Why Wait?

Living on Borrowed Oxygen
by py thomas
© October 16, 2013

 

⁷ And ADONAI God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life;
and man became a living soul.
(Genesis 2:7)

⁷And Elohim formed the man out of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils breath of life.
And the man became a living being.
(Genesis 2:7)

In the beginning when YHVH formed man from the dust of the ground, He breathed  His breath into his nostrils and man became alive.  For without the breath of life from YHVH in us, there is no life in us.  So the oxygen we breathe is not our own, but that too is from YHVH.  We are truly living on borrowed oxygen.    So what shall we do with the loan of oxygen?  Shall we bring the sacrifice of our lips to YHVH’s ear?  Shall or can we worship Him with clean hearts, minds and hands?

Its bath time children, let’s be mindful to truly be washed in the blood of Messiah that removes the stain of sin from our lives, that we might enter into YHVH’s holy presence without the stench and filth of unrepentance.

 

⁸ He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. (1 John 4:8)

We say we love YHVH because YHVH first loved us, and Yeshua is love.  But when is the last time you reached out and touched one close to you, a family member, co-worker, spouse, sibling, neighbor, or even a stranger?    Have you called or visited them lately?  Are you even trying to develop a relationship that fosters trust?  Are you someone safe they can open up to, and that you can likewise open up to?  Love is reciprocal, or at least it’s supposed to be.

In the Scriptures, we see a description of the character of love, which mirrors the characteristics of the Father, YHVH, the Son Yeshua and the Holy Spirit.  The Father ADONAI testifies of Himself, Yeshua and the Spirit testify of ADONAI.  When we surrender to the place of obedience to YHVH’s Word and the application of it in our lives we will likewise have/carry the testimonies of YHVH, which is His love in us that can and will crucify our carnal and sinful natures, and making His spirit alive in us.   This is the treasure in earthen vessels we are to always carry about in us – the death and resurrection of Yeshua the Messiah.

⁷ But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that it will be evident that such overwhelming power comes from G-d and not from us. ⁸ We have all kinds of troubles, but we are not crushed; we are perplexed, yet not in despair; ⁹ persecuted, yet not abandoned; knocked down, yet not destroyed. ¹⁰ We always carry in our bodies the dying of Yeshua, so that the life of Yeshua may be manifested in our bodies too. ¹¹ For we who are alive are always being handed over to death for Yeshua’s sake, so that Yeshua’s life also might be manifested in our mortal bodies. ¹² Thus death is at work in us but life in you.
(2 Corinthians 4:7-12)

Patience & Waiting is the Partner of Love.  The work of our sanctification (being made holy) is a process that requires our being taught to be patient and wait of YHVH.  Our waiting on YHVH is never in vain, because He is working things out for our good, and Scripture teaches us that all “good” things come from YHVH.  For example, our covenant of salvation in Yeshua, His Word, the Law, commandments and love comes from YHVH.  Believe it or not, all of these things are YHVH’s demonstration of His love to us.  The importance of each of these is learned and applied in our lives through the lesson of being patient and waiting on YHVH.

⁴Love is patient, is kind, love does not envy, love does not boast, is not puffed up, ⁵does not behave indecently, does not seek its own, is not provoked, reckons not the evil, ⁶does not rejoice over the unrighteousness, but rejoices in the truth, ⁷it covers all, believes all, expects all, endures all. ⁸Love never fails…
(1 Corinthians 13:5-8)

The first thing we see in 1 Corinthians 13:4 is “love is patient.”  So as it was stated by the prophet Jeremiah in the Book of Lamentations 3:25, “it is a good thing to wait on YHVH.”   It is YHVH’s love that teaches the teachable the needed character of patient – waiting on Him for our answers.   It is in our waiting on YHVH that any boasting, pride, quick-temperedness, acting indecently, self-seeking, the desire to stand apart from evil; and to be small-minded and rejoice at other’s misfortunes is dismantled. 

