One of the worst feelings in life is to wait one of the worst feelings in life
is to wait especially when it comes to waiting on God you know what I'm talking about some of
you right now you may feel like you're waiting on God you've prayed for something and you're
you're wondering God what's taking so long God are you even listening have you forgotten me
do you not even care you might be praying for who knows what maybe you're praying that God would
heal you from migraines perhaps you're asking God to bring a loved one to Christ you might be
praying that God would give you a job with real benefits to help you provide for your family
you might ask God to heal you from depression or to save your hurting marriage
or for God to bring you a spouse and yet the more you pray the less you see you're probably praying
on something having faith for something believing for something and yet you've got no word from God
you've got no sign that he heard you no sign that he's active no sign that he cares all you want is
some answer any answer give me a sign God give me a feeling give me anything
and yet for some of you there's nothing at all what is God doing while we're waiting
why does God feel so silent I want to remind you that just because God feels silent doesn't mean
he's absent God is working while you're waiting while you're wondering behind the scenes the
goodness of God the power of God the provision of God the grace of God he's always working
he's always working he's working in all things to bring about good he loves you he's a good father
he has good plans for you he wants to bless you he wants to prosper you just because you don't see it
happening doesn't mean he's not doing anything what is God doing while you're waiting God is
always working even while we're waiting we all have things that we're waiting for a dream to come
to pass problem to turn around to meet the right person when it's taking longer than we thought
it's easy to get discouraged to become impatient and think when is it ever going to happen
but sometimes it's not happening because we're not prepared for what God has prepared
you're ready for what you have in mind but if you could see what God has in mind you would
realize you couldn't handle it right now you need more time to grow to develop to gain experience
the scripture says let patience have its perfect work patience is developed in the weight room
you may not see anything changing but something is happening patience is working
your spiritual muscles are getting stronger you're growing developing patience is building you
getting you prepared so you can sustain what God has coming don't discount the
waiting periods don't get discouraged because it's not happening as fast as you would like
the longer it takes that means the more God has in store when it's your time
when he knows you're ready what you give birth to is going to be much bigger than you've imagined
We don't live in a culture today where people are willing to be patient and wait uh on God to
work in his time frame God has a reason when he doesn't move as quickly as you want him to move
there's a reason why God doesn't move as rapidly as you want him to move
That waiting on the Lord is a good thing and and and keeping that hope and keeping that expectation
and looking for God to work it and staying bound and connected to him and in other
words not backslide not sliding into your own way not taking matters into your own hands
because that's what most people do when they're waiting and God doesn't move quick enough they
take matters into their own hands and that makes your situation even worse than it already was
Waiting patiently means that I'm I'm gonna have an attitude of hope and expectation I'm determined to
stay connected to the Lord I'm not gonna backslide I'm not gonna get tired of waiting I'm not gonna
cuss God out I'm not gonna walk away I'm not gonna quit I'm not gonna get weary I'm not gonna
get frustrated I'm just going to sit right here because I'm expecting God to move I'm expecting
God to do something I'm not going to quit I'm expecting him to work it out we are like patients
in a hospital calling the doctor for advice on how to treat the patient what do you do as a patient
when you call the doctor you're not telling the doctor what to do you're waiting on the doctor
to tell you what to do most often when we feel like God is doing nothing y'all he is crafting
chapter after chapter with the story of your life that he's fully engaged and fully invested in the
details of all of our everyday living he is never not doing nothing we never grow spiritually when
everything in our life is just the way we want it to be I mean you can learn something but you
still don't really know it if it's just in your head and hasn't been worked into your life yet
the only way you ever know what you really believe is to have it put to the test
we can sing about trust in God and we can talk about trust in God but not one of you really
knows whether or not you trust God until something happens that makes absolutely no
sense in your life and you you feel like it's very unjust and not right and you can't get any
answers from God and you don't feel like he's anywhere in the neighborhood and you're waiting
and you're waiting and you're waiting that's when you find out if you really trust God he wants us
to believe him to trust him to wait on him with a good attitude as long as you're believing God
is working and I'll tell you what we need to be saying more of and I've I've I've been doing this
for a good number of years and it's really really helpful when I'm waiting on something
