By Pastor Sharon Williams
From Women Alive Meeting January Meeting
I don’t wait well, some people are patient, others are not so much. No one likes to wait!
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” Philippians 4;6 NIV (worry, concern, uneasy)
Psalm 27:14 “Wait for the Lord, be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.”
Wait, be strong, take courage(heart), wait – WAIT IS MENTIONED TWICE.
Why does it seem like God delays? At the last possible second the miracle happens.
Habakkuk 2:3 “For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay.”
What happens in the waiting?
Wait for it – Psalm 5:3 “In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly.”
Expectancy.
Waiting does not mean doing nothing, being lazy, and waiting for someone else to do the work.
Actively waiting=Expecting.
Story:
Little boy going to the park – after your nap today…
Now? Not yet
Now? No
Now? Yes, now
He appreciated the park more because he had to wait, time to think about it, to anticipate how great it will be, think about what he will do there. He valued the park more thru the waiting.
Matthew 7:11 “If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him.”
If I keep asking maybe I can change God’s mind. Persistence in the waiting.
Abraham and Sarah – Sarah didn’t wait well
If we knew the finished product, would we try to make it happen sooner? (Like Sarah.)
Purpose in the Process of waiting – 5 points in the process
What happens when we wait?
1. Waiting builds our faith.
2. Waiting causes us to let go of control (trying to make it happen=disaster).
3. Wait creates value to the answer (worth waiting for).
4. Waiting helps us see the miracle.
5. Waiting changes us (stronger, more trusting, Courageous, faith activated).
Isaiah 40:28-29 “Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and His understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.”
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About the Author
Pastor Sharon has been in ministry for over 48 years. She and her husband Daniel are founders of Go to Nations, a missionary sending agency working in 106 countries. As an ordained minister, Sharon was a part of the Christ the Redeemer Church Executive staff for twenty years. In 2010, Sharon began Act 4 the Nations, a non-profit organization working on five continents to help women attain a better way of life by partnering with missionaries and Anti-Human Trafficking organizations. Sharon is the co-author of Chief Women Arise! The book is available on Amazon at: