda, did the same thing for years together. He depended on people and desired their sympathy. Jesus out of His compassion reached out to him.

“Sir,” the invalid replied, “I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me.” – John 5:7

When we forget God,

This is what the Lord says: “Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who draws strength from mere flesh and whose heart turns away from the Lord. That person will be like a bush in the wastelands; they will not see prosperity when it comes. They will dwell in the parched places of the desert, in a salt land where no one lives.” Jeremiah 17:5-6

When we wait for people’s help to get away from our problems, God comes to meet us but we will be in such a pathetic condition that we may not even recognize Him.

Then Jesus said to him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked. John 5:6-9

Waiting on God

Even after warning His people about the awaiting curse (Jeremiah 17:6), when people put their trust on other sources, God reminds them about the blessings that are waiting for the people who trust Him wholeheartedly.

 “But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.” – Jeremiah 17: 7-8

The promises of the Holy Spirit refutes what Solomon said out of his limited sight and pronounced God’s blessings not on the basis of age factor but on trust.

 “Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” – Isaiah 40:30 -31

Faithful people can turn every negative situation into a positive one.

“As they pass through the Valley of Baka, they make it a place of springs; the autumn rains also cover it with pools. They go from strength to strength, till each appears before God in Zion.” Psalm 84:6-7

When David was forsaken by all of his supporters, he strengthened himself in God’s presence. In his weakness, he humbled and submitted himself to discern and obey the will of God.

“David was greatly distressed because the men were talking of stoning him; each one was bitter in spirit because of his sons and daughters. But David found strength in the Lord his God.” – 1 Samuel 30:6

Paul and Silas in their helpless situation praised God for His countless mercies and waited on Him.

“About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.” – Acts 16:25

I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope. I wait for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning. – Psalm 139:5-6

When Satan tormented Job with the permission of God, Job did not listen to his wife and did not even bother when his friends blamed him but waited on God, trusting Him with all his strength, patience and perseverance. God revealed  greater things to him through his Holy Spirit. When Jesus prayed in the garden of Gethsemane, angels came and strengthened Jesus.

The same Spirit of God strengthened Job and revealed His redemption plan to Job which strengthened him. Job  desired to meet Jesus Christ and he got an assurance of seeing his redeemer with his own eyes. The real outcome of waiting on God, is meeting Jesus personally in His coming Kingdom.

“I know that my redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand on the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see him with my own eyes —I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!” – Job 19:25-27