HE IS WAITING
WAITING SERIES - PART 1
by Allison McKay
The drive thru line at Chick-Fil-A was extra long. The stoplight seemed to skip your turn as you watched the same lane of traffic turn in front of you again. Wal-Mart only had two registers open, and you definitely weren’t going to apply for employee of month by checking yourself out.
We don’t like to wait, do we?
Those examples may seem trivial in the grand scheme of our lives, and they are, but rarely in those moments do we even consider the possibility that God may have specifically ordained them to allow us to wait a little longer for a purpose.
We don’t like to wait, do we?
Those examples may seem trivial in the grand scheme of our lives, and they are, but rarely in those moments do we even consider the possibility that God may have specifically ordained them to allow us to wait a little longer for a purpose.
Think of all those people who “should” have been in the Twin Towers on 9/11, yet somehow they were delayed in getting to work that fateful day.
Even when we have a different timetable for our lives, many times the Lord simply wants us to wait on Him and His timing.
He knows what’s best.
Isaiah 55:8-9
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
We often get impatient and wonder why the Lord is making us wait, but have we ever considered if we are actually making Him wait?
He waits for us to see our need of a Saviour and repent of our sin.
He waits for us to serve Him.
He waits for us to forgive those who have wronged us.
He waits for us to confess our sin and restore our fellowship with Him.
He waits for us to trust Him.
He waits for us to take a step of faith.
He waits…
Isaiah 30:18
“And therefore will the LORD wait, that he may be gracious unto you, and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: for the LORD is a God of judgment: blessed are all they that wait for him.”
Are you making the Lord wait?
What are you waiting for?
The Lord told Jonah to go to Nineveh, but Jonah had other plans. God showed him mercy despite his disobedience, and waited for Jonah to go where He called him to go. In order to get Jonah’s attention, God sent a storm. When the storm didn’t get his attention, God had his shipmates throw him overboard. When that didn’t work, God sent a great fish to swallow him up and then gave him time to realize what he needed to do…obey.
What might God have to do in order to get our attention for what He wants us to do?
It's a scary thought, but one we should not neglect.
When we break down Isaiah 30:18, we can see several reminders of how the Lord waits for us.
The Lord is Longsuffering.
“And therefore will the LORD wait”
He has waited for us before, and He is possibly waiting now. As much as we dislike waiting, especially on Him, will we in turn cause Him to wait on us?
2 Peter 3:9
“The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”
The Lord is Gracious.
“that he may be gracious unto you”
God gives us abounding grace and we don’t deserve it. If we deserved it, it wouldn’t be grace.
Romans 5:20
“Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:”
The Lord will be exalted.
“therefore will he be exalted”
The ultimate purpose for waiting is so that He can receive the glory for whatever is accomplished. What a humbling thought to think that the longer we wait for something, the more of a miracle it seems, the more glory He receives? Makes the thought of us waiting worth it, doesn’t it?
The Lord is Merciful.
“that he may have mercy upon you”
Just like grace, God gives us mercy and we don’t deserve it. If we deserved it, it wouldn’t be mercy. This is why grace and mercy go hand in hand. We are freely given both by our Heavenly Father.
Psalm 103:8
“The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.”
He is waiting.
Decide today to do what He has laid on your heart.
Even when we have a different timetable for our lives, many times the Lord simply wants us to wait on Him and His timing.
He knows what’s best.
Isaiah 55:8-9
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
We often get impatient and wonder why the Lord is making us wait, but have we ever considered if we are actually making Him wait?
He waits for us to see our need of a Saviour and repent of our sin.
He waits for us to serve Him.
He waits for us to forgive those who have wronged us.
He waits for us to confess our sin and restore our fellowship with Him.
He waits for us to trust Him.
He waits for us to take a step of faith.
He waits…
Isaiah 30:18
“And therefore will the LORD wait, that he may be gracious unto you, and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: for the LORD is a God of judgment: blessed are all they that wait for him.”
Are you making the Lord wait?
What are you waiting for?
The Lord told Jonah to go to Nineveh, but Jonah had other plans. God showed him mercy despite his disobedience, and waited for Jonah to go where He called him to go. In order to get Jonah’s attention, God sent a storm. When the storm didn’t get his attention, God had his shipmates throw him overboard. When that didn’t work, God sent a great fish to swallow him up and then gave him time to realize what he needed to do…obey.
What might God have to do in order to get our attention for what He wants us to do?
It's a scary thought, but one we should not neglect.
When we break down Isaiah 30:18, we can see several reminders of how the Lord waits for us.
The Lord is Longsuffering.
“And therefore will the LORD wait”
He has waited for us before, and He is possibly waiting now. As much as we dislike waiting, especially on Him, will we in turn cause Him to wait on us?
2 Peter 3:9
“The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”
The Lord is Gracious.
“that he may be gracious unto you”
God gives us abounding grace and we don’t deserve it. If we deserved it, it wouldn’t be grace.
Romans 5:20
“Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:”
The Lord will be exalted.
“therefore will he be exalted”
The ultimate purpose for waiting is so that He can receive the glory for whatever is accomplished. What a humbling thought to think that the longer we wait for something, the more of a miracle it seems, the more glory He receives? Makes the thought of us waiting worth it, doesn’t it?
The Lord is Merciful.
“that he may have mercy upon you”
Just like grace, God gives us mercy and we don’t deserve it. If we deserved it, it wouldn’t be mercy. This is why grace and mercy go hand in hand. We are freely given both by our Heavenly Father.
Psalm 103:8
“The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.”
He is waiting.
Decide today to do what He has laid on your heart.