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As we covered in Sunday’s message, God takes us through periods of delay to grow our faith. If we get impatient and complain or even if we get weary and take off when God is working, we will miss the opportunity to mature and for our faith to grow and He will just have to take us through a similar lesson down the road. God cares about us too much to let us go through life without faith growing experiences. Therefore, it is important to make the most of every delay in God’s maturing process.
How well do you do in the SOLTW?
A) If you tend to get fearful by focusing on problems that could arise from not
acting or allowing your imaginations to run wild, then it’s time to get refocused
on God. Remember He is bigger than any difficulty. He can bring answers in
ways we could never imagine. And He has promised to be there for us. Isaiah 41:10 (ESV) fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will
strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Fear will paralyze us but faith focuses on God, the object of our faith. We when are in God’s
holding pattern it’s best to use the time to focus on His promises, especially one of the 365
promises in the Bible (one for every day of the year) in which God tells us not to fear and
reminds us He is the reason we fear not. B) If you tend to fret by murmuring and complaining when you are called upon to
wait, then it’s time to be reminded of God’s definite instruction. Psalms 37:7-8 (ESV) 7 Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself
over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices! 8 Refrain
from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil. God does not take kindly to our complaining to others, but it is good to offer our complaint
to Him because He can handle it. He has large shoulders and even encourages us to come
to Him with our complaints and to be honest and open about our feelings. In fact, that is
why some people never experience true healing of their emotions because they are not
honest with God. Emptying ourselves to God, even our anger upon Him will lead to us
offering Him an empty vessel which He takes and fills with His grace, goodness, and
joy. Psalms 77:6-13 (ESV) 6 I said, "Let me remember my song in the night; let me meditate in
my heart." Then my spirit made a diligent search: 7 "Will the Lord spurn forever, and never
again be favorable? 8 Has his steadfast love forever ceased? Are his promises at an end for
all time? 9 Has God forgotten to be gracious? Has he in anger shut up his compassion?"
Selah 10 Then I said, "I will appeal to this, to the years of the right hand of the Most High."
11 I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your wonders of old. 12 I will
ponder all your work, and meditate on your mighty deeds. 13 Your way, O God, is holy.
What god is great like our God? Did you catch the change as the psalmist emptied himself before God? Complaining to God is not a problem, but when we begin to spew out words of
moaning and objection to others about our situation, then we have crossed the line and
followed the example of ancient Israel who stirred up God’s anger. It’s best to take
seriously God’s admonition to avoid being a complainer because when we do, we miss out
on growing through the experience of learning to wait and will need to visit a similar
situation later in life. C) If we tend to faint and give up when God says wait, then we need to learn
perseverance. Galatians 6:9 (ESV) And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will
reap, if we do not give up. Isaiah 40:29-31 (ESV) 29 He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he
increases strength. 30 Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall
exhausted; 31 but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount
up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.
Too many times we decide to give up rather than pray. How many times have you seen
people leave the church because they didn’t see things change to their liking or at the
speed they thought it should. Instead of praying they bail out when Jesus said we should
pray and not give up. Luke 18:1 (ESV) And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray
and not lose heart. D) If we tend to be a person who forgets when we are called upon to wait, then
we need to be reminded to remember. Remember what God has done.
Remember what God’s Word says. Remember what God says about the need to
remember. Deuteronomy 6:12 (ESV) then take care lest you forget the Lord, who brought you out of
the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. Psalms 103:1-2 (ESV) 1 Of David. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless
his holy name! 2 Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, When God calls you to wait, remind yourself of all the things God has done in your life.
Remember His promises. Remember the calling He has placed upon your life. The bottom line is simple: The School Of Learning To Wait does not offer diplomas in this
life. There is always a new lesson to learn, more growth in faith needed, and more maturing
as a believer. We have a choice to make as we go through times of delay. We can fear, fret,
faint, and forget or we can believe God, refocus on Him and His Word and persevere. Those
who persevere know they have pleased God. Their faith grows and others see their
maturity in Christ. The next time you find yourself in the SOLTW, remember it’s God’s opportunity to test you
as He helps you see His grace and power right where you live. Godspeed,Pastor Bob |
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