WISDOM FOR LIVING DAILY DEVOTIONAL
APRIL 05, 2025
TOPIC: WAIT MORE FOR THE LORD
BY T. O. BANSO
“While Elisha was still talking with them, the messenger came down to him [followed by the king] and the king said, ‘This evil [situation] is from the LORD! Why should I wait for [help from] the LORD any longer?’” (2 Kings 6:33 Amplified Bible).
Ministers of God always have the challenging task of encouraging Christians to continue to wait for the Lord for answers to their prayers. Many Christians are tempted to stop trusting God for answers to prayers after waiting for longer than they have expected. They come under pressure to try alternatives to God or go for something contrary to what the Word of God says.
Abraham, the father of faith, found himself in that situation. His wife gave him her maid to sleep with to get a child through her. Ishmael was the product of that relationship (Genesis 16:1-4, 15). But God reassured Abraham that He would still give him and Sarah the child He had promised them (Genesis 17:19). Isaac was later born when Abraham was 100 years old, and Sarah was 90 years old (Genesis 17:17; 21:5).
In 2 Kings 6, the Bible records that the Syrians laid a siege on Samaria and there was a severe famine such that two women agreed to kill their sons and eat and had actually killed one of them. It was the next day they were to kill the second son that the king of Israel got to know about this, showing the severity of the famine. The woman, whose turn it was to release her son to be eaten, failed to give him up, a development that prompted the other woman to cry to the king, who was passing by the wall, for intervention.
When the king heard the words of this woman, he went into mourning and threatened to kill the Prophet Elisha that day. Elisha was sitting in his house with the elders when the king sent a man ahead of him. Before the messenger came to him, Elisha told the elders, “Do you see how this son of a murderer has sent someone to take away my head? Look, when the messenger comes, shut the door, and hold him fast at the door. Is not the sound of his master’s feet behind him?” (2 Kings 6:32b New King James Version).
Verse 33a says while Elisha was still talking with the elders, the king’s messenger was coming down to him. After sending the messenger to kill Elisha, the king himself followed the messenger and, in the latter part of verse 33 says, “Surely this calamity is from the Lord; why should I wait for the Lord any longer?” (New King James Version).
The Amplified Bible renders verse 33 thus: “While Elisha was still talking with them, the messenger came down to him [followed by the king] and the king said, ‘This evil [situation] is from the LORD! Why should I wait for [help from] the LORD any longer?’” Note the king’s statement.
Some commentators have suggested that before this time, Elisha had encouraged the king to put his trust in the LORD and He would intervene and put an end to the siege by the Syrians and the attendant famine. However, he had continued to wait for the LORD and nothing had changed positively. With the story of the two women he heard, he felt that he could no longer continue to wait hence he threatened to kill Elisha.
Today, many people are like this king of Israel. They have waited for the Lord and are tired of waiting. They cannot continue to wait for the Lord to help them. But what better alternatives do they have other than to wait for the Lord? None. It is better to wait for the Lord than take the devil’s alternatives, which they will regret later. The story involving this king ended well. In 2 Kings 7, Elisha prophesied a turnaround for Samaria. A miracle happened as Elisha had said. There was abundant food for the people of Samaria.
If you have been waiting for the Lord, please avoid being impatient. It is not always easy but wait a bit more for the Lord. David says in Psalm 27:14, “Wait patiently for the Lord. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the Lord” (New Living Translation).
No matter how many years you’ve been waiting for the Lord on that issue in your life, refuse to be anxious but prayerfully and patiently wait a little more for the Lord. The Bible says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God” (Philippians 4:6 New International Version). Don’t be anxious. Have faith in the Lord. Continue to trust Him. Keep praying. “Never stop praying” (1 Thessalonians 5:17 New Living Translation).
Continued prayer shows that your trust is still in the Lord. Someone who does not pray is saying he/she can do it alone and does not need God. Don’t let delayed answers to prayers discourage you from praying. Don’t give up. Keep praying and wait more for the Lord. Psalm 33:20-22 says, “We wait in hope for the Lord; he is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. May your unfailing love be with us, Lord, even as we put our hope in you” (New International Version).
It pays to wait for the Lord, notwithstanding how long anyone has waited without an answer yet. God has His own set time – the appointed time for the answer to your prayers. Psalm 40:1-3 says, “I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear the Lord and put their trust in him” (New International Version).
If you wait patiently for the Lord, He will answer your prayers and bring you out of your negative situation. He’ll set your feet on a rock, establish your goings, and put a new song in your mouth to sing. Wait for the Lord, don’t produce an answer for yourself as Abram and Sarai did. Don’t take matters into your own hands. Wait more for God.
Don’t let the pressure of delayed answers lead you to make a mistake or take a wrong step you’ll live to regret. “Haste makes mistakes” (Proverbs 19:2b New Living Translation). Put your trust in the Lord. He will not allow you to be put to shame. The Lord says in the latter part of Isaiah 49:23, “They shall not be ashamed who wait for Me” (New King James Version). You will not be put to shame or be disappointed.
Lamentations 3:25-26 says, “The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord” (New International Version). Note the phrase “It is good.” You have done well by waiting for quite some time, but it’s good you wait more for the Lord.
The Prophet Micah declared: “But as for me, I will look to the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me” (Micah 7:7 English Standard Version). Wait for the Lord for some time more, the change you desire from God will come. May you not give up on waiting for God before the answer to your prayer manifests.
1 Samuel 13:10 says just as Saul finished offering the burn offering, Samuel whom he had waited for, for seven days came. If only he had waited longer, he wouldn’t have offered an unlawful sacrifice to the LORD. Wait more for the Lord. How long more? I wish I knew. Wait more for Him.
TAKE ACTION!
If you are not born again, you need to give your life to Jesus now. Take the following steps: *Admit that you are a sinner and cannot save yourself, and repent of your sins. *Confess Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. *Renounce your past way of life – your relationship with the devil and his works. *Invite Jesus into your life. *As a mark of seriousness to mature in the faith, start attending a Bible-believing and Bible-teaching church. There they will teach you how to grow in the Kingdom of God.
Kindly say this prayer now: O Lord God, I come unto You today. I know I am a sinner, and I cannot save myself. I believe that Jesus is the Son of God who died on the cross to save me, and God raised Him on the third day. I repent of my sins and confess Jesus as my Lord and Saviour. I surrender my life to Jesus now and invite Him into my heart. By this prayer, I know I am saved. Thank You, Jesus, for saving me and making me a child of God.
I believe you have said this prayer from your heart. Congratulations! You must join a Bible-believing and Bible-teaching church in your area where they will teach you how to live your new life in Christ Jesus. I pray that you flourish like a palm tree and grow like a cedar of Lebanon. May you grow into Christ in all things and become all God wants you to be. I will be glad to hear from you. The Lord be with you.
PRAYER POINTS: Father, I repent of my impatience. Please forgive me. Holy Spirit, deliver me from impatience. Help me to wait more for the Lord. I come against the spirit that wants me to go for an alternative to what God wants to give me. I shall continue to put my trust in the Lord knowing that He has my best interest at heart, and He will give me the best in His time. I shall wait more in Jesus’ name.
(For over 900 in-depth and powerful messages by T. O. Banso, visit www.cedarministry.org).
T. O. Banso is the President of Cedar Ministry International, Abuja, Nigeria.
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