How Should We Wait?

Waiting tests our faith like nothing else. But trusting God always pays off in the end. In this message, Dr. Stanley takes a closer look at the right and wrong ways to wait. Learn how to let peace and confidence rule your heart while you let God work. For more messages from Charles Stanley, including this week’s broadcast, go to www.intouch.org/watch

Today…….I am asking all my prayer warriors to say a prayer that may help others. So many people are hurting right now. Many are struggling with finances and need jobs. Some are facing foreclosure and don’t even know how they are going to make it from week to week.. Many are lonely. . Many are heartbroken. . Many are facing sickness and health is fading. . Some are dealing with difficult family members. Many have lost HOPE.. Tonight, let us put our prayers and faith together decree and declare breakthrough over our families. Financial miracles WILL take place. Jobs WILL be found. Our Bodies WILL be made whole & sickness WILL flee. Marriages and relationships WILL be restored. Family members WILL find Jesus. Heartbreaks WILL be healed. JOY WILL be restored and HOPE WILL be found. In Jesus Name. Amen!!!!!! Keep God First……. #boomchallenge

Well, whether you’re making a purchase or whether you are facing an emergency, that one thing you don’t want to hear is wait, none of us like to wait.
We, we’d like to have it now and we’re living in a time when now is becoming more and more relevant because most anything you want today, you can have pretty quickly, there was a time when you had to think in terms of wait a month or something, then it got down to two weeks, then it’s a week and now it’s almost a day and sometimes you can get it the same day.
Look what a mess we’re in, in this country because people sexually are not willing to wait till they get married.
Everybody wants everything now. And you would think that we, we’ve finally come to the conclusion that it’s ok to have everything you want when you want it.
God didn’t make it that way. He knew that waiting was very, very important.
If he didn’t, he wouldn’t have had so many times in the scripture to bring, bring it to our mind.
And so the 27th Psalm, for example, uh if, if you look at this 27th Psalm.
And the 14th verse says, wait for the Lord be strong and let your heart take courage. Yes.
Wait for the Lord. Now, why would he say it that way?
Because he knows sometimes it’s not easy to wait. It’s not easy to wait. For example.
If you have expected something for a very long time, wait for the Lord be strong and let your heart take courage, be strong that sometimes it takes strength to just wait.
And he says, take courage. Yes, wait for the Lord.
In what area of your life is it the most difficult for you to have to wait.
What area is it?
Is it in a relationship to somebody else or is it money or, and what relationship in your life do you have the most problem?
Just having to wait. When I think about how many times God talks about waiting, waiting is very important as far as God is concerned.
It’s important in our physical life. It’s important in our spiritual life.
In fact, one of the key lessons in the scripture is learning to wait upon God.
How many times he admonishes us to wait and yet we don’t like to wait.
We, we prefer to have things right now, but all of us are wise enough, I think to know that some things it’s better not to have just when you want it there.
Sometimes that having something right now is not wise, maybe we’re not ready for it.
For example, there are some things that are dangerous.
There’s some things that are dangerous, not only physically but emotionally.
So we have to be careful and we have to be conscious of the fact that waiting is more than just an idea.
It is a principle of the word of God. How many times he admonishes us to wait?
And so when we think about it and he makes it so simple when he says, wait for the Lord and then notice the next phrase, be strong and let your heart take courage, which is his way of saying sometime.
It’s not gonna be easy to wait. Listen to that.
Wait for the Lord be strong and let your heart take courage. Yes. Wait for the Lord.
Why would God tell us to wait for anything? Because He knows that waiting has great advantages.
It’s good not to have everything you want when you want it, it’s good to have to wait for some things.
In fact, some things it becomes richer and richer when you have to wait and wait for it.
And we live in a time when we want it. Now, you can have it now.
That’s about the way it is for most things you can have it now.
But there are consequences and paying those consequences is usually not worth what you get.
Waiting upon the Lord is a key principle of the word of God.
And so when I think about that and I think about some of the scriptures, for example, turn if you will to uh Isaiah chapter 40 for a moment.
And um I want you to notice something in this passage, Isaiah chapter 40.
Listen to this. Do you not know? And have you not heard the everlasting God?
The Lord, the creator of the ends of the earth does not become weary or tired.
His understanding is inscrutable. He gives strength to the weary and to him who lacks might.
He increases power. Though youth grow weary and tired and vigorous, young men stumble badly.
Yet those who wait for the Lord, what happens?
We will gain new strength, they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary.
When a, when a follower of Jesus learns the principle of waiting up on the Lord, you learn one of the most important principles in the word of God.
You can just go from Genesis to revelation waiting upon the Lord is not a popular idea.
It’s not an easy principle, but it is absolutely an essential principle.
If you’re gonna be the person God wants you to be, if you’re going to do the things he wants you to do, learning to wait upon Him is absolutely a key.
