Philippians 2:13 tells us that God is in us "...to will His good pleasure." This means that God is in us to let us know what His Will is for our particular part and purpose in His Kingdom charter. The "secret", of course, is that we must "wait" for His counsel, His advice, His guidance as to what His will is. In the Hebrew tongue, “to wait” means to "bind together by twisting." Oh what a great joy it is to be so tightly bound together by twisting with You, o great Father, that as with You and Your Son, we may for ever and for eternity be one - one in heart, one in mind, one in will, and one in spirit (John 17:21). For just like for Your firstborn Son, our daily food and highest sustenance, which in turn is our own GOOD PLEASURE, is indeed to do the will of our Father in heaven (John 4:34).

     In order that we may love our God with all our heart and mind and strength, and our neighbour as ourselves (for is this not the will of God?), we apprehend and appropriate the will of God for our lives and others through the gift of the Spirit of Counsel (Isaiah 11:2). Which we appropriate though the Spirit of the Lord FIRST interceding on our behalf Romans 8:34), and THEN, by the Spirit of Counsel, revealing the will of God unto us. Which is to not only KNOW what the Mind of God is for us and the body, but it is to HAVE the mind of Christ. “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus” (Philippians‬ ‭2:5‬). Which is why, of this great gift of the mind of Christ, we are lovingly reminded, “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a SOUND MIND.” (2 Timothy 1:7). Which is to have HIS mind. What a gift! What a gift of awesome power and beautiful love! Which is why, in connection with the gift of that SOUND MIND, it is also written just before, “For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God,” (2 Timothy 1:6). Which is to fan into flame the gift of His sound mind in us. For how much closer could we ever get, how much tighter could we ever be, than by being of one mind with our Father in heaven? Than by having HIS mind? Which we appropriate and apprehend by this one thing - by waiting upon the Lord.

     Isaiah 40:31 validates that waiting is the "key." "They that wait upon the Lord, shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." Often the waiting is the hardest part, because waiting and seeking God takes time, and most of us are in too much of a hurry to do that. So, rather than wait and listen for God's Counsel or His answer to our problems, we run to a friend, a pastor, a counselor, a psychologist or others, because we feel they can give us the answers we need right now. Psalm 108:12-13 validates this, "...Vain is the help of man, [but] through God we shall do valiantly." Isaiah 30:1 validates this: "Woe to the rebellious children, saith the Lord, that take counsel, but not of Me; and that cover with a covering, but not of My Spirit, that they may add sin to sin."

     Oh that we may sit at Your feet, like Mary, which is to choose the good thing that shall not be taken from us, that we may learn what a joy it is to wait upon the Lord. And let us be reminded that, “To wait is not merely to remain impassive. It is to expect - to look for with patience, and also with submission. It is to long for, but not impatiently; to look for, but not to fret at the delay; to watch for, but not restlessly; to feel that if He does not come we will submit, and yet to refuse to let the mind submit to the feeling that He will not come.”

     Lift up our eyes to the hill from whence our help comes (Psalm 121:1-2), that we may wait upon the counsel of the Lord, and seek His face in all things. “O my Dove, that art in the clefts of the rock, in the secret places of the stairs, let me see Thy Countenance, let me hear Thy Voice; for sweet is Thy Voice, and Thy Countenance is comely." (Song of Solomon 2:14).