sermon
Posted by: jnthrower <jnthrower@...>
"WAIT ON ME!" (GOD)
Isaiah 40:31Intro: One of the things I am NOT GOOD AT is waiting. I am the person who paces the floor waiting for the microwave popcorn which only takes three and one-half minutes!
(Do I need therapy? Most likely!!!)
We live in an "instant society" of...
fast food,
instant information on demand,
pay-at-the-pump gasoline,
and the "buy now pay later"
A philosophy which has been the downfall of many families.
It is interesting to note that One of the Great Spiritual Virtues in the Bible has to do with WAITING. (LOOK AT OUR TEXT)
Isaiah 40:31 "But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint."
IS WAITING ON GOD AS HARD FOR YOU AS IT IS FOR ME?
MANY WOULD SAY "YES".
So, let us examine this subject of WAITING UPON GOD using three approaches:
First of all let's look at...
I. SOME BIBLICAL EXAMPLES OF WAITING UPON THE LORD:A. ABRAHAM AND SARAH (Waiting for Isaac)
B. NOAH (for the flood 120 years and for subsiding waters)
C. JOSEPH (for his "TIME" in power)
D. JESUS (for the "TIME TO BE FULFILLED")
E. MARY AND MARTHA (for JESUS to arrive when LAZARUS died)
F. THE DISCIPLES (for the promised HOLY SPIRIT)
G. ALL BELIEVERS (down through the years awaiting HIS RETURN)
*In Each Case They...
1. KNEW GOD'S PROMISES
2. RESTED IN GOD'S CHARACTER
3. RELIED UPON HIS LOVE
* In Each Case, IT WAS WORTH THE WAIT!!
OKAY, That's good for the "SPIRITUAL GIANTS" but what about me?
How Can I wait on the Lord? That has to do with the second approach which is...
II. THE ENERGY AND EFFORT REQUIRED TO WAIT UPON GOD:*Waiting on GOD is not "SITTING STILL and DOING NOTHING like baby birds in a nest"
*WAITING upon GOD requires
A. I must keep in TUNED to HIS FREQUENCY (communication)
B. I must turn to HIM with every CARE/CONCERN/DECISION
C. That I will Trust HIM to HEAR my REQUESTS
D. That I will be taking STEPS as HE DIRECTS, one day at a time.
E. That I will be turning the OUTCOME(S) over to HIM
*Whatever HIS ANSWER, it will be better than the one we could have MANUFACTURED!
"If I expend the ENERGY and put forth the EFFORT to WAIT UPON GOD, what can I EXPECT??"
III. THE ENCOURAGING RESULTS OF WAITING UPON GOD
(SEE TEXT ISAIAH 40:31)
A. RENEWED STRENGTH (spiritually, emotionally and sometimes physically)
B. MOUNT UP WITH WINGS LIKE EAGLES
*EAGLES "USE" THE WINDS OF STORMS TO ALLOW THEM TO SOAR HIGHER, THEY DO NOT ALLOW THEM TO DRAG THEM LOWER*
C. RUN(The race of life) AND NOT GET WEARY (Facing life's race in GOD'S STRENGTH not in our own)
D. WALK AND NOT FAINT
(There have been times in my life the greatest spiritual blessing I received that day was simply "STRENGTH NOT TO FAINT" (physically emotionally and spiritually) due to the heaviness of the burdens upon me at that time).
But if we wait upon the Lord, we will be lifted higher DURING THE STORMS OF LIFE, AND HAVE THE STRENGTH TO ENDURE ANY AND ALL SATAN'S DARTS.
...AND WHEN WE WAIT UPON HIM, HE WILL LIFT US UP
CONCLUDING STORY: A grandfather was taking a nature hike with his 6 year old grandson. The child was running ahead, and came to a creek...afraid that he was going to fall in, the grandfather said CHILD, WAIT FOR ME AND I'LL GET YOU ACROSS... SURPRISINGLY, THE CHILD OBEYED, AND WHEN THE GRANDFATHER GOT THERE, HE LIFTED THE CHILD UPON HIS SHOULDERS, AND WADED ACROSS THE CREEK. the grandchild said, "If I hadn't waited on you, I would never have made it across!"
How true of us...Let us WAIT ON GOD, HE'LL GET US ACROSS ANY OBSTACLE LIFE PUTS IN OUR WAY.