When waiting has its perfecting work in us, we will look back one day and see how it has dismantled and put to death self, and increased more of the life of Yeshua, who is the sum total of YHVH’s expression of love to us.   

¹⁶“For Elohim so loved the world that He gave His only brought-forth Son, so that everyone who believes in Him should not perish but possess everlasting life.
(John 3:16)

 Waiting is the Great Instructor of Giving & Receiving.  Are you on the receiving side, or the giving side?  If you are receiving, are you willing to be giving?  If you are giving, are you willing to keep on giving, even though your giving may not be reciprocated by those on the receiving end?   Many say it’s difficult to give until it hurts…and, it is.  If you have given until it hurts, you are now being acquainted firsthand what Yeshua did for all of us. 

²⁵ Adonai is good to those waiting for Him,
to those who are seeking Him out.
²⁶ It is good to wait patiently
for the saving help of Adonai.
(Lamentations 3:25)

Love Waits, Because Love Trusts.  For the last 8 years of my life, the Holy Spirit continually brings me to Lamentations 3:25-42, especially during some of the more trying and hard season in which the Holy Spirit is calling me up higher – to a greater level of decrease of me, and increase of Yeshua in me.

 It’s painful at different junctures of the journey in waiting on ADONAI because my flesh never wants to die without a spiritual fight.  Yes, spiritual warfare starts with our own flesh and needs to be dealt with before we can even engage in spiritual warfare for others.   This is one of the upsides to waiting on ADONAI.  We are literally being changed into the pattern of Yeshua, with His right mind being developed in us.    Any soldier worth their salt must be willing to wait on their instructor for training and use of their weapons.  In the case of Saints, we are being instructed on what the “whole armor of ADONAI “  is, and how it’s to be used.  It is during the seasons of waiting that increases our learning to trust YHVH more, and lessons to learn about being prepared for spiritual warfare.   

Lamentations 3:25-42…

²⁵ Adonai is good to those waiting for Him,
to those who are seeking Him out.
²⁶ It is good to wait patiently
for the saving help of Adonai.

²⁷ It is good for a man
to bear the yoke from his youth.
²⁸ Let him sit alone in silence
when He has laid it on him.
²⁹ Let him submit absolutely;
there may yet be hope.
³⁰ Let him offer his cheek to the one who strikes it,
and receive his fill of insults.

³¹ For rejection by Adonai
does not last forever.
³² He may cause grief, but He will take pity,
in keeping with the greatness of His grace.
³³ For He does not arbitrarily torment
or punish human beings.

³⁴ When anyone tramples underfoot
any of the prisoners of the land;
³⁵ when anyone deprives a person of justice,
in defiance of the Most High;
³⁶ when someone is cheated of justice in court —
does Adonai not take note of such things?

³⁷ Who can say something and have it happen
without Adonai’s commanding it?
³⁸ Don’t both bad things and good proceed
from the mouth of the Most High?
³⁹ Why should anyone alive complain,
even a strong man, about the punishment for his sins?

⁴⁰ Let us examine and test our ways
and return to Adonai.
⁴¹ Let us lift up our hearts and our hands
to God in heaven and say,
⁴² “We, for our part, have transgressed and rebelled;
You, for your part, have not forgiven.

 So while I’m learning to wait on ADONAI with patience and a quiet spirit that is not screaming and complaining internally, this like the many lessons He is teaching me is the direct result of His perfecting love conforming, molding and shaping me into the pattern/image of the Messiah – with the end goal being made “holy as He is holy” – to love the Lord ADONAI with all my heart, mind and soul, as commanded in the beginning.  I pray that the beginning of His commandment is the final result of my preparation and ending in this life, with His assurance and promise of eternal life; as well as for others.

It is my hope and prayer that you too are inspired and encouraged to see the beauty and promises of waiting on YHVH – for this is what love also is.

In the strong & powerful name of Yeshua, His maidservant

py thomas