Being Patient in Waiting

I am still looking at Sarah today. She waited 25 years for the promise from God to be fulfilled. She wasn't always patient though. She was human after all and that is a long time to wait.

Gen 18:10-15

She was past child bearing age when the angel came and said that in a year she would have a child. God wanted there to be NO doubt that this child was from the promise He gave.

:14 Is any thing too hard for the Lord?

21:1-7 And the Lord visited Sarah as He had said, and the Lord did unto Sarah as He had spoken.

God always fulfills His promises, but in His time not ours.

Her laughter then was of disbelief but it was turned to laugher of joy.

Issac means he laughs. Pretty appropriate isn't it?

The time of the promise of a son, till the actual birth was 25 years. Would you wait that long? Small children have no patience, but as a mature christian we should be able to wait patiently. Not as easy as it sounds.

Waiting in Websters means to remain inactive in readiness or expectation.

Sometimes the answer is immediate. But that is the exception to the rule.

The season of waiting is for our heart to be prepared for the answer when it comes.

Heb 6:13-15 And so, after he (Abraham) had patiently endured, he obtained the promise.

One of the fruits of the Spirit is patience. The world says do/get everything right now, but the word says be patient.

Benefits of walking through a season of waiting:

1. A season of waiting will reveal our heart to us.

Sometimes we don't see what is really in our heart till we have to wait. God isn't surprised by what is in there. Sometimes He uses the wait time to prune us in areas.

2. Brings about a right perspective.

We come to the place where we realize the answer has nothing to do with us and everything to do with Him.

We serve Him for WHO HE IS, not what He will or can do for us.

3. It helps us realize we were never in control to begin with of when or how our answer will come. It is in His hands and His time. We still pray, but we have to wait.

4. Helps us to put our trust in God. We must trust God to do as He said. Saying we trust God is different then believing in our heart.

Is 46:11 yea, I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it.

5. Brings peace of God to our life.

When you finally turn it over to God, you will have peace. No more restlessness or wrestling inside of us.

Is 55:8-9 For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, saith the Lord.
:9 For as the heavens are higher then the earth, so are My ways higher then your ways, and My thoughts then your thoughts.

6. It puts us in the right position.

Once we have done all that we can do including pray it puts us in the position to know it is up to Him.

7. It allows us to hear God's voice more clearly.

We begin to listen for Him more and to speak less. We still pray but we begin to really listen for Him and to hear what He wants us to hear.

8. It allows Christ's character to be formed in us.

We end the season of waiting more like Christ. This should be our goal during this time.

There comes a time when we have to surrender what we think the answer will look like and accept that His answer may be different then we expected.