"WORTH THE WAIT"

Good Evening to All!

For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope. (Romans 15:4 NIV)

Now, my little "Book of Blessings" says it in the NLT which puts it like this: the Scriptures give us hope and encouragement as we wait patiently for God's promises to be fulfilled.

I have ALWAYS been one of the most impatient people when it came to do something or getting something.

When I was little, my mom would get furious with me because I could not stand to wait till Christmas Day to open my presents. I would always sneak a peak when she wasn't home, then wrap them back up. I'm sure she knew because let's face it a 5 year old kid just doesn't have the know-how to wrap presents neatly. This went on for several years until one Christmas she started a new tradition.

She started a tradition of opening ONE gift on Christmas Eve. The problem with that was She picked the gift to be opened and it was never the one I wanted. Needless to say, my plan backfired. LOL! I digress...

Anyway, my mom always told me anything worth having was worth the wait. She told me that from the time I was little til the day she passed away when I was 14. I thought for a long time I was 13, but I miscounted. The point is she was right.

Things are always better if we go by God's timetable rather than our own. When He makes us wait, there is always a good reason for it. We may not be mature enough to handle a situation. He may see an unforetold expense coming up soon that we don't know about, so we don't get the loan for a new car. Our relationship with our boy friend or husband may not work out. Rushing into things is never a good thing to do, especially if we haven't thought to include God in our decision-making.

If I would have asked Him to choose my husband for me the first time, I may not have had to make three different attempts at a good marriage.

God is definitely teaching me to wait on Him. Since I have developed a serious relationship with Him, I have been told by several people NOT TO PRAY FOR PATIENCE. The reason being if we do, Satan will get on the warpath and do everything in His power to shorten our fuse.

I do know from experience that when I do wait on God to help me, when I wait on God to be shown His infinite Wisdom, EVERYTHING turns out better than I could EVER imagine. Not only that, but I grow. Something happens deep within my soul.

I learn to trust Him more. I become more dependent on His guidance. We must ALL learn to WAIT PATIENTLY ON THE LORD.

Isaiah 26:20 says: And let us wait patiently the fulfilling of God's promises.
Psalms 40:1 says But those that wait patiently for God do not wait in vain.

There are many other scriptures which tell us that it would be to our benefit if we would wait patiently for our Lord's promises to come to pass and for His help and guidance.

Good Night to All and May God Bless!

PATIENCE

Good Evening to All!

Tonight's Seed: "and so after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised." Hebrews 6:15
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Waiting. Some days it seems as if that's all we do. We wait our turn to get into the shower. We wait to pay for our gas at the convenience store. We wait in traffic on our way to work. We wait for an important phone call. We wait for a loved one to return to God. We wait.

It's hard to wait patiently. The longer we have to wait, the harder it gets. Abraham is commended for waiting patiently to receive what God promised to hive him. In Genesis 12, God promised to make Abraham into a great nation, to bless him, to make his name great, and to bless all people on earth through him. So Abraham waited. And Waited. And Waited. Abraham waited twenty-five years for God to start fulfilling these promises by giving him a son. that's right! Twenty-five years. And we mumble when we have to wait an extra ten minutes when we pick up the kids after school!

Abraham had no children when God first gave these promises, but the Bible says Abraham patiently waited for God's timing. Patience is a virtue, the say goes. So Abraham was not only the most patient man in the Bible, but also one of the most virtuous! How many of us could wait that long for a promise to be kept? Abraham had not only patience and virtue on his side. He also had faith in God and a certainty that God would keep his promise.

Dig Deeper: The Greek word for "patiently" is makrothumeo, which means to suffer long or be longsuffering and not to give in to despondency. The word is used for being understanding toward people rather than things.

Background Bulb: Although Abraham is congratulated for his faith, he didn't always get everything right. Genesis 15 and 16 records Abraham and Sarah's attempt to "help" God fulfill his promise to them. After ten years of waiting for Sarah to conceive, Abraham lay with his wife's maidservant, Hagar, and asked God to build his line through this son, Ishmael. For the next thirteen years Abraham didn't hear from God. Then in Genesis 17, God finally spoke but not to rebuke Abraham. God affirmed his original promise and told Abraham he would have a son through Sarah. As a sign of his promise, God began the rite of circumcision.

Weed & Water: Impatience, despair, and doubt are temptations that may keep us from waiting patiently. Abraham and Sarah may have thought they misunderstood God's promise. We can learn from their mistake and go to God in prayer, asking for guidance before we try to "help" God fulfill His promises. If God is silent, do nothing and wait patiently. When God speaks, write down his promise and post it at a prominent place. Refer back to the promise often, especially during times of doubt or despair.

Think about it: If you had been Abraham, what may have made it difficult for your to wait patiently?

God viewed Abraham as patient despite his sin with Hagar. How does this help you?


Prayer Pot: Lord, Help me resist despair and to wait patiently for. . . (Insert your own thoughts).

Take-Away Idea: "Waiting is still an occupation. What is terrible is not having anything to wait for.

Good Night and May God Bless!