UNTIL…

UNTIL…
(Psalm 110:1)

David wrote, “The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, UNTIL I make thine enemies thy footstool.”
David saw a scenario in heaven, heard a discussion between God the Father and Jesus.
God told Jesus: “Dude, sit here UNTIL…”

What does the word “UNTIL” mean?
What comes to mind when you see/hear the word “UNTIL”?
It suggests to me a TIME FRAME.
“Wait here UNTIL the rain subsides.”
“Stand here UNTIL I send for you.”
“Lie here UNTIL the storm is over.”

“Sit here UNTIL I make your enemies your footstool.”
Jesus just had one task: SIT HERE.
Till when?
UNTIL God makes His enemies His footstool.
This suggests the length of time He sits is BEYOND Him.
UNTIL God does His thing…

One of the most challenging things to do in life is to WAIT.
You sit for an examination. You await the result.
You take a medical test. You await the result.
The waiting period could be very apprehensive: especially when there is nothing you can do about it, especially when you have no idea how long it would be!
But you just HAVE to wait it out.

To walk with God, you MUST be patient.
God is NEVER in a hurry.
I remember an incident on campus when I was an undergraduate: I was a final year student of architecture. We were in the examination hall and the examiner walked straight to my desk and said, “Haruna, you are not qualified to write this exam!”
I asked why.
“You don’t have up to 75% attendance. The university rules say you must have at least 75% attendance to sit for any exam!”
I got up and walked out.
My classmates were stunned. After the paper, about a dozen came to my room: I was fast asleep! They were more stunned.
“Harry, how in the world could you SLEEP? Do you know you have an extra year as you did not write that exam? Are you aware? And you are SLEEPING!”
“I know, guys. It’s no big deal: You guys graduate, we’ll all meet in the job market!”
They stared at me like I had gone mad.
But I had learned PATIENCE, so I was not bothered.
Job said, “All the days of my appointed time will I wait UNTIL my change comes.” Job 14-14.

So, I stayed on campus for another year. UNTIL I graduated.

Psalm 123: 1-2: “I lift up my eyes to you, to you whose throne is in heaven. As the eyes of slaves look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maid look to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the LORD our God, UNTIL He shows us His mercy.”

There is always a waiting period.

Psalm 105:17-19 “He sent a man before them, even Joseph, who was sold for a servant: whose feet they hurt with fetters: he was laid in iron: UNTIL the time that His word came: the word of the LORD tried him…”

Joseph was sold as a slave by his own brothers. But he later became the Lord over Egypt. It took 13 years (he was 17 when he was sold, 30 when he became the Egyptian Lord). Joseph was there a slave and a prisoner UNTIL the time God’s WORD came.

One thing I also learned from experience is, there is always some degree of compensation from God. He understands our concerns, our anxieties, our frailties. So while Joseph was waiting UNTIL, God gave him favour both in Potiphar’s house and in prison. He was made the head of others (First among Equals) in both instances. It was God working behind the scenes to give him some degree of comfort.

In Revelations, we also read about God’s compensation: “And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, UNTIL their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled” Revelations 6:9-11.
These martyrs complained to God. They felt cheated. They were killed for their faith and they felt it was unjust. But they were given some degree of compensation: “Take these white robes, guys! Just hang in there UNTIL…”
Those white robes were their compensation.
We have no idea how long they were “under the altar”, but God did well to give them some comfort with the white robes!

When Jesus was leaving, He told the disciples: “But stay here in the city UNTIL the Holy Spirit comes and fills you with power…” -Luke 24:49
Another scripture says, “And when they departed, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise and take the Child and His mother and flee to Egypt, and remain there UNTIL I bring you word…” -Matthew 2:13.

See that? UNTIL I bring you WORD!
Unfortunately, we sometimes get too impatient, we don’t await His WORD. We jump the gun and make a shipwreck of everything.
The Bible says of Joseph, “UNTIL the time that His WORD came…” Psalm 105:19.
But before then, Joseph wanted out. He made his own plans to leave the prison: he asked the Butler to talk to Pharaoh on his behalf. Good thing the Butler forgot!

We must always understand that God has our best interest at heart. He is not a wicked Father that takes pleasure in your sufferings.
He was so concerned about martyrs, He compensated them with white robes. How much more you, the living one?

Just hang in there UNTIL He brings you WORD!
You’ll be fine…

Amen.

Shalom,
Haruna Daniels