Hope = Waiting with Faith

3 Kinds of Waiting

Growth in You and Others (Patience)

Right Time (Self Control)

Waiting for  God to be the Most Glorified ( Complete Rest and Trust)

1. Waiting for changes or growth in us and others takes understanding, wisdom, grace, humility and a lot of patience.  It is related to the Holy Spirit and it’s fruits in our lives.  Character is established through our ability to love well.  If we love well, we fulfill all that God calls us to do and be. It is a selfless journey and I for one, battle to make those choices that say “I love you” on a daily basis.We can only do it through the Holy Spirit and is what sets us apart from the world.  Our ability to love not only those who are kind to us but also to our enemies.  Our ability to love well is related to healing of  inner wounds.  Once those wounds are healed we are able to receive God’s love and then able to love others well.  It is all part of our sanctification process and our continued growth in our faith and growing into a unified group of people.  We are united by our love.

Psa 133 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is
For brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious oil upon the head, Running down on the beard,The beard of Aaron,
Running down on the edge of his garments. It is like the dew of Hermon, descending upon the mountains of Zion;
For there the Lord commanded the blessing—Life forevermore.

2. Waiting for the Right Time – Wisdom – Self Control

• Ecclesiastes 3:1 There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens:
• Speak when we are to speak – James 3:6-9
• Act when we are suppose to act – Esther 4:14
• Be Still when we are suppose to be still – Be Still and Know that I Am God – Letting and trusting God to do the work

Speak – James 3: 6-9 “And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell. For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and creature of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by mankind. But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.  With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God.”

Isaiah 50:4 “The Lord God has given Me The tongue of the learned, That I should know how to speak A word in season to him who Is weary. He awakens Me morning by morning, He awakens My ear To hear as the learned.”

Action – Esther 4:14 For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?”

Be Still – Daniel 2:21 And He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and raises up kings; He gives wisdom to the wise And knowledge to those who have understanding.

Psa 46:10 Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!

3. Waiting on God and His Timing – Waiting for  God to be the most glorified!

When I was physically healed of a hole in my esophagus I surrendered to a place that was new. I had surrendered to “Whatever you need Lord to be glorified the most. I am in your hands.” If I die or live be glorified. My faith was strengthened. I felt like I passed a test of sorts. I hesitate to say “test” as it was really revealing to me and God what I was really made of.

John 11: 5,6 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So, when He heard that he was sick, He stayed two more days in the place where He was.

Sometimes in our hardest times we know God knows what we are going through but He holds off on responding. It can turn our world upside down with questions and disillusionment. Will we still trust?

John 11:14 “Then Jesus told them plainly, ‘Lazarus has died, and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him’”

Sometimes God cares more about building our faith than appeasing our emotional needs.  Will we still trust?

John 11: 11 “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up.”

Our understanding and reality of pain is not always God’s reality – Will we still trust?

Jesus knew the grief and the hearts that were broken, yet he stayed and did not go so that their faith would increase. Jesus could have healed Lazarus from a distance….yet He didn’t.  Will we still trust?  That is the question.

Hurt by Jesus Lack of Response  is Very Legitimate Hurt

John 11: 21,32-36

21“Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.”

32 When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. “Where have you laid him?” he asked. “Come and see, Lord,” they replied.  Jesus wept. Then the Jews said, “See how he loved him!”

• God is not selfish
• He does not “use us” as the world does to get ahead
• He is not disconnected from the vessel – when He uses us it is always with the thought of His relationship with us first and because of that relationship fruit will naturally come out of love.
• The testing of their faith was not a denial of His Love
• He prolonged their sorrow – but brought a greater joy

 

Two additional times someone dear to Jesus asked him to do something and He refused to grant their request. What is interesting is that He still does what they have asked in His time and in His way.

John 2:1-11 – Water to wine

“Woman, why do you involve me?” Jesus replied. “My hour has not yet come.”

John 7:1-10 – Goes to the Feast of Tabernacles

Jesus’ brothers said to him, “Leave Galilee and go to Judea, so that your disciples there may see the works you do.  No one who wants to become a public figure acts in secret. Since you are doing these things, show yourself to the world.”  For even his own brothers did not believe in him. Therefore Jesus told them, “My time is not yet here; for you any time will do.  The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify that its works are evil.  You go to the festival. I am not going up to this festival, because my time has not yet fully come.”  After he had said this, he stayed in Galilee. However, after his brothers had left for the festival, he went also, not publicly, but in secret. Now at the festival the Jewish leaders were watching for Jesus and asking, “Where is he?”

There was a bigger picture. This miracle was to stir the hearts of many to truly believe He was the Messiah and it also stirred the jealousy and fears of the High Priest Caiaphas. This miracle prompted him and the Sanhedrin council to plan a way to kill him which ultimately brought us to fulfilling prophecy and the release of the Holy Spirit.

So the Lord speaks of things, not as they seem to be, nor even as they are in the present moment, but as they shall be in the long run.” (Spurgeon)

Some of us are still waiting for Lazarus to arise.  Keep Believing.

Isaiah 40:31 but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. But those who wait for the Lord [who expect, look for, and hope in Him] shall change and renew their strength and power; they shall lift their wings and mount up [close to God] as eagles [mount up to the sun]; they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint or become tired.