When you got married, for example, did you wait for God to show you the right one or did you just decide that he or she was handsome or beautiful.
And uh I’ll wait when you can have it. Now, listen carefully. You can have it now.
But don’t forget this. There is a price to pay when you have everything you want, when you can get it because you have enough money or enough fame, enough clout, whatever it might be to get it, you can have it, but you’ll pay a price waiting upon the Lord is a principle of scripture.
And I want us to think about it for a few moments.
And um he says, for example, in the 25th psalm, none of those who wait for the Lord will be ashamed.
In other words, God will still work in your life as a follower of Jesus by waiting upon the Lord.
He says, you, you’ll not be ashamed when you are wise enough to wait until God gives you permission to do something or to have something.
You won’t be ashamed. You’ll be, you’ll be what you will find yourself with a sense of security.
This is here because God has provided it.
And when people think about getting married, oftentimes they only get married right now.
Not asking Lord, is this issue will or not your will or make big purchases?
Oftentimes not asking God about his will. There’s something about that simple principle.
And you said W A I T that, that four letter word, why is that so important?
Ask God, you start in Genesis ask God, well, I if you violate his caution to you to wait, you always pay a price.
I wanna say it again when you violate that principle and stepping ahead of God not waiting for Him, you always pay a price.
That’s why so many times none of those who wait for the Lord will be ashamed in Psalm 37.
Those who wait for the Lord will inherit the land that is God will give you what your heart needs and desires.
If you wait for his timing, he’s a good God.
And sometimes we act like, well, if I don’t have it now, it’s like God will forget.
Let me ask you what is the only thing God forgets, what is it forgiven sin?
He forgets it. Those who wait for the Lord will inherit the land.
Those who wait for the Lord will not be ashamed.
And so how can we be ashamed when we’re waiting upon the Lord? We don’t have to be ashamed.
And people will ask you sometimes. So why don’t you do? Why have you waited so long?
Why didn’t you do this? Why don’t you, why, why do you wait for this and wait for that and wait for the other?
Because if you’re wise, you wait till you hear from God. Now, think about this.
I think about people who pray and no doubt, let’s just say that everybody prays at night before they go to bed.
Do you pray about the things that you want that God has given you a caution.
Not now when you pray and ask God about making a purchase and you, and you say, well, God hadn’t stopped me.
So it must be all right. Mm mm mm mm. That sounds like a teenager.
That’s not, that’s not what that’s about. If you ask God for something, watch this carefully.
If you ask God about something that you are obligated to wait until God gives you permission to do it.
How many times does he say? Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait upon the Lord.
How wise it is to wait upon the Lord and think about this.
How do most people wait? Do you wait impatiently? That means you complain about it.
You tell other people about it, you tell God about it and you fuss at God because he had already done it.
You wait nervously. Oh God, am I gonna get it around my eyes? Will you do something? Lord?
Help me, help, help me or do you wait complaining? Think about this.
Think about God looking down on you while you are praying and asking him about something and just asking him and complaining all the time because he hadn’t given it to you yet.
And then people, they wait questioning God. Well, Lord, why don’t you do it? Now?
Think about something that you’ve asked God about in your life that He didn’t do immediately.
Uh What was your response, didn’t you question? Think about this, didn’t you question his judgment?
Well, well, why not? Now knowing in your heart?
If you think how unreasonable this is, you make a request before God of something that’s legitimate and he doesn’t give it to you right then and then you come back and say, well, now, Lord, what are you waiting for?
And you can’t come up with any good reason why God hadn’t given it to you now.
And so what happens? You begin to complain in your heart.
You know that God says asking that you be giving you seeking is your not gonna let you be able to you.
That is God is a good, wonderful, awesome God, very, very generous given all of us more than we deserve.
And yet when we don’t get it, when we want it, we come complaining, stop and think.
Would God withhold something from you that is good for you?
No, would he withhold it if now is the right time?
No, if you stop and think any, any time God withholds something from you, it’s God withholding something out of wisdom, love and for our benefit that He knows that later is better later.
We’ll be ready for it later. We will be equipped to it.
We’re not always equipped for everything we asked for and you would say that to your teenager or your grandchildren, you’d say to them.
There’s some things you’re not ready for and at the same time, you ask God and He doesn’t give it to you when you want and you question God.
So listen to this, think about all these attitudes, impatiently, nervously complaining, questioning, frustrated, irritated and miserably.
We wait, what have you been asking God for that? He has not given you.
I cannot tell you how important waiting upon Almighty God is because it is the key to the way God operates.
I don’t, I can’t think of much I’ve ever asked God for that.
I got immediately and watch this. Sometimes we’re not ready.
Sometimes what we’re asking for is the right thing.
But God knows when you’re ready for it or when you’re not.
