"WAIT ON THE LORD"

The Psalmist exhorted (Ps. 27: 14 ), "Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord." Among the dictionary definitions of "wait" are "to look (mentally); to be in expectation; ... to stay or remain in readiness for action." The application of these definitions to the twenty-seventh Psalm makes the meaning much clearer.

There is another kind of waiting, which is indicated in a wait-and-see attitude. While conditions may at times involve a temporary halt before the arrival of an occasion suitable for action, yet during such a pause Christian Scientists must beware of mere passive waiting, which often amounts to lethargy and mental unpreparedness.

Christian Science reveals God as omniactive. It follows, then, that man as God's image must be always in action. When we are waiting, therefore, our activity should take the form of looking expectantly to the divine source of all action and of being alert and prepared to follow Truth's leading. In the Christian Science textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," Mary Baker Eddy gently assures us (p. 254 ), "When we wait patiently on God and seek Truth righteously, He directs our path."

We must not sit with folded hands, idly hoping for something to happen somewhere to someone or for someone to do something to someone. Such a policy would encourage lethargy and constitute a barrier to all real progress.

On the contrary, we should "wait patiently on God" expectantly. The human consciousness must be keenly alert and prayerfully protected if it is to receive and act on the divine directions. Obviously these directions cannot be received in their spotless purity and full power if ungodlike thoughts occupy consciousness or if we admit the existence of a power other than God, the omnipotent.

All who sincerely seek Christ, Truth, in the right way have, ipso facto, taken the first step on the path Spiritward, and God assuredly will guide and guard the progress of all who consistently maintain their search righteously.

If we follow the Psalmist's counsel and "wait on the Lord" when conditions seem overwhelming, we shall keep mentally alert in acknowledging God's all-power and all-presence. During any period of waiting we can be sincerely and humbly grateful for all the opportunities we have to serve Him and His church; we can purify our mental processes so that we may obey Him more promptly and more lovingly; and we can look expectantly for the divine command to go into action.

Much good unfolds as we use this period to "wait on the Lord" in a way that will benefit the world, our nation, and ourselves. We may look to God, not only for the command to act, but also for His aid in improving and spiritualizing the action we have, in view; for does not He know the end from the beginning?

Mrs. Eddy, whose every step in establishing the Christian Science movement was preceded and accompanied by prayer, has written (Science and Health, p. 1 ), "Desire is prayer; and no loss can occur from trusting God with our desires, that they may be moulded and exalted before they take form in words and in deeds."

Prayer in Christian Science includes more than our asking God to bless and prosper our intentions; to a much greater extent it means asking that these intentions be considered in the light of God's presence and be raised to a level at which they will conform to God's purpose. We do not pray for God to be on our side, but to make certain that we are on His side.

If we trust out intentions to God and allow Him to mold and exalt them in His own fashion, the time of waiting will be shorter. But if there should be any delay, why is this? Because so frequently we start with some project that seems promising and that apparently conforms with God, divine Principle; then we strive with all our human power to go through with the project, forgetting that by ourselves we can do nothing.

Inevitably difficulties and frustration interfere, until finally we are compelled by force of circumstance to abandon the plan altogether or else to begin again where we ought to have begun initially: by waiting expectantly for God to guide us and trusting Him to direct our unfoldment.

During a period of waiting, our activities may take many different forms, but one of the most helpful is to consult the Concordance to the Bible and to Mrs. Eddy's writings and to ponder all the appropriate references. In addition, there are in the Reading Rooms maintained by Churches of Christ, Scientist, bound volumes as well as current copies of the Christian Science periodicals. A reference to the indexes of these often leads to a helpful article. If we look expectantly to God. the waiting time will bring rich rewards in spiritual growth.

Problems in church membership are solved by ones waiting expectantly for God to reveal His will. The writer remembers well that during the business meeting of a comparatively new branch Church of Christ, Scientist, one member made a proposition, which failed to pass because it did not receive the required majority of votes.

The member concerned accepted the decision of his fellow members, for he realized that they were all as sincerely interested in the prosperity of the branch church as he was. Further prayerful contemplation, however, only served to strengthen his conviction that the proposal, if adopted, would make for greater harmony in all church activities.

During the interval which elapsed before the next church business meeting, he sought God's aid so that his desire might be shaped and purified. During this interval several members sought further information about the proposal and gave it prayerful thought. Thus all concerned waited "patiently on God," and as a result the proposal, when put before the next meeting, was adopted by a large majority of the members.

When a student of Christian Science does prayerful preparatory work for a church meeting, he acts and votes in accordance with what has unfolded to him as right during his communion with divine Mind. Consequently he holds to his position until new light, based on prayerful work, impels a change.

Since all Churches of Christ, Scientist, are democratically governed, every church member should look expectantly to God to reveal the right human footsteps to be taken in the interests of our Cause. For did not Paul say (Rom. 8:28 ), We know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose"?