What are you waiting on
What are you waiting on?
Psalms 27:14; II Kings 8:1-6
A few months ago I felt impressed to preach on what was involved when God answers our prayers with nothing – or to wait. Since that time the Spirit has dealt with me on what happens next.
When we approach God we are assured of one of three answers – yes, no, or nothing (translated – wait).
A green light, a red light, or no light at all.
God does use a yellow light at times, but we are dealing with those times when it seems there is no light at all.
We love yes, and sometimes even “no” isn’t so bad when we know that we have heard from God. But nothing –
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God has designed a way to further involve Himself in our lives by allowing us to wait on Him.
We think of waiting as a delay, a time when we stay in readiness or anticipation for the future. At times it is frustrating, because you are doing nothing - but waiting.
Many times in the scripture we see God dealing with us in this very manner, and just because we don’t get an immediate answer doesn’t mean He’s not answering!
But every time the phrase “wait on the Lord” is used in the Bible, it refers to more than just sitting & doing nothing.
Psalms 27:14 "Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD."
Psalms 37:34 "Wait on the LORD, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land: when the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it."
Proverbs 20:22 "Say not thou, I will recompense evil; but wait on the LORD, and he shall save thee."
Isaiah 40:31 "But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint."
*All of these scriptures define waiting as - to bind together (perhaps. by twisting)
The story starts in II Kings 4 as we see the prophet Elisha being waited upon by a great women that lived in Shunem. She noticed that there was a way that she could help him- and so she did.
Elisha was ready to give back to her, but it seemed that there was nothing that he could really do for her.
He gave her a promise . . . *something bigger than she could even believe for
Ephesians 3:20 – able to do…above what we think
There is something that happens when we wait on God while we are waiting on Him to provide. Something miraculous is born out of our efforts to make room for Him when we could be spending our time some other way.
Do something He likes, and He will show up!
What are you doing to attract God? Are there any clues as to how important He is to you?
Isaiah 40:31 – They that entangle themselves with God will exchange their strength.
Tonight, - let’s see what we can expect after the miracle, after the promise has been fulfilled.
Text-
Next, the child died (chapter 4). The promised son that she didn’t even ask for has died. The woman went back to the source, to everyone else she was fine. When she got to Elisha – all she had was questions. Some things don’t need to be discussed with people that can’t do anything about it. The story ends in chapter 4 with the boy being raised from the dead.
To continue the story, we have to fast-forward to chapter 8, where we find the prophet Elisha telling her to pack up and leave.
Because of her relationship with the man of God, she was warned about coming disaster. A local famine is on the way that will last for seven years. She loses everything she owned when she left it all behind. The royal family had claimed all deserted land, adding greatly to the crown’s wealth.
When she gets back she goes to cry to the king for her house and for her land.
It just so happened that the king had been talking to Gehazi, Elisha’s servant. The king had wanted Gehazi to tell him about all the things that Elisha had done. While he is recounting the story of how Elisha had restored a boy to life, the woman shows up.
The apostle Paul was waiting – he had given up his social status, political power, and career. Once he was knocked down and God got his attention, his life was never the same.
Bam! – what an introduction to the power of God.
The next step was the Arabian desert; okay, it’s been three years but now he’s ready to make his debut.
Damascus – here I come!
Result: they tried to kill him; he escaped by sliding down the wall in a basket at midnight.
Next he went to Jerusalem, where nobody would have anything to do with him. Barnabas befriended him and he did get to meet Peter & James, but 15 days later he was fleeing for his life again. The next 10 years he spent preaching on his own in Cilicia & Syria.
Defending himself once he said - II Cor. 11:24 – “Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; in journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, “” mine own countrymen, “” by the heathen, “”in the city, “”in the wilderness….
II Timothy 4:6-8-
For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which, the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day – and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.