Waiting Room - Ps. 37:7 Waiting in Rest

Intro

“Comparison is the thief of joy”

Nothing more true. The cause of much of our angst, worry and even bad decisions is impatience

We can get no more side tracked than when we look around.

Paul uses a word picture “run a race set before you.”

As soon as we check in the adjacent lanes, we have tendency to float over.

Psalm 37:7 NKJV

7 Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass.

Psalm 37:7 NKJV

7 Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass.

We must first tackle a fundamental problem…our ability to fret.

Psalm 37:7 NKJV

7 Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass.

We must first tackle a fundamental problem…our ability to fret.

It can become auto pilot.

Shut Your Mouth

Impatient vs. Patient waiting

truth is that many of us wait but only because we have no other choice. And so we grumble, complain, loose focus, don’t pray

Tell-tell signs that you aren’t waiting right

fret - Agitated/Irritated

Q: Where is He trying to get us?

A: To “THAT” palce

to wait (look forward) v. — to look forward to the occurrence of or arrival of.

Observation: You can’t wait for God impatiently and still rest

We have no idea how to rest. We rest with our phones in our hands. FOMO “Fear of Missing Out”

Our concept of rest is not getting a text, FB mention or DM

Ex.: Confident in my wife. Confident in a wife-not so much. I have history w mine. When she could’ve left or quit and didn’t.

Pt.: SECRET: We are resting in the wrong thing first which is what keeps us from wondering if He’s going to show up vs. chilling cause he is.

to “rest” means to be motionless

God’s got a pretty good track record! Dottie Peoples “He may not come when you want Him, but He’s right on time.” Logic: Now if God’s never late, why would He go against His own character AND track record and start now…with YOU?!?!?!?

Q: What is He trying to get us to do?

A: Not to fret aka, be irritated or aggrivated…the opposite of waiting

Good Reason Not to Fret

Psalm 37:8 NKJV

8 Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; Do not fret—it only causes harm.

YOU’RE GOING TO DO THE WRONG THING!!!!!!

Psalm 37:8 NKJV

8 Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; Do not fret—it only causes harm.

ps

YOU’RE GOING TO DO THE WRONG THING!!!!!!

I want to come where you may be and all of us at one time or the other have been. But why does it look like others are winning and we’re not?

Impatient vs. Patient waiting

truth is that many of us wait but only because we have no other choice. And so we grumble, complain, loose focus, don’t pray

Tell-tell signs that you aren’t waiting right

Agitated/Irritated

Q: Why is He trying to get us to Wait?

A: You can’t see it all

Jeremiah 12:5 NKJV

5 “If you have run with the footmen, and they have wearied you, Then how can you contend with horses? And if in the land of peace, In which you trusted, they wearied you, Then how will you do in the floodplain of the Jordan?

Jeremiah 12 NKJV

Righteous are You, O Lord, when I plead with You; Yet let me talk with You about Your judgments. Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why are those happy who deal so treacherously? You have planted them, yes, they have taken root; They grow, yes, they bear fruit. You are near in their mouth But far from their mind. But You, O Lord, know me; You have seen me, And You have tested my heart toward You. Pull them out like sheep for the slaughter, And prepare them for the day of slaughter. How long will the land mourn, And the herbs of every field wither? The beasts and birds are consumed, For the wickedness of those who dwell there, Because they said, “He will not see our final end.” “If you have run with the footmen, and they have wearied you, Then how can you contend with horses? And if in the land of peace, In which you trusted, they wearied you, Then how will you do in the floodplain of the Jordan? For even your brothers, the house of your father, Even they have dealt treacherously with you; Yes, they have called a multitude after you. Do not believe them, Even though they speak smooth words to you. “I have forsaken My house, I have left My heritage; I have given the dearly beloved of My soul into the hand of her enemies. My heritage is to Me like a lion in the forest; It cries out against Me; Therefore I have hated it. My heritage is to Me like a speckled vulture; The vultures all around are against her. Come, assemble all the beasts of the field, Bring them to devour! “Many rulers have destroyed My vineyard, They have trodden My portion underfoot; They have made My pleasant portion a desolate wilderness. They have made it desolate; Desolate, it mourns to Me; The whole land is made desolate, Because no one takes it to heart. The plunderers have come On all the desolate heights in the wilderness, For the sword of the Lord shall devour From one end of the land to the other end of the land; No flesh shall have peace. They have sown wheat but reaped thorns; They have put themselves to pain but do not profit. But be ashamed of your harvest Because of the fierce anger of the Lord.” Thus says the Lord: “Against all My evil neighbors who touch the inheritance which I have caused My people Israel to inherit—behold, I will pluck them out of their land and pluck out the house of Judah from among them. Then it shall be, after I have plucked them out, that I will return and have compassion on them and bring them back, everyone to his heritage and everyone to his land. And it shall be, if they will learn carefully the ways of My people, to swear by My name, ‘As the Lord lives,’ as they taught My people to swear by Baal, then they shall be established in the midst of My people. But if they do not obey, I will utterly pluck up and destroy that nation,” says the Lord.

