Isaiah 40:28-31 (NIV)
28 Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.
29 He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.
30 Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall;
31 but those who hope (wait) in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.
Illustration:
• A woman's car stalled in traffic. She looked in vain under the hood to identify the cause, while the driver behind her leaned relentlessly on his horn.
• Finally she had enough. She walked back to his car and offered sweetly, "I don't know what the matter is with my car.
• But if you want to go look under the hood, I'll be glad to stay here and honk for you."
Opening Prayer
"My God, My God, why have you forsaken me"
Waiting is one of the most difficult things that we Christians are called to do.
We want it everything immediately, but God is telling us now "Wait"
David was only 16 years old when he was anointed King of Israel
(A) WAITING INVOLVES GOING THROUGH PAIN
Psalm 27:14 (NIV)
14 Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.
Psalm 37:5 (NIV)
5 Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this:
(B) WAITING INVOLVES LISTENING
Psalm 46:10(NIV)
10 He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”
(C) WAITING INVOLVES TEACHING
Isaiah 40:29 (NIV)
29 He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.
Illustration:
• In a dream, God told a man to go outside and push against a huge boulder in his front yard.
• So every morning for the next few weeks, the man went outside and strained against the rock.
• He pushed hard and groaned and prodded and shoved, but the rock never budged. IT NEVER MOVED AS HE EXPECTED.
Finally, he felt his failure and the man fell to his knees and lifted his eyes to heaven.
• "What were you thinking, Lord? He cried, weeping and wiping his sweat
• "You told me to push this rock, and I've been pushing it for weeks, yet it has not moved an inch!"
A voice from heaven then whispered in the man's ear.
• "I told you to push the stone," God said,
• "I didn't tell you to move it, nor did I tell you its going to move as you push.
I'm the only one who can move it, and when you're ready, I will.
By the way, look at your hands."
The man looked at his hands. They had grown tough with the work, and his arms bulged with muscles. Though his efforts seemed fruitless, he had grown strong; and now he was beginning to grow wise.
Psalm 25:3-5 (NIV)
3 No one who hopes in you will ever be put to shame, but shame will come on those who are treacherous without cause.
4 Show me your ways, Lord, teach me your paths.
5 Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.
Psalm 62:5 (NIV)
5 Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him.
When Jesus told his disciples to wait in Jerusalem, he was telling them that that this was a means of experiencing his peace, his prosperity, and his power.
In waiting they would catch the wind of God's Spirit. In waiting they would see God move.
(D) WAITING INVOLVES TRUSTING
Waiting on the Lord requires patient trust
Question: What do I do when I am waiting?
Answer: Take the role of a watchman
Psalm 130:5-6 (NIV)
5 I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope.
6 I wait for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning.
In biblical times, watchmen vigilantly guarded the city.
• They watched for enemies who might attack at night, and they waited for the sun to come up.
• They were alert and obedient, ready to respond when needed.
• When called upon, they sprang into action.
• But on the other hand, watchmen didn't make things happen.
• They didn't control the rising of the sun.
• They couldn't speed up the process of the dawning of a new day.
A watchman knew the difference between his job and God's job.
Waiting
- reminds us that He is in control
- reminds me that I am not in charge
- reminds me that I am not God.
Illustration:
A Sunday school teacher once taught the children Apostle Peters words that " with the Lord one day is like a thousand years".
A young boy , when he heard it stood up in excitement .
He said, Teacher, "is it true that a thousand years for us is just like a minute to God?"
The teacher replied "Yes."
The boy with the same excitement said, then "a million dollars to us must just be a penny to God."
The teacher smiled again and said "Yes."
The boy said, Teacher, Then, " can you pray to the Lord if he can give me one of those pennies?" (thinking he can get a million dollars for that prayer)
The teacher quietly prayed and opened her eyes. She knew the boy was waiting for the reply. She quietly answered,
Son, When I prayed, the Lord said to me, can you ask the boy to "Wait here a minute."
Many times as I led the Tamil ministry here in the Lower Hutt,
- I want to speed up the growth process of my church and its ministries.
- I see much that we could do and should be doing.
- I see many unmet needs.
- I see the hurts of people.
- I drive through neighborhoods and am bombarded at the thought of many people spending eternity without Christ.
- I have a vision from God to reach those people.
- And I want it to be a reality now.
And I question God, "Why not now? Why not bring it to pass today?"
God says STOP. He reminds me of William Carey
Called as the Father of the modern missionary movement in India, William Carey, waited seven years before his first convert in India,.
CONCLUSION - WHAT IS THE ANSWER TO THIS PROBLEM?
God’s timing is the best
In the Old Testament book of Habakkuk, the prophet was asking similar questions in Chapter 1.
The Lord’s Answer to Habakkuk
Habakkuk 2:1-3 (NIV)
2 I will stand at my watch and station myself on the ramparts; I will look to see what he will say to me, and what answer I am to give to this complaint
The Lord’s Answer
2 Then the Lord replied: “Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it.
3 For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay.
God is working
During those times, we wait patiently on the Lord.
The bible says,
Those who wait will never be put to shame. We will never be disappointed.
Waiting on God increases my strength
Isaiah wrote, "but those who trust in the LORD will renew their strength; they will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not faint" (Is. 40:31)
Have you heard of the Chinese bamboo tree? We have seen many of those in Malaysia. They can decorate your lounge for 5 years. But you cannot have them beyond that. You know why?
Illustration :
• The Chinese bamboo tree is one of the most remarkable plants on earth.
• Once the gardener plants the seed, he will see nothing but a single shoot coming out of the bulb - for five full years!
That tiny shoot, however, must have daily food and water.
• During all the time the gardener is caring for the plant, the exterior shoot will grow less than an inch.
At the end of five years, however, the Chinese bamboo will perform an incredible feat. It will grow an amazing ninety feet tall in only ninety days!
Now ask yourself this: When did the tree actually grow? During the first five years, or during those last ninety days?
The answer lies in the unseen part of the tree, the underground root system. During the first five years, the fibrous root structure spreads deep and wide in the earth, preparing to support the incredible heights the tree will eventually reach.
I want to pray with you today... Through the situation you are right now…
He says, you will cross the Jordan ... Tonight, very soon...
The suffering He went through on the cross is million times greater than what you are going through right now.
Are you prepared to wait in faith?
