“I waited patiently
for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry.”
Psalm 40:1
What would you
say is one of the hardest things you need to do on a daily basis?
What is one of
the most difficult ‘tasks’ every single one of us faces?
By the way, this
is not something that is limited to believers, though our response should be
markedly different.
I’m talking
about something that all of humanity, across the globe faces day in and day
out.
And some clearly
handle it better than others.
I would venture
a guess that most of you have already experienced this today.
If you haven’t, just
“wait” because you will.
Not only do all
of us experience it with none of us immune; but each one of us also has a
choice in how we will respond to it.
Any guesses as
to what I am talking about?
We are going to
talk about waiting.
But from a
believer’s perspective; that is waiting on God.
Abraham waited – he is called the
Father of the Faithful and waited for the promises of God, not just the promise
of his son Isaac, but of the greater promise of being the Father of many
nations with offspring so great in number that he could not count them.
We are told this about Abraham in
Romans 4. It says “… he staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief;
but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; and being fully persuaded that,
what he had promised, he was able also to perform.
Abraham knew how to wait.
He died waiting in faith not yet
seeing all the promises of God having been fulfilled and yet believing that God
would do just that!
Paul the Apostle also had to wait.
After his Damascus road experience – it was 15 years before his first
missionary journey to the Gentiles. He had much to contribute to the New
Testament and for the Kingdom of God as the Apostle to the Gentiles but he
first had to learn how to wait.
Even Jesus…was he ready at the ripe
old age of 12 when he outshined the religious leaders in Jerusalem? Apparently
not – He would obediently wait on the Father another 17 years before He began
His public ministry. During His ministry He daily waited on the Father in
prayer most often early in the morning before others were up. Near the end of
His ministry on the earth, He told His disciples to wait in Jerusalem for the
promise of the Holy Spirit before He ascended into heaven. Even now, as He is
seated at the right hand of the Father, He waits patiently for His Father, who
alone knows the day, the time and the hour of the Sons return.
Listen to what Hebrews 10:13 declares
about Jesus –
“and since that time he
waits for his enemies to be made his footstool.”
You see, waiting on God is a
recurring theme in scripture.
Likewise, waiting, whether on God or
on others, is a recurring theme in our own lives. If you find yourself waiting
on God, let me assure you, you are in good company indeed!
Let’s look together this week at
waiting, shall we?
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