As Paul waited and prayed and prayed and waited, he must have wondered, “Why doesn’t God get me out of here?”. 3 How long will you assail a man, That you may murder him, all of you, Like a leaning wall, like a tottering fence? Sometimes we’re not in a place where we can easily process things. Why does God sometimes delay answering prayers that seem so urgent to us? 4:13). I would only add, “He’s facing imminent execution, and yet he wants books!” Paul used his time in confinement to deepen his knowledge of God through His Word and, perhaps, through other books. (Debbie Przybylski). I’ve watched people just sit there doing nothing! Many of the characters we associate with waiting did so because they had no control over their particular situation. Read Romans 12:2. Whether you are waiting on answers to a prayer or waiting for guidance, here are 10 things you can do … Paul had post-doctoral degrees, but there were still more courses to take! In Jesus’ name, amen. I don’t want to live by feelings but by faith. Abraham story is a great example of stories of patience in the bible, God promised Abraham that he will be the father of many nations. Spiritual Growth and Christian Living Resources, Amazing Children's Choir Sings 'I Can Only Imagine'. God informs us that we are to cast our anxiety on him. Verse Concepts. A reporter once asked Mrs. Einstein if she understood the theory of relativity. He wasn’t doing anything in Jerusalem to stir up controversy or risk a riot. General Robert E. Lee was once offered $10,000 a year for the use of his name in connection with a state lottery at a time when money was a pressing issue for him. Maybe he went on to Spain; we don’t know for sure. Learning God’s names can be very encouraging when we are going through trials. Because Paul knew that doing right and not reaching our goals is better than doing wrong in order to reach them. Not only do they know truth, but they are also trained to help you when you feel overwhelmed with your life. You can go back as far as you’d like, and as you make this list, you’ll feel your confidence in God growing. God had encouraged my heart with the truth that tucked inside those hymns. I often feel the same when I’m awaiting an answer from God, such as a prayer for healing for a sick friend or guidance about the right path to take. He had had a wider experience than most men, and yet he wants books! Speaking firsthand, when you’re in your mid-fifties, you often think about the fact that you may not have many years left to serve the Lord. I pray that you help him/her to rest. 69:3). God tells us to look after the widows. 13:1-14. Pastors are good at encouraging hearts that are bent low because of trials. Another name of God is Jehovah Rapha which means the God who heals. Read Luke 8:27-36. Some wag observed that life is like a roll of toilet paper: the closer you get to the end, the quicker it goes! We are trusting that God knows what he is doing, even if the circumstances make us think otherwise. In that case, the waiting seems impossible. 29 Bible Verses about Waiting On God ... Not Discouraged Those Who Wait For God risk Waiting Boldness Examples Of. It isn’t over until we meet the Lord in heaven or in the air. He didn’t mention that Paul would be incarcerated for two years in Caesarea, and then transported to Rome as a prisoner. We might not see any changes in these times of waiting, particularly through times of difficulty and periods of personal growth, but there is a plan and purpose in all of it.

God can see … It was while Paul’s imprisonment dragged on beyond the two years in Caesarea into his time in Rome that he wrote to the Philippians, “Do all things without grumbling or disputing; that you may prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world” (Phil. What a wonderful example he was in turning to God’s Word instead of thinking he had what it took to stand up to the enemy. Are you waiting for something you’ve been praying about for a very long time and the answer has not come? Helping Someone in Grief: 17 Things You Need to Know. He was just quietly going about his business in the temple when some Jews from Asia “happened” to spot him and start the riot that led to his imprisonment. In that case, let me suggest that you get alone and sing to God. 6 Bible verses on waiting on God Inemesit Udodiong. I’m still in this prison and my prayers have not been answered.” He could have grown bitter and disappointed with God. There are many lessons that we can learn from our times of waiting for God’s delays, but I would like to focus on two: God uses His delays to teach us to trust Him more fully and to submit more thoroughly to His lordship over our lives. The notice we get seems almost like an insignificant passing comment: “But after two years had passed, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus; and wishing to do the Jews a favor, Felix left Paul imprisoned.” You can read that comment in a few seconds, but it represents two long years of Paul’s life, and he wasn’t getting any younger. Could He be preparing His people for something really big, and only He knows how He must make them ready in the place of prayer and intimacy first? His time is not our time. Anne has published 14 books including her memoir, Broken: A story of abuse, survival and hope. When He does not answer, we say there is no God. I don’t think there is one of us who hasn’t felt like this at times. Why not just pay off Felix and get on with his great goals? One day a friend saw him pacing the floor like a caged lion and asked, “What is the trouble, Dr. Brooks?” “The trouble is,” Brooks replied, “that I’m in a hurry, but God isn’t!”. My sovereign God used those twelve years to work in my son’s heart and bring him back into the fold. The world won’t be able to figure us out! Worship while you wait. Wait for God’s promise instead of going your own way (Acts 1:4). Examples Of God's Timing And … This was not a self-centered agenda. Those three words “Jesus Never Fails” have given me strength I did not have over and over in my life. Photo courtesy: ©Thinkstock/Siri Stafford. In Psalm 130:5, David says, “I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope.” When we patiently wait for God, we are affirming that we trust him to fulfill his word. The conditions and torture in the prison were terrible. There is nothing wrong with godly desires and hopes for the future. How do we rejoice in Him when we don’t feel like rejoicing? He trusted God by doing what he knew to be right, even though it seemed at the time to sacrifice his goals for the gospel. Help me to be patient in prayer, not give up, and trust You even during moments when I feel negative emotions. Romans 8:25. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture Quotations are from the New American Standard Bible, Updated Edition © The Lockman Foundation, Related Topics: Character of God, Faith, Spiritual Life, Steve served as the pastor of Flagstaff Christian Fellowship from May, 1992 through his retirement in December, 2018. And when I’m in a place with people all around and singing is not possible, just reciting the words still helps my fears to dispel as I lean with all my weight on God. Help me to pray by faith consistently and long-term, to believe, wait, and then move forward in Your timing. The Danger of not Waiting on God After the Due Order. The Bible is the ultimate source for truth and God is faithful to fulfill all His promises. Bible > Sermons > 1 Chronicles 15:13. Scripture offers plenty of examples of saints who got weary of waiting for God and chose to do things their way. Why not? Waiting, however, usually focuses on some one to do something. Waiting for the next season of life. Much of our anxiety in waiting is because we forget that “God is able to make all grace abound to you” (2 Corinthians 9:8). God never meant for us to bear our own burdens. It’s taking longer than expected. But involving others in this process is helpful. Finally, it looked like he would be able to realize that dream. God does not lie and if he says he is the God who provides, we can be assured that he will. But after all the planning and goal-setting are done, we have to bow and say, “Lord, not my will, but Your will be done with my life. We want immediate results and find it so difficult to wait. He’s sneaky and he knows our weak points. He wanted to preach the gospel in the regions that had never heard of Christ. However it wasn't and still isn't easy to do! He fought intense depression and struggled against numerous setbacks. Posts about Bible examples of waiting on God written by russellmckinney I trust in Your agenda for me.”. Bookmark the permalink. Why would God let the pigs drown? One of my favorite old hymns is Jesus Never Fails, by Arthur A. Luther. We all find ourselves in time of waiting on God. He submitted to the lordship of Christ by not grumbling, even though Felix was wronging him by not releasing him. Therefore I swore in My anger, truly, they shall not enter into My rest” (Ps. In this case, they are waiting upon God to do some special thing. By the time the guard came back for me, I was totally peaceful. Failing to wait on God is an insult to his providence. 27:13-14). The older you get, the quicker life seems to fly by. But, God wants us to trust Him when it seems as if some evil person is blocking our ability to move forward with our plans for serving the Lord. 15:20). He has been preaching at least for thirty years, and yet he wants books! The Judsons buried him in their back yard and plodded on through their tears. We should use times when God makes us wait to deepen our roots with Him. In God’s eyes, it is a breath (2 Peter 3:8). Believing God is powerful means that we know he is in charge of what’s happening; things are not arbitrary or out of his control. But, we’re not just waiting around; we’re waiting on God. I am certain that he studied during this time because during his final imprisonment in Rome, as he awaited execution, he wrote to Timothy, “When you come bring the cloak which I left at Troas with Carpus, and the books, especially the parchments” (2 Tim. Should we fake it. Waiting in line. We all should dream about what God may do through us in the future. Maybe you like to memorize verses so you can meditate on them when you are experiencing hard times. If you have been a Christian for very long, you have experienced God’s delays. This evening I want us to consider waiting on the Lord. Paul was a great man of faith, but no one graduates from the Lord’s school of faith in this lifetime. Even though we are seeking to trust in the Lord, it is so easy to put our hope in our circumstances instead of in the Lord Himself. 8. - iBelieve Truth: A Devotional for Women - February 3, 2 Boys Sing Anti-Bullying Duet and Simon Hits the Golden Buzzer, No, the Bible Does Not Contradict Itself. Will I Still Be Married to My Spouse in Heaven? God's Word is filled with promises from our Creator to provide and deliver. Anne Peterson is a speaker, poet, and published author who is a regular contributor to Crosswalk. Every time that Felix called for Paul (and … He wrote, “I am weary with my crying; my throat is parched; my eyes fail while I wait for my God” (Ps. If you’ve been in the military, you’re familiar with the phrase, “Hurry up and wait.” They get you out of bed at 5 a.m. so that you can stand in formation for 45 minutes to wait for breakfast. The only other English-speaking couple in Rangoon left, leaving the Judsons alone to struggle with the language and the mission. Sometimes our faith wavers; the longer we must wait for an answer, the harder it becomes. In a human’s eyes, twelve years seem an awfully long time to wait. But while waiting on God we simply open up and throw up ourselves before the Almighty. “Good morning, ma’am, I’m the plumber. “God? Charles Spurgeon (Spurgeon’s Expository Encyclopedia [Baker], 11:386) comments on that verse: He is inspired, and yet he wants books! David wrote, “I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. He has also set eternity in their heart, yet so that man will not find out the work which God has done from the beginning even to the end. David experienced them. But once they took the matter into their own hands, they actually failed God. When I was at my sister’s murder trial