And so we complain about God because He’s because He’s not giving us what we want when it’s not that He’s not giving us what we, he’s waiting till we get ready.
And sometimes he’s waiting until we realize that He’s the source of what we’re looking for in life and not someone else.
And sometimes He wants to teach us the fact. We don’t need that.
We think we need that. We, he knows we don’t need that.
He knows that would be a stumbling block in our life.
He knows that he has something better than that. Something. Watch this.
Some things do not fit us when we think they do. They just don’t.
And so we have to wait and a good example of whether we trust God or not is if I’m willing to wait, we tell our Children to wait on marriage.
Wait, when it comes to money and our unwillingness to wait will get us in trouble, get us in debt, get us embarrassed.
You name it. And so what does God say?
He says, wait upon the Lord, be strong and never get courage. Wait, I say on the Lord.
And so we think about how we should wait. So I hope you’ll jot these down.
How should we wait? We should wait patiently. We should wait patiently.
And uh when I, when I think about how many times we’re admonished in the word of God, I waited patiently for the Lord and he inclined to me and heard my cry.
He brought me out of the pit of destruction, out of my, set my feet up on a rock, making my footsteps firm.
Listen to this. He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God.
Many will see in fear and will trust in the Lord that is, you’re gonna be blessed.
If you wait for whatever you’re looking for and searching for and, and what you need in life.
If you wait for God’s timing, none of us would question the fact that God’s wiser than we are.
We know that he’s was that we are so therefore whatever I’m asking him about, surely, I know that He knows the right time.
The best time watch this and he knows that if I get it ahead of time, I won’t enjoy it.
He knows if I get at the right time and enjoy the rest of my life.
There are not many principles in the word of God more important than wait upon the Lord.
Wait, I say upon the Lord. So secondly, how should we wait?
We should wait quietly, listen to this psalm 62. My soul waits in silence for God.
Only here’s what that means. I stop complaining. I wait quietly and stop complaining. Thank you Lord.
I know that in your given time and your good time, you will provide exactly what I’m asking for.
And then of course, we wait, trusting Him. No words.
Waiting just doesn’t mean that we don’t say anything. We don’t do anything but waiting, waiting is actively trusting God.
I’m trusting you. Lord is saying it, I’m trusting you, Lord. That is, I’m not fretting about it.
If I’m fretting, I’m not trusting. If I’m asking, believing and patiently waiting. I’m not saying to him.
Well, Lord, I’ve waited three weeks. I’ve waited three months. I waited six months.
And it’s amazing what people get upset about when God doesn’t give them what they ask for immediately.
And yet the same parent would look back and see how they taught their Children to be patient.
Patience is very key from God’s perspective.
God doesn’t mind us coming to him over and over and over again. About something.
But he wants us to wait, trusting him, trusting in the Lord with all of our heart leaning not to our own understanding and all of our ways, acknowledging Him, he’ll bring it to pass.
Would you say that you’re a trusting person? Think about your prayer life for a moment.
First of all, do you pray every day? If you don’t, you’re gonna get in trouble.
All of us need to talk to Him every day. Do, do you, do you pray patiently?
And how many times have I heard this? Will I ask God about it?
And I prayed several times about it and I don’t think God was listening to me.
Well, so I would ask the question, what does God have to do? Think about this?
What does God have to do in your life to assure you that He is listening without saying anything audibly to you.
What does He have to do? Can you trust him to keep His word?
Shouldn’t that be enough asking? It should be given you seeking.
You should find it should be open to you, not necessarily today or next week or next month, but am I willing to believe Him?
Because I know that it’s that what I’m asking for is scripture. It’s right. It’s good.
It’s the kindness of God. I feel free about that.
But the timing, why, why, why do I have to wait?
So remember this God in His wisdom and love always has a very specific reason for causing us to wait for some particular thing that we’re asking about because watch this, all we see is what’s in front of us.
God sees not only what’s in front of us, but he sees what’s beyond that and beyond that and beyond that.
And he sees the effect it’ll have in our life, whether we wait or whether we don’t wait.
And so wedding is a very important principle in the word of God.
I’m to wait, expectantly listen to this.
I would have despaired unless I had believed, I would see the goodness of the Lord.
The times when there are situations and circumstances, we think it’s absolutely essential that I have this or that.
Now when that’s really not true, this is the principle of scripture.
You wait till you get God’s permission to make serious decisions.
And I mean, many decisions are not big decisions, they’re small decisions, but they’re serious because of the consequences.
If I’m only looking from here to there, I’m not gonna see it.
The spirit of God came into your life. The moment you trusted Him as your savior.
One of his primary reasons to come into your life was to seal you as a child of God, but also to give you direction and guidance.
That’s one of his primary purposes to give guidance and direction in a sinful wicked, vile world.
