Waiting IN The Lord

Waiting IN The Lord
by Rev. Janis Barnes

"I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope" ~ Psalm 130:5 NIV

Along this Christian journey, God will tell us one of three things: yes, no, or wait.

For many of us, waiting is the hardest thing to do.  We can deal with yes or no, but waiting is beyond our comprehension.  For many of us, we've been praying and praying for years and yet God still says wait. Sometimes, we might get to get discouraged and want to quit.

But don't give up hope!

See, during those times of waiting, God is preparing you for what you have prayed for. Often times, there's a reason behind the waiting.  We either may not be ready for it or it just may not be time yet.

In those times, we must learn how to wait IN the Lord.

Waiting IN the Lord requires being active in serving the Lord! Study His word, work in various ministries, help someone who is less fortunate. You will be so busy in the Lord that the waiting begins to be a blessing! Before you know it, the Lord will reveal and answer your prayer!

Wait IN the Lord!

Waiting

“But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.” ~ Isaiah 40:31

Waiting is often the most difficult part about being a believer.

Whenever God promises us something, He often delays its manifestation.

For instance, over 10 years ago, God gave me a vision for a fledging entertainment company. He told me that it would touch millions of lives and that I’d have influence over large amounts of people. But, it’s only after years of waiting, of starts and stops, of periods of success and failure that I can now see the plan starting to come together.

Over 4 years ago, God initially gave Michele and I a vision to write a script based on our lives. He told us that it would touch over 15 million people and be a huge success. But it’s only after years of waiting, of drafts and edits, of visions and revisions, of idleness and lulls that we now have an opportunity to show it to larger audiences.

The point is that, as Christians, at some point along the line, we will have to wait. There’s absolutely no way around it.

The question really is, “how well will we handle our periods of waiting?”

Will we get impatient and do things our own way? Or will we trust God to bring about the plan in His own time?

The key is to seek God, for He promises to renew our strength… if we wait on Him.

See, God knows that our times of waiting are really periods of testing; and by testing us, He makes us better Christians; through trials and tribulations, He builds character in us; and in delay, He increases our faith.

In a world full of instant gratification, God knows that we will only appreciate those things that He makes us wait for.

So what are you waiting for today? Seek God in your periods of waiting and watch as He renews your strength.

God bless,
J.W.

Wait

"But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint." ~ Isaiah 40:31

Okay, so, who enjoys waiting?

...Anyone?

...Anyone?

Yup, that's right! No one enjoys waiting, but, unfortunately, it's a necessary part of the process.

See, without waiting, we'd all become spoiled, immature brats who'd feel like we no longer needed God. So... God purposely makes us wait, so that we might appreciate Him and His many blessings.

To help you in your process of waiting, I just wanted to share this poem with you (click here). I hope it blesses you as much as it did me.

God bless,
J.W.

When God Stops Speaking

Have you ever found yourself in a place where God stops speaking? When the well seemingly begins to run dry? When it seems like you’re left by yourself with no where to turn?

Well, if so, this message is for you.

Enjoy!

God bless,
J.W.

----------------------------------------------------
The Place of Nothingness
Os Hillman
May 27, 2009

The Place of Nothingness

"Be still and know that I am God" (Psalm 46:10)

Do you find yourself in a place of nothingness? There is a time and place in our walk with God in which He sets us in a place of isolation and waiting. It is a place in which all past experiences are of no value. It is a time of such stillness that it can disturb the most faithful if we do not understand that He is the one who has brought us to this place for only a season. It is as if God has placed a wall around us. No new opportunities - simply inactivity.

During these times, God is calling us aside to fashion something new in us. It is a place of nothingness designed to call us to deeper roots of prayer and faith. It is not a comfortable place, especially for a task-driven workplace believer. Our nature cries out, "You must do something" while God is saying, "Be still and know that I am God."

You know the signs that you have been brought into this place when He has removed many things from your life and you can't seem to change anything. Perhaps you are unemployed. Perhaps you are laid up with an illness.

Many people live a very planned and orchestrated life where they know almost everything that will happen. But for people in whom God is performing a deeper work, He brings them into a time of quietness that seems almost eerie. They cannot see what God is doing. They just know that He is doing a work that cannot be explained to themselves or to others.

Has God brought you to a place of nothingness? Be still and know that He really is God. When this happens, your nothingness will be turned into something you will value for the rest of your life.

Copyright 2000 by Os Hillman.

Os Hillman
TGIF (Today God Is First)
www.marketplaceleaders.org

God's Perfect Timing

"There is a time for everything, a season for every activity under heaven." ~ Ecclesiastes 3:1

So, for the past two months, I've just been waiting.

Since the campaign ended in November, I've been looking for a job and had a couple of interviews during the first part of December.

But since then, I've just been waiting.

Waiting for a phone call, an e-mail, a letter, something that would give me direction, some sort of response from someone.

But for the past few weeks, there's been nothing. No phone call, no e-mail, no letter, no anything!

In times like these, we often think that God has forgotten about us. That he has abandoned us. That he doesn't care about what happens to us.

But nothing could be further from the truth.

You see, waiting builds patience, character, and strength. It shows us that life is not all about us, but rather about God's work through us. It's not about our plans, but God's divine plan. It's not about our timing, but God's perfect timing.

The sooner we learn that, the better and more fulfilled our lives will be.

There is a time for everything. We just have to wait for ours.

God bless,

J.W.