What to Do While You Wait on God: Fixing Your Eyes on Him

Recently, the Lord has really been reminding me of the importance of not just the outcome, but the journey. What happens in the in-between. Where does my focus go? What happens in that time between the prayer and the answer?

I tend to be very outcome driven. I see something that needs to be accomplished and so I do it. I hear something that needs to be done so I get going on it. There’s a satisfaction to a job done and checking of a list, but what happens when the job, task, miracle is out of our hands? What happens when the outcome is not at all in our wheel of capabilities?

We all come to God seeking something, be it answers or presence, but what happens in the waiting room of our lives? Are we tuned out just waiting for the answer, or are we active participants in what God is trying to do and say. More often than I would like to admit I am the former and more often than I use to be I am striving for the latter.

In 2 Chronicles 20 there is a battle arising and that King Jehoshaphat was afraid and calls for a fast of all of the people of Judah: "Judah assembled to seek help from the Lord; from all the cities of Judah they came to seek the Lord." 2 Chronicles 20:4

In the midst of the assembly Jehoshaphat prays and asks God for deliverance, for guidance, for God to move. I would encourage you to go and read for yourself and see how God shows up throughout the scripture, but for now I want to look at one little piece that has a big impact.

2 Chronicles 20:12 Jehoshaphat prays “…For we are powerless against this great horde that is coming against us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.” (Emphasis added.)

It is not always for us to have all of the answers. Sometimes the Lord wants to sit with us in the waiting.

How often are we using Jesus as some formula to bring about a desired outcome in our lives? God is not a genie in a bottle, He is a King to submit to. I love that they did not just pray and ask God to deliver them and then patiently or impatiently wait for God to do something in their midst. They focused in and sought the presence of God.

Mind you, this is before Jesus came and the Holy Spirit living in us. This is still a time where only very specific people heard from God. This is a time where having a relationship with God was by proxy only. They did not have the Bible as we know it; there were tasks that needed to be done in order for people to hear God that we will never experience this side of the cross, grave, and resurrection. And still they came together to seek the Lord.

And He showed up. Even then…even when they we’re in the middle of despair. The outcome not yet evident, He showed up. Scripture tells us, the Spirit of the Lord came upon one of the priests standing there, and this is what the Lord spoke through him;

“Don’t be afraid, do not be dismayed, for the battle is not yours but God’s…” verse 15

The Lord proceeded to give direction and insight through this priest. But it’s not the direction that you would expect. The Lord does not give them the miraculous ability to fight this battle. He doesn’t add to their numbers or give them some previously unknown tactically advantage. In fact in verse 17 is says;

"You will not need to fight in this battle. Stand firm, hold your position, and see the salvation of the Lord on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed. Tomorrow go out against them, and the Lord will be with you.”

I love that after receiving the word from the Lord they did not simply wait around and twiddle their thumbs thinking God said we do not need to fight. No, they continued to seek and worship the Lord. They took an active role in meeting with God and seeking His face the best way they knew how. They walked out; ‘we don’t know what to do, but our eyes are on you.’

Scripture doesn’t say that they were given anymore direction than simply, go out, stand firm, and hold your position.

They kept their focus on the only thing that they knew had the power to save them: God.

They went out the next morning worshiping and praising and God did the miraculous.

"At the very moment they began to sing and give praise, the Lord caused the armies of Ammon, Moab and Mount Seir to start fighting among themselves. The armies of Moab and Ammon turned against their allies from Mount Weir and killed every one of them. After they had destroyed the army of Seir they began attacking each other. So when the army of Judah arrived at the lookout point in the wilderness, all they saw were dead bodies lying on the ground as far as they could see. Not a single one of the enemy had escaped." 2 Chronicles 20:22-24

Scripture goes on to tell us all that they gained from that victory they did not even need to fight in the natural and says that

…they marched into Jerusalem to the music of harps, lyres and trumpets and they proceeded to the Temple of the Lord.

God’s people started by setting their eyes on God, they fought with their eyes set on God, and they rejoiced with their eyes set on God.

They were not distracted or disinterested. They were focused and persistent knowing that they did not have the answer. They had yet to see the outcome and still they kept their eyes on the Lord.

What is it you are seeking from God? Where has your focus been, sis? Is it scanning looking for the outcome and answers or are our eyes set on The One who has the answers?

Faith that moves obstacles and changes circumstances isn’t safe, it isn’t always pretty and expected, but it is alive and active!

Sis, I pray that in this season, you let God get your hopes up. Move beyond the comfortable and set your eyes on The One who can knowing that He has a plan for this.