We have what we have is we have God living within our spirit to give us guidance and direction, to when to say no, when to say yes.
When they go this way, when they go that way, it is foolish to try to live your life in this world without God and without listening, which means your prayer life ought to have a priority in your life every day.
The priority of our life ought to be time we spend alone with him being quiet and a good time to do.
That’s when you start the day out.
There are people who work in situations and circumstances every day in the opposite they live in.
They’re gonna walk into a den of temptation, walk into a den of wickedness and vileness and foul language and all the rest.
But they work there and they have to, they have to be there at this particular point in their life.
You cannot go in to work wherever you work, forget God and just doing what you wanna do.
We have to be sensitive to our surroundings careful about who sees what, what we listen to, what we don’t listen to and who is trying to influence us in some way.
Wait upon the Lord. We wait trustingly quietly patiently expectantly. I would have despaired.
We wait courageously, wait for the Lord, be strong and let your heart take courage, watch this.
God knows that there’s some things it takes courage to wait for, takes courage to wait.
You just have to wait though, you don’t wanna wait.
Sometimes you, sometimes we can’t, we can’t even come up with a reason why God wouldn’t do it now.
And if I’ve heard one thing in the past, I’ve heard that so many times.
Well, what, what, what is God waiting for?
Well, you know, I could give you all kind of answers but the truth is he’s waiting, he’s waiting from a heart of love to give you what you’re asking for.
If it’s His will, if it’s not his will, you’re not gonna have it.
But he’s waiting till the time is right.
So I want you to think for just a moment.
I’m gonna give you 15 seconds to think about something you ready.
And I want you to think about something you’ve been asking God for something, maybe for somebody else or something for yourself.
And uh how have you? I’m gonna give you 15 seconds to respond to this.
How have you been responding to your request to God? You’ve got 15 seconds to think about it.
All right.
Have you been waiting upon him courageously?
Patiently knowing that He always wants what’s best for you.
In other words, are you patiently waiting for God to answer your petition or you come to Him over and over and over again saying God, why not?
Why, why not? I, I’ve prayed about this and I’ve thought about it, why not?
And here’s his answer because I love you.
That’s the reason God is not gonna deprive us of anything that’s good for us that He knows we need that.
It’s ok for us to have that we will enjoy, not disobey him, not make it a God in our life.
Some things you’ll never get because God knows it would become a God in your life.
Then of course, we had to wait standing on God’s word. Listen, I wait for the Lord.
My soul is way and in His word, do I hope so? How do you wait?
Now, let me remind you of one thing.
One of the reasons we have to wait is because of sin in our life.
And God knows how to get our attention when there’s something in our life. That’s not right.
We’re asking them for something else. And we, we’re thinking over here and now God, here’s what I need.
And God is saying, well, over here is the reason you can’t have it.
Now, when you deal with this, I’ll deal with that.
As long as you won’t deal with this, I’m not gonna deal with that. Sin is a barrier to blessing.
And if we want God’s blessing and if we want to shorten the time, we have to look at our heart, be sure it’s clean.
We’re submissive to His will. We want what He wants, whatever, whatever that is, then more than likely we’ll receive what we’re asking for.
But what I want you to see is this God doesn’t miss a single opportunity to teach me to trust Him.
It doesn’t make any difference whether you’re 21 81.
He’s always in the process of teaching us to trust Him.
Probably every single one of us seated here would say that there is something I’m praying about.
I’m trusting God for, I’m waiting about it.
Are you waiting patiently, as we said, quietly, trusting, expectantly, courageously with confidence.
Are you waiting, trusting Him to hear and answer your prayer?
Or has God brought something to your mind in the last 25 minutes that He wants you to deal with?
More than likely, if something cropped up in your mind, that has to do with what you’ve been asking him about.
That’s the thing He has his finger on. That’s the thing you need to deal with.
If you want God to answer your prayer, he’s a prayer answering God and Jesus made it so simple.
When he was teaching sermon on the mount, he said, ask and it should be given to you seek, you shall find knock, it should be open to you.
In other words, God is so willing.
This is the confidence that we have in Him that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.
And if we know that He hears us, we know that we have the petition we desire of Him.
So we have the promises.
So watch this, obey God, listen to Him and watch him work.
He’ll work. Amen. Father. We think of the simplicity of your word.
You didn’t make it difficult for us to understand.
You made it simple and plain so that we will listen to you more carefully.
We listen to discern your will from our will.
You wanna grow us up, not just in a single answer but lord, we know that you take great delight and granted to us the desires of our heart.
Whoever seated here this morning is praying about whatever is on their heart and struggling with because it has not happened yet.
Would you grant them the understanding even now? But the answer will come.
If it’s your will, it’ll come in your timing.
If we’re obeying you following your word and trusting you, we love you for loving us.
Father in Jesus name. Hey man.