WAITING ON THE LORD

This is Nick. Several times a week, I see Nick sitting in the same spot in Back Bay with his camera, waiting for the birds to come. Where as I go tromping all over the place with my camera, chasing the birds (or chasing them off), Nick waits patiently for them. He sits quietly and lets them come to Him.

Nick reminds me of the students in Ashbury University who have been experiencing an outpouring of the presence of God. They didn’t go running all over the world searching for Him. They simply felt led to wait upon the Lord, to put themselves into a posture of patience, and wait for the Lord to come. And He did. He met them where they were at, overwhelming them with His presence, convicting them of their sin, lavishing them with His lovingkindness, and spilling over into the surrounding community.

So often, I think pastors like me make the mistake of thinking we need to coax God out of hiding, need to attract Him into our church buildings through louder worship sets and more eloquent messages. But if the outpouring of God's presence that we're witnessing on Ashbury's campus (and now spreading across the country) teaches us anything, it's that we can't force God to show up. And we don't need to go running off across the world chasing after Him. He's as present wherever you're reading this as He is on Ashbury's campus. He is the Creator and Sustainer of this Universe. Our world is saturated with His presence. We simply need to slow down long enough to recognize it.

“I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope;

my soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning,

more than watchmen for the morning.” Psalm 130:5-6