Tag Archives: waiting on god

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – A Lifestyle of Waiting on God

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Read | Psalm 37:1-11

Ever notice how some people will ask a question but then rush out the door before you can respond? We can act the same way toward the Lord when we fail to wait on Him.

To develop a lifestyle of waiting on God, we need to have:

Faith. We must be willing to trust the Lord when a solution isn’t obvious and we can’t see a way through our struggle. Meditating on Scripture and applying it to life’s trials will result in strengthened faith (Rom. 10:17).

Humility. Recognizing that we can accomplish nothing apart from Jesus, we should be willing to endure until God reveals His answer (John 15:5). His ways are always perfect; our cleverest plan will not be as adequate.

Patience. A calm demeanor and inner peace come from believing that the Lord is who He says He is and that He will do exactly as He’s promised. The Holy Spirit will help us to face stressful circumstances without complaint and accept life’s challenges instead of trying to manipulate a way out.

Courage. It is human nature to want to be in control—we yearn to know what’s going to happen and when. Courage is necessary if we are to resist following our own schedule or caving in to pressure from others. With the Holy Spirit’s enablement, we can hold steady to wait on God, even when people around us disapprove of our choices.

Wisdom and right action come through seeking God and His will. Won’t you quiet your heart and mind and listen to what He has to say?

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – God Has Not Forgotten You

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God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it. —1 Corinthians 10:13 NIV

The world is full of people struggling with trials and temptations and looking for a way out. If you have ever felt pressed on every side and couldn’t find a way out or confused and didn’t know what to do, you know what a desperate and lonely feeling that can be.

The Word tells you God is faithful and He will provide a way for you, but He doesn’t always show us the way immediately. That is when you must wait . . . and trust. Waiting on God purifies your faith and builds character in you. You don’t like waiting, but God’s way is perfect! So be assured God has not forgotten you. Trust Him, and in His time He will reveal His perfect plan for you.

 

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – God Acts on our Behalf

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Charles Stanley

Life Principle 14

God acts on behalf of those who wait for Him.

Isaiah 64:4

In this hurry-up world, waiting for anything can cause us to lose our temper and our good sense—more frequently than we care to admit! No one enjoys waiting in line. We don’t like waiting at stoplights. We don’t like waiting for dinner. We don’t even like waiting for good things, like for fish to bite. We want what we want right now.

Yet the Word of God insists that we learn some of life’s greatest lessons while we wait. Waiting rooms can be hard classrooms, but God promises vast rewards to those who wait for Him. God plans to use the long pauses in our lives for our blessing . . . if we let Him.

Why does God so often ask us to wait? Let’s consider five major rewards of waiting.

  1. We discover God’s will.

“The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the person who seeks Him” (Lam. 3:25). God does not allow delays in giving us the desire of our heart to lead us along. Rather, we know that even as we wait, He is working all things together for our good and His glory (Rom. 8:28). Yet, as we eagerly anticipate His provision, we must keep our eyes on Him—listening for His voice and direction. In that way, we learn to do His will and our relationship with Him grows deeper.

  1. We receive supernatural energy and strength.

God invites us to claim His promise in Isaiah 40:29–31: “He gives strength to the weary, and to him who lacks might He increases power. Though youths grow weary and tired, and vigorous young men stumble badly, yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary.”

Just as God deepens our relationship with Him through times of waiting, He also increases our energy, faith, endurance, and strength. We grow in the likeness of Christ and all of His attributes—including in love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Gal. 5:22, 23). Surely, waiting on Him is never wasted time!

  1. We win battles.

“Wait for the Lord, and He will save you” (Prov. 20:22). How wonderful to see the Lord rescue us and bless us with His favor. When we do things our way, in our own hurried time, we end up defeated. But when we wait on God and obey His commands, He ensures our victory and keeps us from foolish and precipitous acts.

  1. We see the fulfillment of our faith.

“Those who hopefully wait for Me will not be put to shame” (Is. 49:23). In the end, we’ll never feel embarrassed for waiting on God; it’s always the smart thing to do. Although others may encourage us to forge ahead instead of waiting on the Lord, we must remember that He is the only One who can truly help us and that He will never let us down. And when we trust Him and obey, surely we will see the fulfillment of every hope we’ve entrusted to Him.

  1. We see God working on our behalf.

Isaiah spoke of the God “who acts in behalf of the one who waits for Him” (Is. 64:4). What a wonderful promise! While we actively wait, He actively works. Think of this: every single day, we have the greatest Mediator working on our behalf. Even when things seem to go wrong, He is making sure that everything works according to His purpose.

