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We Wait, He Works

A devotional by John Piper for reading on October 7th

From of old no one has heard or perceived by the ear, no eye has seen a God besides you, who acts for those who wait for him. ( Isaiah 64:4 4 For from of old men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen a God besides thee, who worketh for him that waiteth for him. )

Only a few things have gripped me with greater joy than the truth that God loves to show his God-ness by working for me, and that his working for me is always before and under and in any working I do for him.

At first it may sound arrogant of us, and belittling to God, to say that he works for us. But that’s only because of the connotation that I am an employer and God needs a job. That’s not the connotation when the Bible talks about God’s working for us. As in, God works “for those who wait for him” ( Isaiah 64:4 4 For from of old men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen a God besides thee, who worketh for him that waiteth for him. ).

The proper connotation of saying God works for me is that I am bankrupt and need a bailout. I am weak and need someone strong. I am endangered and need a protector. I am foolish and need someone wise. I am lost and need a Rescuer.

God works for me means I can’t do the work.

And this glorifies him not me. The Giver gets the glory. The Powerful One gets the praise.

Read and be freed from the burden of bearing your own load. Let him do that work.

  • “No eye has seen a God besides you, who acts for those who wait for him” ( Isaiah 64:4 4 For from of old men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen a God besides thee, who worketh for him that waiteth for him. ).

  • God is not “served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything” ( Acts 17:25 25 neither is he served by men's hands, as though he needed anything, seeing he himself giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; ).

  • “The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” ( Mark 10:45 45 For the Son of man also came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many. ).

  • “The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward him” ( 2 Chronicles 16:9 9 For the eyes of Jehovah run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. Herein thou hast done foolishly; for from henceforth thou shalt have wars. ).

  • “If I were hungry, I would not tell you. . . . Call on me . . . I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me” ( Psalms 50:12 12 If I were hungry, I would not tell thee; For the world is mine, and the fulness thereof. , 15).

  • “To your old age . . . I will carry you. I have made, and I will bear; I will carry and will save” ( Isaiah 46:4 4 and even to old age I am he, and even to hoar hairs will I carry `you'; I have made, and I will bear; yea, I will carry, and will deliver. ).

  • “I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me” ( 1 Corinthians 15:10 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not found vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. ).

  • “Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain” ( Psalms 127:1 Chapter 127 1 Except Jehovah build the house, They labor in vain that build it: Except Jehovah keep the city, The watchman waketh but in vain. ).

  • “Whoever serves, [let him serve] by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified” ( 1 Peter 4:11 11 if any man speaketh, `speaking' as it were oracles of God; is any man ministereth, `ministering' as of the strength which God supplieth: that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, whose is the glory and the dominion for ever and ever. Amen. ).

  • “Work out your own salvation . . . for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work” ( Philippians 2:12 12 So then, my beloved, even as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; –13).

  • “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth” ( 1 Corinthians 3:6 6 I planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. ).



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