and then I start to think about how long it's been and
you know my mind starts to go negative I say out loud God is working
God is working and it helps me because he is you know when you get a breakthrough God didn't start
just working on that a second before you got it God's working in your life right now
he's heard your prayers he's working in your situation but especially when you've prayed
prayers for other people you have no control over how long it takes them to listen to God
Faith is for when you don't see anything
when it doesn't feel good when you have questions that you're not getting answers to
and faith isn't a matter of the heart faith can believe that God is working
and that something good is going to happen when everything around them looks the exact opposite
I know it doesn't make any sense but I believe God I believe God's working something good is
going to happen to me this is going to change and I don't know how long you will have to wait
but I do know that God will come through and I do know that you can enjoy your wait if you
will just improve your attitude now do your part and wait with a good attitude not upset
complaining when is it ever going to happen no turn it around father thank you that what you
started in my life you will finish thank you that what you promised is on the way
if you will wait with the right attitude after patience has done its work you're going to see
promises come to pass but we see waiting is negative we don't like it nothing is happening
we're interested in the destination but God is interested in the journey he's working on us
along the way when we understand that waiting doesn't mean nothing is happening
doesn't mean God has forgotten about us it's all a part of the process then we can stay in
faith knowing that at the right time God will get us to where we're supposed to be
David waited 13 years to take the throne after the prophet Samuel anointed him to be the next king
God could have taken him straight to the throne but David wasn't ready he had to go
through a time of testing during those 13 years he faithfully took care of his father's sheep
it seemed like a menial position he knew he had bigger things in him he had heard the prophet
say that he was a king but had David not passed the test in the wait room he would have never
made it to the throne he had to show God he would take care of his father's sheep before God would
trust him to take care of his sheep the people of Israel while you wait be your best where you are
that's a very important time God is watching to see if you're ready and here's the key if what
you're praying about isn't changing then God is using that situation to change you if it's not
working out then it's working out something in you all things are working for your good
God is working in your life I'm telling you if you have prayed
a prayer in faith that is according to the will of God God is working sometimes in hindsight
you see more of the why behind the wait I'm going to talk to somebody here because right
now you don't see it but years from now you may look back you say oh wow well I'm glad he didn't
or I'm glad he did sometimes in hindsight you can see the why behind the wait when we look back we
can see exactly why God waited for the perfect time his ways are always good just because God
feels silent doesn't mean he's absent whenever you're waiting remember our God is working and one
reason we get in a hurry is we think we're falling behind our friend is getting married our co-worker
got promoted the neighbors moved into a new house we got to make things happen we're being left out
well here's the key what has your name on it will not go to anyone else what belongs to you
will not go to another person David was out in the shepherds fields when the prophet Samuel came to
his house to anoint one of the sons as the next king David's father Jesse didn't even bring David
in he thought there's no way it's David he's too young when Samuel went to pour the oil on
the other seven sons the oil wouldn't flow God was showing us no matter how hard someone tries to get
what's yours they may manipulate connive ignore leave you out the oil is not going to flow to them
what has your name on it is coming your way the person the job the house the opportunity
the promotion cannot go to anyone else that's why we don't have to live jealous or envious of other
people well Joel my co-worker got the promotion that I worked so hard for they played politics
it wasn't fair if it was supposed to be yours you would have it stay in the weight room
keep a good attitude keep growing keep passing the test what God has for you is on the way
the reason it's taking longer is because it's much bigger much more rewarding than you thought
when you see what God did you'll say it was worth the wait when you see the person God
brings into your life somebody better than you dream you'll say it was worth the wait
Psalm 37 says don't be impatient for the Lord to act travel steady along his path he will honor you
and give you the land when you're faithful in the weight room when you don't get impatient you don't
get frustrated by closed doors you don't live jealous of others because you're traveling steady
honoring God he will give you the land that means you don't have to make things
happen in your own strength you don't have to manipulate people try to force the doors to open
God will give you the position give you the spouse now my challenge don't be impatient for God to act
don't be discouraged by what's not happening God is working