Although waiting can be one of the more difficult things in the Christian life, it is not wasted time. God gives us instructions through periods of actively waiting. He may change our circumstances while we wait. He keeps us in step with Himself and prepares us for His answers. He uses the time to sift our motives and strengthen our faith. And when we choose to wait, God rewards us with blessings both large and unexpected.

Think of waiting on God as something like planting a garden. You put a seed under the soil and water it. And then you wait.

And wait.

And wait.

After the sun and rain nourish the earth, the seeds begin to grow; and one day, finally, you begin to see evidence of what you’ve planted. Now, suppose you had grown impatient and dug up your seeds because nothing seemed to be happening? You would have ruined your garden.

Remember, some fruit takes a long time to mature—and the One who wants to bring it forth in our lives knows exactly how long we need to wait. Therefore, trust Him and be patient, because He is producing the most wonderful and precious fruit that you could ever hope for or imagine.

Adapted from The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible, © 2009.

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Spend Time with Him – Max Lucado

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C. S. Lewis wrote: “The moment you wake up each morning your wishes and hopes for the day rush at you like wild animals. And the first job of each morning consists in shoving them all back; in listening to that other voice, letting that other, stronger, larger, quieter life come flowing in.”

Here’s how the psalmist began his day: “Every morning, I tell you what I need, and I wait for your answer” (Psalm 5:3).

Spend time waiting on God. And, at the end of the day, thank God for the good parts. Question him about the hard parts. Seek his mercy.  Seek his strength. And as you close your eyes, take this assurance into your sleep: “He who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep” (Psalm 121:4).  If you fall asleep as you pray, don’t worry. What better place to doze off than in the arms of your Father.

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Finding Clear Guidance – Charles Stanley

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John 15:9-17

Sleep can elude us when we are trying to make critical decisions. Our minds race over details; we make our lists, evaluate options, and pray, “God, what should I do?” Often we become frustrated because we’re not sure how to get the answer from the Lord.

The key is found in our relationship with Him. The closer we are to God, the easier communication between us will be. Closeness to God means:

• Learning what God likes and dislikes. Certain opportunities can be quickly eliminated because they are contrary to God’s character.

• Knowing God’s Word. When we are familiar with the Word of God, the Holy Spirit can remind us of passages relevant to our situation.

• Confessing our sins. Confession helps our minds be cleansed from the effects of ungodly thinking, which interferes with receiving the Lord’s direction.

• Laying down our desires and taking up His. As we draw closer to Him, we’ll experience the blessings of submission and be willing to do it again.

• Waiting on God. We will allow sufficient time to hear from the Father.

• Standing firm against pressure—external and internal. Receiving clear direction from God will be our priority.

• Praying persistently. We’ll continue to ask the Father for guidance, and we will not give up. The Lord desires our very best. Draw closer to Him, and experience the joy of receiving clear direction.

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Big Dreams? Be Faithful – Greg Laurie

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Do you have big dreams to accomplish something great for God?

I have some advice for you: Be faithful in the little things and God will give you more to do.

When David was called by God to be king, he was out watching sheep, just being faithful. The day David killed Goliath, he didn’t wake up that morning and hear God say, “David, today you are going to the valley of Elah. There will be a giant Philistine named Goliath, and you will kill him with a stone.” No, at his dad’s request, David was taking some cheese sandwiches to his brothers out on the front line. . .just being faithful on an errand for his dad.

What was Gideon doing when God called him? He was hiding from his enemies. He was terrified. But God saw his potential, and the next thing Gideon knew, he was leading troops into battle.

And what was Elisha doing when Elijah called him to carry on the work? He was out plowing in the field. Moses was watching a bunch of sheep in the desert when God called him to deliver the Israelites. Then there was Daniel, who was so faithful to the Lord that his enemies couldn’t find one thing wrong with him. They had to make up lies about him so that he would be sentenced to death. And how about that teenage girl named Mary living in Nazareth who had a visit from one of God’s most powerful angels, with a message about a Child, who would be called the Son of the Most High?

My point is this: They were faithfully doing what God had set before them. They weren’t running around, looking for big, important things to accomplish. They didn’t have public relations consultants or agents. They were simply doing the little things, waiting on God.

Sometimes, we have great ideas of what God will do. But we have to wait on Him. What are your dreams right now? Maybe you want to do something for God, but you think it will never happen. Then again. . .maybe it will. Maybe it even will surpass your wildest dreams. Just be faithful to do what God has set before you right now.

Your future is safe in His hands.