I need to see from your perspective

Jeremiah 12:1–3 NKJV

1 Righteous are You, O Lord, when I plead with You; Yet let me talk with You about Your judgments. Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why are those happy who deal so treacherously? 2 You have planted them, yes, they have taken root; They grow, yes, they bear fruit. You are near in their mouth But far from their mind. 3 But You, O Lord, know me; You have seen me, And You have tested my heart toward You. Pull them out like sheep for the slaughter, And prepare them for the day of slaughter.

Jeremiah 12:1–3 NKJV

1 Righteous are You, O Lord, when I plead with You; Yet let me talk with You about Your judgments. Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why are those happy who deal so treacherously? 2 You have planted them, yes, they have taken root; They grow, yes, they bear fruit. You are near in their mouth But far from their mind. 3 But You, O Lord, know me; You have seen me, And You have tested my heart toward You. Pull them out like sheep for the slaughter, And prepare them for the day of slaughter.

This is just as relevant today as it was in Jeremiah’s day. Has anyone else ever felt like Jeremiah? As a matter of fact, these are the exact sentiments that David has in Ps. 37

Jer 12:1-3

This is just as relevant today as it was in Jeremiah’s day. Has anyone else ever felt like Jeremiah? As a matter of fact, these are the exact sentiments that David has in Ps. 37

God answers Jeremiah in vs. 5

God gives Jeremiah a perspective that he hadn’t considered. The same way vv. 1-3 stand today, so does vs. 5

Option 1: If you can’t keep up with footmen, no way you can keep up with horses.

Option 2: Don’t waste your time on footmen, when God’s saving you for competing on a higher level

Jeremiah 12:5 NKJV

5 “If you have run with the footmen, and they have wearied you, Then how can you contend with horses? And if in the land of peace, In which you trusted, they wearied you, Then how will you do in the floodplain of the Jordan?

Jeremiah 12:5 NKJV

5 “If you have run with the footmen, and they have wearied you, Then how can you contend with horses? And if in the land of peace, In which you trusted, they wearied you, Then how will you do in the floodplain of the Jordan?

2 Interpretations of vs. 5

2 Interpretations of vs. 5

Option 1: If you can’t keep up with footmen, no way you can keep up with horses.

Option 2: Don’t waste your time on footmen, when God’s saving you for competing on a higher level

You are running the wrong race. You are competing w folk on your level. How will you compete on the level you are made for

Keep Waiting Even When It Gets Worse

Psalm 37:7 NKJV

7 Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass.

Psalm 37:7 NKJV

7 Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass.

“prospers in his ways” he built himself up.

“prospers in his ways” he built himself up.

That’s what you see on IG-there is a humility that comes along with your prospering when God does it!

Read the Promise...

Jeremiah 12:16 NKJV

16 And it shall be, if they will learn carefully the ways of My people, to swear by My name, ‘As the Lord lives,’ as they taught My people to swear by Baal, then they shall be established in the midst of My people.

Jeremiah 12:16 NKJV

16 And it shall be, if they will learn carefully the ways of My people, to swear by My name, ‘As the Lord lives,’ as they taught My people to swear by Baal, then they shall be established in the midst of My people.

to be established means to be built up and to become prosperous

to be established means to be built up and to become prosperous

You can’t get with this unless you come to learn a new 4 letter word…REST!!!

He accidentally became a super star. He tried to quit to get back to preaching. He never wanted and so God gave it to him. God is waiting to give you want you don’t need.

Close

Impatient vs. Patient waiting

truth is that many of us wait but only because we have no other choice. And so we grumble, complain, loose focus, don’t pray

Tell-tell signs that you aren’t waiting right

fret - Agitated/Irritated

Close

Story: Man in biz w his son. Very successful. Son “Time for you to retire. I’ll be president of the company.” Dad “Was going to but I think I’m going to stay a while.” Son didn’t understand. Got frustrated w the way dad was running the company. He got over it and put his head down and went back to work. One day dad “I’m retiring as President. I’ll be Chairman of the board. You can run the company the way you like.” Son “I don’t get it “You needed to be president then, now you don’t.”

Pt: Sometimes God delays our promotion because we haven’t figured out how to rest and we need to be promoted to show off

Altar Call

Charles Jenkins

He accidentally became a super star. He tried to quit to get back to preaching. He never wanted and so God gave it to him. God is waiting to give you want you don’t need.