God’s Waiter | Entering His Courts
"Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the Lord our God, until He is gracious to us." (Psalm 123:2)
In 1995 a friend and I were traveling throughout Turkey visiting the ruins of various New Testament cities. One day we stopped for lunch in a Turkish town lying adjacent to ancient Thyatira. Being the only guests in the restaurant that day, our young waiter was able to focus all of his attention upon our needs. I have never seen such a display of attentiveness in all my many years of dining out. He stood at a respectful distance away, but there was no question that he was utterly alert to the slightest gesture we might make to signal some need.
If this can be true with a modern waiter, how much more so for a servant in biblical times whose very life depended upon his master’s favor. It is this vivid picture the psalmist paints to convey to his readers what it means to wait upon the Lord.
God has created a dynamic in life whereby any human who so wishes may enter into a covenantal relationship with Him. This pact holds benefits and responsibilities for both parties.
As our master, the Lord has a right to expect our total dedication to His cause, His great purposes and His specific wishes. As His servants, we are expected to fulfill His commands, obey Him implicitly and give Him heartfelt devotion. This relationship is far deeper and more comprehensive than the superficial obedience that pseudo-Christianity suggests. We don’t serve a master who lives in a faraway place; one who only expects us to perform our duties nominally. No, we live in the Master’s home and are in His presence continually.
<pull-quote>As our master, the Lord has a right to expect our total dedication to His cause, His great purposes and His specific wishes. As His servants, we are expected to fulfill His commands, obey Him implicitly and give Him heartfelt devotion.<pull-quote><tweet-link>TweetThis<tweet-link>
This Turkish waiter was one of the few I have ever seen who actually live up to the name of their occupation. He waited. He waited for us to convey our wishes. He waited with the utmost attentiveness. What’s more, he waited with an attitude of great respect. This is the proper attitude we should hold of the Most High God.
To “wait upon the Lord” has the sense of quietly sitting in expectation of His word. As the Master, the Lord has the right to choose when He wishes something to be done. As our Commander, He has the right to pick the right time to tell us to move forward. As our heavenly Father, He has the right to respond to our requests in His timing. If we will “watch and pray,” God will direct us, lead us and fulfill all of our petitions; and His timing will be perfect. “Blessed is that servant whom his master when he comes shall find so doing!” (Matthew 24:46 WNT)
And how about you?
- Do you see yourself as God’s “waiter?” Or do you see Him as being the one who should serve you?
- Have you learned to truly wait on the Lord?