waiting for my turn to testify, I remember quietly singing hymns. But Paul was seeking to serve the Lord by spreading the gospel where Christ had not yet been named (Rom. After a difficult four-month voyage, they arrived in India only to hear discouraging reports about Burma and to learn that they could not stay in India. But they grumbled about their conditions and wanted to return to Egypt. Thankfully, God is stronger than anyone, and he will be what we need in every situation. Reveal what is in my heart, and make me ready to handle the answer in the right way when it comes. But he plodded on in faith until he died at age 62. When you are waiting on God to move in a situation, get into Scripture and recall His promises. There is a form of spiritual discipline that is mentioned many times in the Bible but is not generally understood or practiced by many Christians. If we want God’s rest in our hearts, we must not only submit to Him in times of waiting, but submit joyfully. All Christians are waiting to some extent as our true home is in heaven.I hope you enjoy these quotes about waiting and encourage you to be patient in what ever situation you … We must trust Him to accomplish His will through us by His power. Paul must have struggled as he remained in custody in Caesarea. Maybe today Felix would trust in Christ and this whole time of imprisonment would finally make sense! Q. 2:14-15). I thank You that You have all wisdom and will answer my prayers in the perfect way. For the very person he puts on your heart may be the same one who’s just whispered a prayer to God. Praying is important. They are in a stage of waiting. After six years, they finally baptized their first convert. And before you think that you don’t have time, we make time for the things that are important to us. He did not make us to be isolated. Again he wrote, “My soul waits in silence for God only; from Him is my salvation” (Ps. As we saw last week, Paul was a man of integrity who would not use corrupt means, even if they would have accomplished a good end. Waiting on God is more than just praying. Judson later was released from prison only to face the deaths of his wife and his two-year-old daughter. Because when one falls, the other can help him up. Then you march to your class 20 minutes before class starts so that you can stand in line waiting for the other class to be dismissed so that you can go in. But he would not compromise his integrity in order to reach a godly goal. “God, I need You right now!” No answer. So I often ask myself what I need to be doing with the remaining time that the Lord gives me. It is not an exaggeration if I say that waiting on God begins only after presenting our needs before Him in prayer. In 1824, the British went to war against Burma, and Judson was arrested, tortured, and imprisoned on false charges as a spy. But then, as far as the text tells us, the Lord sort of checked out, as far as any visible or audible messages to Paul. I love how The Message translates Romans 8:24-25: Waiting does not diminish us, any more than waiting diminishes a pregnant mother. We usually don’t understand the reason for God’s delays, but we need to trust that He knows what He is doing, and that He is not frustrated in the least by the whims and foibles of wicked men. 509. 10 Ways to Improve All Your Relationships, 10 Things Selfish People Always Do in Relationships, 4 Things You're Doing That Are Keeping You Anxious, 10 Ways to Deal with the Difficult People in Your Church, The Bow and the Arrow - Crosswalk the Devotional - February 2, Do Your Words Hurt or Heal? A man, toolbox in hand, rang the doorbell. One of his names is Jehovah Jireh, which tells us that he is the Lord who will provide. We are often consumed with activism and a results-oriented lifestyle. The Bible says we are to encourage one another. But while Paul sat in prison in Caesarea, he had to submit his agenda to God and trust God to work out His agenda in His time. As I said, there is no mention of God in verse 27. Concentrating on what is true helps us recognize when Satan starts lying to us. T here are so many great waiting quotes that help to put things in perspective when we find it hard to be patient. Going for a walk helps us to clear our minds and to concentrate on the beauty that is all around us. Is it hypocrisy to rejoice in the Lord even when you feel like grumbling? Do you sometimes feel stretched to the very limit of your endurance? After all that he had suffered for the cause of Christ, I couldn’t blame Paul if his plan had been to retire to a nice seaside resort and write his memoirs. ... Joseph of Arimathea came, a prominent member of the Council, who himself was waiting for the kingdom of God; and he gathered up courage and went in before Pilate, and asked for the body of Jesus. God, you are not surprised at what they are facing. Belief speaks about trust in. She replied, “No, but I know Albert and he can be trusted.” As Christians, we may not understand why God makes us wait at times when it seems that we need immediate answers. Not waiting for God’s perfect timing to bring this person in your life could cause you to marry the wrong person you may be dating, all because you did not have the patience to wait for the person God has in mind for you. And while the rest of the world communicates regularly, they do not. But Paul no doubt used this time for spiritual advantage. There are many scriptures that speak of waiting on God or waiting for God and are essentially the same; it is a form of waiting that is specifically related only to God. I choose to trust you, and I refuse to believe the lies of the enemy. From 1977-1992 he was the pastor of Lake Gregory Community Church in Crestline, California. Article by GreenBeachSox. They call for a plumber, claiming it’s an emergency, and then they move away!”. In this case, it is important to remember that if we’re not proactive we can conform to the world around us. You’ll look in vain for any mention of God in the verse. Here are 5 Bible stories featuring people who experienced the same situation to encourage you.

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