Principles from Psalms—Part II
God’s Perfect Timing
April 14th, 2002
Psalms 33:20-22
Recap:
Last week we started our series in Psalms entitled, “God’s Way is Best!”
• We discussed key principles like:
A. God’s Way Requires Trust
B. God’s Way Requires Delight
C. God’s Way Needs a Commitment
D. God’s Way Brings the Blessing
Today, I would like us to turn our attention to key elements regarding God’s Timing.
- God has a time for everything!
Ecclesiastes 3:1
“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven.”
While I’ve learned timing is important, the process of going through the “wait” becomes the challenge to us.
Questions:
Why does God ask us to wait, when we believe the answer should be now?
Why does His schedule never really line up with our own?
How do we manage our time in the mean time, while God is taking His time, showing us the right time, for His perfect time?
• I think as we look into Psalms this morning, we’ll find some key principles regarding God’s timing in every situation of our lives.
God provides in so many different ways:
A. Spiritually—He meets every single one of our spiritual needs
B. Physically—He’s the sustainer and giver of all life
C. Financially—He’s the greatest provider we have
• I can think of no better way to illustrate God’s timing in my own life than this past year…
Story:
At the Broadmore Resort in Colorado Springs, CO.
• I needed to finish my college
• I had only 3 classes left
• I needed $5600, and I had none
- The next night Cheri called and told me a rather unusual action of the Missions Board.
- Individuals on the Board and the Missions Board pledged more than $6000 that came into my Bethany account the next few weeks.
• The Bible says, “God is not a respecter of persons.”
• If he financially provided for us, He can do the same for you.
• The hardest part is the waiting time before the provision
Psalms 33:20-22:
What I like about this passage is the writer expresses there is always hope with God!
- When one thinks about this universe and its expanse, the stars, and even the intricate painstaking detail God created us with, we understand there is nothing that is impossible with God!
- When the angel of the Lord appeared to Mary and told her about Elizabeth, her barren cousin having a baby, he makes this incredible statement…
Luke 1:37
“For nothing is impossible with God."
I have found there are a few things waiting helps us in…
I. Waiting For God Brings Submission:
Psalms 33:20a
“We wait in hope for the Lord…”
• People have a natural tendency to fix things on their own.
My wife and I have been learning the art of communicating over the last seven years of marriage.
It’s real simple, she says what to do and I do it!
Story:
Communication between spouses is a learned art.
• At first I needed some help because I always wanted to fix things
• She would explain the problem to me and I never knew she just wanted me to listen.
• After a while, our “communication” wasn’t working so we devised a plan to help me learn how to read her mind.
• We called it the “F or L” question.
• Simply put, as my wife would begin to pour her heart out about her day or problem, I would simply ask, “Honey is this an F or a L”?
• You see the F stood for fix and the L stood for Listen.
About 98% of the time, she just wanted me to listen, although about 98% of the time I wanted to fix the problem.
• Husbands, this is a real help here when learning how to read wives minds.
All I’m saying is this; people have a natural tendency to fix things.
When we are in a tight jam or something has happened, we tend to:
A. Seek the best counsel
B. Try the best treatments
C. Pay the highest price for answers
• When in reality we should be running toward God.
• Sometimes we find that God is the last one we consult.
- Having to wait on God forces us into submission to his will and his timing.
- He lets us exhaust all of our resources and energies until the only hope we have remaining rest in His will and His plan.
- Sometimes it’s easy to be like our sons and daughters and get a little too impatient with the timing of God’s answer.
- But I have found when He comes through with the answer, it is sweeter than one can ever imagine.
The second area waiting helps us in is…
II. Waiting for God Brings Stability:
I’m learning the most instable people in the world are those who do not rely on God in the toughest of times.
- I have also learned that stability for the believer is found in God’s
A. Principles—We can learn wisdom for every day living--(Word)
God’s principles can help us walk in stability.
However, those principles can only be found in His Word.
Stability for the believer is also found in God’s…
B. Power—We can walk in power when talking to others
--(Spirit)
God’s power helps us to walk in compassion, love, and empowerment with others.
His power comes from his Spirit, which dwells within all believers.
A greater power is found with the Baptism of the Holy Spirit.
Stability for the believer is found in God’s…
C. Provision—We can know (in our knower) God will always provide--(Physical needs)
God’s provision meets every one of our physical needs.
Our physical needs are important to God.
Stability for the believer is also found in…
D. Prayer—We can have a relationship with God that is closer than any brother or sister--(Relationship)
When God answers the cry of our heart, we can resonate with the Psalmist David when he said in…
Psalms 40:1,2
“I waited patiently for the Lord, he turned to me and heard my cry He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and the mire; He set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.”
III. Waiting for God Builds Strength:
What is the source of strength today?
• It is the character that backs it up.
- What is the source of character?
• The process God puts us through.
- What does the process do to our lives?
• It refines us in ways we could not have been without having gone through the difficulty.
Illustration:
When I first started in the ministry I was worried about numbers growth
• I didn’t understand that God was challenging me to build people not numbers.
• For a while, he allowed me to go through the refinement process of not adding any numbers until I learned…
A. God brings the conviction to spiritual growth
B. God brings the salvations
C. God brings the increase in numbers
When I began to model and teach this it brought a tremendous weight off my shoulders.
The point is this: strength is always forged in a time of crisis and utter dependence on God.
Remember what the Psalmist has written in…
Psalms 27:14
“Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart: wait I say on the Lord.” NKJV
Recap:
I. Waiting for God brings Submission
II. Waiting for God Brings Stability
III.Waiting for God Builds Strength
Finally
IV. Waiting for God Gives Serenity:
Webster’s Dictionary defines: “Serenity” as…
“The quality or state of being serene; calmness; tranquility”
I don’t know about you but as life throws challenges toward us this idea of serenity sure looks pleasing.
Illustration:
As we were interviewing and “trying out” for the office of Senior Pastor, Cheri and I continued to feel God’s peace during the process
- That peace was only matched by some great miracles God performed during the process.
- It culminated with God’s complete blessing on the voting Sunday.
How could it be that Cheri and I, without a ministry job for three months could experience God’s peace?
• God has a unique way of providing peace in troubled times
• God has a unique way of calming our emotions though the outcome seems bleak.
Peter experienced this in a simple story that required Serenity…
Story: (Of Peter walking on the water during the storm)
• It’s easy to be entrapped by the circumstances that surround us; after all we are only human.
• The key we should remember is if we keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, He will always lift us up out of our circumstances.
What does the Bible say in regard to this…
Philippians 4:19—NKJV
“And my God shall supply all your need,according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”
Application:
A.Peace--comes through understanding God’s timing.
B.Provision--comes by His perfect plan for our lives.
Closing Prayer:
