PRACTICING PATIENCE WHILE YOU WAIT!

ISAIAH 40: 28-31

SOMETIMES IT IS VERY DIFFICULT OT BE PATIENT IN THE WAITING!

ESPECIALLY AFTER WE BRING OUR CONCERNS TO THE LORD OVER AND OVER AGAIN. YOU CAN BECOME VERY TIRED OF THE WAITING. WE BEGIN TO FEEL LIKE OUR PRAYERS ARE FALLING ON DEAF EARS. EVEN THOUGH WE KNOW THAT GOD HEARS US, WE CAN EASILY BECOME IMPATIENT. THIS CAUSES US TO INTERFERE WITH GOD’S BUSINESS INSTEAD OF JUST WAITING

I AM REMINDED OF THE BROACH LADY, SHE STAYED AT A UPSCALE HOTEL AND AFTER CHECKING OUT AND RETURNING HOME SHE QUICKLY DISCOVERED THAT SHE HAD LEFT HER DIAMOND BROACH AT THE HOTEL THAT SHE HAD RECENTLY STAYED. SHE IMMEDIATELY PHONED THE HOTEL AND SPOKE WITH THE MANAGER WHO STATED IF SHE WOULD JUST HOLD ON FOR A FEW MINUTES THAT HE WOULD GO UP TO HER ROOM AND CHECK. SHE STATED THAT SHE WOULD, SO HE PROCEEDED UP STAIRS AND ENTERED THE ROOM AND BEGAN SEARCHING. AFTER A BRIEF SEARCH HE WAS ABLE TO LOCATE THE BROACH. HE THEN HURRIED BACK DOWN TO THE FRONT DESK TO INFORMED THE LADY THAT HE HAD IN FACT LOCATED HER BROACH. BUT MUCH TO HIS DISMAY WHEN HE PICKED UP THE PHONE SHE HAD HUNG UP! SO MANY OF US ARE JUST LIKE THIS LADY, WE ASK FOR HELP, BUT WHEN IT DOES’NT COME ACCORDING TO OUR TIMETABLE WE HANG UP.

1. ISAIAH WHOSE NAME MEANS “ YAHWEH IS SALVATION”

2. ONE OF GOD’S MAJOR PROPHETS

3. SON OF AMOZ, MARRIED AND HAD 4 SONS

4. ISAIAH SERVED NORTHERN KINGDOM OF JUDAH UNDER 4 REIGNING KINGS

5. DURING THAT TIME JUDAH WAS A SINFUL AND UNJUST NATION

6. JUDAH WAS ABOUT TO FACE CONSEQUENCES FOR THEIR DISOBEDIENCE

7. GOD SENT MESSAGE THROUGH JUDAH ESPECIALLY SOUTHERN KINGDOM

8. TO THEIR MAGISTRATES, PRIEST AND PROPHETS IN JERUSALEM

9. ISAH BELIEVED JUDAH WAS GOD’S CHOSEN NATION & WOULD BE VINDICATED

10. ISAIAH WORKED TIRELESSLY TO TURN PEOPLE OF GOD BACK TO GOD.

11. ISAIAH WAS FAITHFUL UN-WAIVERING AND HAD COMPLETE HUMILITY TO GOD

12. ISAIAH WAS A MAN ON A MISSION

13. GOD HAD SHOWN HIM A GLIMPSE OF HIS HEAVENLY THRONE

14. GOD HAD PLACED A CALLING ON HIS LIFE

15. AS A PROPHET HE SPOKE GOD’S WORD

16. MOST WAS WORDS OF CONFRONTATION, EXHORTATION, & WARNINGS

17. THIS MADE HIM VERY UNPOPULAR BECAUSE OF HIS TRUTH

18. WHEN FACED WITH OPPOSITION HE CONTINUED TO STAND FOR TRUTH

19. PRONOUNCING JUDGEMENT ON THEIR IMMORAL & IDOLATROUS LIFESTYLES

20. BOOK OF ISAIAH RECORDS THESE PROPHETIC WORDS OF WARNING

21. CHAPTERS 1-39 SPEAK OF THE CONFRONTING ASSYRIAN INVASION CAPTIVITY

22.BUT CHAPTERS 40-55 SPEAK OF COMFORT YES COMFORTING EXILES

23. INSTILLING HOPE TO A HOPELESS NATION, WHO THOUGHT GOD FORGOT EM

24.SPEAKING DIRECTLY TO DISCOURAGED EXILES IN BABYLON TO 8TH CENTURY

25. WHO FELT ABANDONED DEPLETED ON THE VERGE OF GIVING UP

26.ISAIAH PRESENTS A CASE THAT IT WAS NOT SUPERIORITY OF BABYLON OR IT’S IDOLS THAT PLACED THEM IN CAPTIVITY, BUT DISCIPLINING ROD OF GOD!

