PATIENCE ANYONE?
"I waited patiently for the LORD's help; then he listened to me and heard my cry. He pulled me out of a dangerous pit, out of the deadly quicksand. He set me safely on a rock and made me secure. He taught me to sing a new song, a song of praise to our God. Many who see this will take warning and will put their trust in the LORD. Happy are those who trust the LORD, who do not turn to idols or join those who worship false gods. You have done many things for us, O LORD our God; there is no one like you! You have made many wonderful plans for us. I could never speak of them all---their number is so great!" - Psalm 40:1-5 GNB
Have you noticed how we all tend to struggle with waiting? When we were little kids, Christmas day couldn’t come fast enough. Minutes seem like days when you are waiting to open presents under the tree!
As we got older, simple childhood excitements faded, but the problem with waiting did not. It is tough to wait for a lab result … to wait for an acceptance letter from school … to wait for Mr. or Miss Right … to wait for God to open a door of opportunity and bring about a needed breakthrough in your life, your vocation, your ministry, and your family.
David told us he “waited patiently for the Lord.” Think about how long that guy had to wait. He was anointed the next king of Israel when he was barely a teenager. God didn’t tell him when he would assume the throne; He just told him that he would assume the throne. And David had to wait … and wait … and wait.
He had to wait in a lonely cave, because jealous King Saul was trying to kill him. He had to wait while fleeing the country, because King Saul’s wrath knew no bounds. He had to wait until Saul was killed in battle. He had to wait about twenty-five years before he became king over all Israel (see 2 Samuel 5:4-5). That is a lot of waiting by anyone’s standards! To be sure, God’s word through Samuel came to pass. David certainly did assume the throne of Israel. But, he had to wait patiently for it.
HOW CAN WE WAIT PATIENTLY?
Waiting patiently does not mean you sit around and do nothing. And it definitely does not mean you live in anxiety and fear, thinking God may forget about you altogether. Waiting is active, not passive. It is faith-building, not fear-producing. While we are waiting, we are to be trusting and serving and praising and expecting God to come through at any moment. We are to cry out to Him night and day, reminding Him of His promises to us. Yet all the while, we are waiting on His perfect timing … because His timing is always best (and never in sync with ours!).
Let me encourage you as you wait patiently on the Lord to remember that He is truly loving and good. He never makes a mistake. He never misses a turn. He never says, “Oops!” He is always right on schedule. So draw near to the Lord as you wait patiently, eagerly, and expectantly for Him. Remind yourself daily of the great promise from Isaiah 64:4, “For since the world began, no ear has heard and no eye has seen a God like you, who works for those who wait for Him!”
Love,
Pastor Jeff Schreve
From His Heart Ministries
P.S. For a message on waiting on the Lord, click here.
Jeff Schreve founded From His Heart Ministries, www.fromhisheart.org, in 2005 with the vision to reach as many people as possible with the good news of God's love. Jeff believes that no matter how badly you may have messed up in life, God still loves you and has a great plan just for you. He broadcast on radio, TV and in the internet around the world from his pulpit ministry as Pastor of First Baptist in Texarkana, Texas. This ministry is completely listener/viewer supported. It continues only through the faithful and generous gifts of people like you. Pastor Jeff takes no income from this ministry. All gifts go to further the broadcast.
Money Matters: How to Make Your Money Count for Now and Forever
Money. It tends to be a sensitive, personal subject for many people. Yet, Jesus spoke more about money than He did heaven or hell. Why? It is because money tends to be the #1 idol, the false god where we so often place our hope and trust. In this series Pastor Jeff Schreve shares the clear truths of Scripture to help us see money from God's perspective ... and make it count for now and forever.
