1. When our daughter was very young, riding in the back seat in her car seat, my wife and I were discussing names. She commented, “You should always name your child something you like because you will say the name often.” A little voice from the back said, “Then you should have named me, ‘No’ or ‘Wait.’”
2. Two hard lessons of life:
a. You don’t always get what you want.
b. You don’t always get what you want when you want it.
3. Waiting on the LORD is
a. An act of faith – Hebrews 11:1, 6
b. Develops patience within us
4. When we wait in faith
a. We are not always sure
b. We may doubt
c. May want a back-up plan (I know all things are possible with God but what if. . . .?)
5. Consider waiting on the LORD with:
I. Strong Faith
A. Strong Faith Comes Through Tests (James 1:2-4)
1. We often revert to our own understanding and ability in troubles
2. Abraham developed strong faith through his 10 trials
B. Strong Faith Learns to Trust God’s Character – Proverbs 3:5-6
II. Loud Faith Psalm 35:17
[Q: What tone and what volume do you think David used in this text?
A. Crying Out to God is Good – Jeremiah 33:3
B. Crying Out to God is Persistent – Luke 18:1-8
1. God actually wants this
2. How much do we want it?
III. Patient Faith
A. The challenge of an “Instant World”
1. Instant Photos – no film; no separate camera; no prints
2. Prefer microwave to crockpot
3. Want patience “right now”
4. Patience is a fruit of the Spirit that HE bears in us
B. The Challenge of Our Best Interest – Psalm 84:11
1. God gives the best to us and for us
[My older grandson loves to eat Pringles. He learned the hard way not to eat the whole can at once. First it hurt his stomach. Second, there wasn’t any left for later.
2. “Waiters” in the Bible (not just sitting, actively waiting for the open doors)
a. Abraham for the son of promise (impatience brought Ishmael)
b. David to be king
c. Jesus coming at the right time – Galatians 4:4
1. It’s hard for us to wait, especially on God
2. God doesn’t give undercooked blessings – no value for us, no glory for Him
3. God is at work even when we don’t feel it
4. How is your faith in waiting for God?
