WHAT IS UP WITH THIS WAITING?

Have you thanked Him?

Have you praised Him?

Have you made it your priority to agree and cooperate with Him today?

Have you taken that deep breath and listened for what He has for you today?

ARE YOU SEEKING?

1 Timothy 2:1 (The Message)

^1-3The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know.

This topic seems to swirling around quite a bit lately.

“WHAT IS UP WITH THIS WAITING?”

“I need the job now GOD, obviously you see that don’t you?” “I need resolution to this “issue” as soon as possible GOD, the clock is ticking.”

“Look GOD, I have mapped this out, planned it to the hilt and you know GOOD and WELL we have been discussing this “plan” for some time now, it is time to move.”

“Really GOD, this makes too much sense…what are You waiting for?”

Now before you make the assumption that these are “quotes” from the group like they usually are, I want to stop you. These are mine. But I am pretty sure that each of us have said or thought similar things when our clock and GOD’s clock are in different time zones, right?

Truth is waiting is not our nature. We live in an instant access society. Some of you can remember that when you had a road side emergency, you used to have to walk and find a pay phone to call for assistance. Now we have access to answers, medical diagnosis, tow trucks and pizza right in the palm of our hand. Some of you remember when you had to grab the morning paper to see who won the game or the results of the vote. Now it’s practically “tweeted”directly into your brain. We even speed date and then pull up to a drive thru wedding chapel and “speed marry” with an ELVIS impersonator.

We don’t like waiting.

We have been conditioned to “not waiting”. From drive thru burgers to single cup coffee brewers to TWITTER we want what we want and we want it now.

So it is easy to understand why this waiting on GOD thing “just feels foreign”.

BUT WE ARE TO WAIT...don't think so...well...think again....

Psalm 5:3

In the morning, LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly.

Psalm 27:14

Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.

Psalm 33:20

We wait in hope for the LORD; he is our help and our shield.

Psalm 37:7

Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.

Psalm 38:15

LORD, I wait for you; you will answer, Lord my God.

Ok…Ok…Ok…

But we still ask “WHAT IS UP WITH ALL OF THIS WAITING?”…

Well, GOD doesn’t waste any motion when it comes to us and this is true with the waiting. GOD uses the waiting to build certain attributes in us that will serve us well in this walk with Him and this walk of life and its challenges.

First off, waiting builds FAITH.

Human logic says, “Surely God expects us to reason things out; to plan, and to problem solve.” However, only when we regard life from a faith perspective will the benefits of stillness become clear.

During times of uncertainty or great stress, we find comfort when we are quiet in His presence. The more we develop our faith, the better we will become at practicing this discipline of waiting and the stronger we will become.

Isaiah 40:31 (KJV)

But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength;

Secondly waiting causes us to exercise humility, a trait GOD desires to see in all of us.

In other words, perhaps we don’t have the “best answer” for our lives, and it is time to submit to our GOD who does. J

1 Peter 5:5 (NIV)

…All of you, clothe yourselves with humility…because,

“God opposes the proud
but shows favor to the humble.”^[a]

Far too often “we believe” we have the right plan yet GOD asks us to humble ourselves and relinquish our plan for a “perfect” plan, HIS PLAN, and that requires some “waiting”.

Finally GOD uses WAITING to cultivate patience in us.

Colossians 3:12
Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.

It is when we are patient in the“waiting” that we “show” ourselves to be His chosen, His children. Our patience and waiting are key elements to our testimony, key indicators that we are walking in the SPIRIT; that we are in true concert with the WILL OF GOD.

So it is clear that we are to “wait”on the LORD, even when waiting seems to be a waste of our time and energy, GOD says differently.

Isaiah 30:18-19

Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you;
therefore he will rise up to show you compassion.
For the LORD is a God of justice.
Blessed are all who wait for him!

Have a blessed day!

I love you all

Freedom Church

Pastor GDelaney