“I AM YOUR MISSIONARY”

STORY IS TOLD OF A COUPLE WHO WAS CHOSEN BY THEIR HOME CHURCH TO DO MISSION WORK IN FOREIGN COUNTRY. LOCATION SOUTH AFRICA. THEY WENT BEFORE THE CHURCH AND PUBLICLY ACCEPTED THE ASSIGNMENT REQUIRING ONLY ONE REQUEST. THAT REQUEST WAS THEY WOULD GO, BUT ONLY IF THEIR HOME CHURCH WOULD KEEP IN TOUCH AND PRAY FOR THEM CONTINUOUSLY. THE MISSIONARIES STATED THAT THE ASSIGNMENT FELT LIKE THEY WERE GOING DEEP DOWN INTO A DARK HOLE. SO HE STATED YES! WE WILL GO IF YOU WILL JUST PROMISE TO HOLD THE ROPE.

IN LESS THAN 2 YEARS THE FAMILY WAS HIT WITH THE DREADED FEVER AND THE WIFE AND CHILD DIED AND WAS BURIED IN AFRICA. THE MAN FINDING OUT THAT HE TOO DID NOT HAVE MUCH TIME TO LIVE SO HE DECIDED TO HEAD BACK TO THE STATES. UPON ARRIVAL AS FATE WOULD HAVE IT HE ARRIVED ON A WEDNESDAY WHICH WAS BIBLE STUDY NIGHT. HE ACTUALLY WALKED IN LATE BUT QUICKLY TOOK A SEAT IN THE BACK. NO ONE NOTICED HM, SO HE LISTENED FOR AWHILE. HE WAS HOPING TO HEAR OF SOME INTERCEDING FOR HIM AS THEIR MISSIONARY. THEY PRAYED FOR ONE THING AFTER ANOTHER AND ANOTHER, BUT STILL NO MENTION OF THE MISSIONARIES ON FOREIGN SOILS. HOPING STILL TO HEAR ANYTHING BEFORE THE CLOSING OF THE MEETING, NOTHING WAS SAID. SO JUST AS THEY WERE ABOUT TO END SERVICES, HE WALKED UP TO THE FRONT. NO ONE RECONIZED HIM, UNTIL HE SAID THAT YES, I AM YOUR MISSIONARY! WITH TEARS IN HIS EYES HE TOLD THEM ABOUT THE DEATH OF HIS YOUNG FAMILY. THEN STATED THAT NOW HE UNDERSTOOD WHY HE FAILED IN MISSIONARY ASSIGNMENT.

HE FURTHER STATED THAT THIS EVENING I LISTENED ANXIOUSLY AS YOU PRAYED FOR THIS AND THAT, THING AFTER THING AFTER THING! BUT THERE WAS NOT MENTION OF YOUR MISSIONARIES BACK IN AFRICA. I LISTENED JUST TO SEE IF YOU WERE KEEPING YOUR PROMISE! BUT IN VAIN, YOU PRAYED FOR ONE THING AFTER ANOTHER, YOUR HOMES YOUR INTER-CIRCLE, BUT YOU FORGOT ABOUT YOUR MISSIONARIES. IT WAS BECAUSE YOU HAVE FAILED TO HOLD THE ROPES!

WHAT HAPPENS WHILE YOU WAIT?

WAITING DEVELOPES PATIENTS

PATIENCE IS GOD’S RESTRAINT FROM OPPOSITION AND OPPRESSION

WAITING INCREASES TRUST

WAITING PRODUCES DEPENDANCE

WAITING DEVELOPEMENTS INTIMATE RELATIONSHIPS

BUT MORE THAN THAT STRENGTH!

POWER TO STAND UNDER ADVERSITY OR ATTACKS

TO EXPERIENCE AND SEE FOR YOURSELF WHAT GOD CAN DO!

STORY OF AIRPORT BOARDING

BROTHER-LAW LAW AND WIFE AND FIRST LADY GILLS WE WERE ALL TAKING A SURPRISE TRIP. PLANE HOPING BUDDY PASSES WE ALL HAD CHECKED IN NOW WE WERE ALL WAITING TO BOARD. THE ATTENDANT BEGAN CALLING SECTIONS TO BOARD, GROUP 1, 2, 3, AND FINALLY GROUP 4. THEY HAD CALLED US UP BEFORE TO, BUT I THOUGHT IT WAS JUST TO CHECK IN. BUT NOW I AM GETTING ANGRY BECAUSE I DON’T LIKE THESE BUDDY PASSES ANYWAY. WE ARE THE ONLY ONES LEFT, NOW I SCARED WE ARE NOT MAKING THE FLIGHT AND MAD BECAUSE BRO-LAW DONE LEFT ME! AND I KNEW HE WAS SOMEWHERE SMILING! SO CONTINUES TO WAIT. JUST THEN THEY CALLED MY NAME, MAN I WAS SOMEWHAT RELIEVED, BUT STILL SLIGHTLY UPSET. SO AS I APPROACHED THE COUNTER LOOKING STUPID ! THE LADY STATED CONGRADULATIONS YOU HAVE BEEN UPGRADED TO FIRST CLASS, AND THANK YOU FOR FLYING UNITED!