Mar 22 2008
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Reading for today: Genesis 23:1-20, Matthew 27:57-66
Matthew 27:59-61 (Focus)
It probably was very tough for the two women and Joseph, seeing the Lord in the tomb. They may not have been thinking about how the Father in Heaven is always with us, even in our time of trouble. No matter how hard it was or how tough it is, He is always with us and hears our prayers. That’s how great and merciful He is!
Written by: Kana ~ 4th Grade
Why does God so often ask us to wait? Let’s consider five major rewards of waiting.
1. We discover God’s will and purpose in the things that most concern us.
“The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him” (Lam. 3:25). God does not string us out to tantalize us. He does not say, “We’ll see.” No. Right now, even as we wait, He is working all things together for our good and His glory (Rom. 8:28).
2. We receive supernatural physical energy and strength.
God invites us to claim His promise in Isaiah 40:29–31: “He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might He increases strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall, but those who wait on the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.”
God promises that as we wait on Him, He will supply us with supernatural, physical energy. While our impatience makes us weary and worn, actively waiting on Him energizes us. Five or ten minutes of waiting on God can be like a two-hour nap. Waiting on Him is never wasted time!
3. We win battles.
“Wait for the LORD, and He will save you” (Prov. 20:22). How wonderful to see the Lord rescue us and bless us with His favor! When we do things our way, in our own hurried time, we end up defeated. But waiting on God will ensure our victory and keep us from foolish and precipitous acts.
4. We see the fulfillment of our faith.
“They shall not be ashamed who wait for Me” (Isaiah 49:23). In the end, we’ll never feel embarrassed for waiting on God; it’s always the smart thing to do. When others encourage us to forge ahead instead of waiting on the Lord, we need to remember that we will never ultimately be put to shame. “But Lord,” we may say during a long wait, “suppose it doesn’t work out?” His answer? He’ll never let us down!
5. We see God working on our behalf.
Isaiah spoke of the God “who acts for the one who waits for Him” (Isaiah 64:4). What a wonderful promise! While we actively wait, He actively works. Think of this: every single day, we have the greatest Mediator working on our behalf, when things go wrong or when they go right.
Although waiting can be one of the more difficult things in the Christian life, it is not wasted time. God gives us instructions through periods of actively waiting. He may change our circumstances while we wait. He keeps us in step with Himself and prepares us for His answers. He uses the time to sift our motives and strengthen our faith. And when we choose to wait, God rewards us with blessings both large and unexpected.
Think of waiting on God as something like planting a garden. You put a seed under the soil and water it. And then you wait.
And wait.
And wait.
After the sun and rain pelt the earth, the seeds begin to grow; and one day, finally, you begin to see evidence of what you planted. Now, suppose you had grown impatient and dug up your seeds because nothing seemed to be happening? You would have ruined your garden.
Remember, some fruit takes a long time to mature—and the One who wants to bring it forth in our lives knows exactly how long we need to wait. Waiting makes possible the most luscious fruit of all.
GOD’S PROMISES–WAITING ON HIM
“My soul, wait in silence for God only, for my hope is from Him.”
Psalm 62:5
“Our soul waits for the LORD; He is our help and our shield.”
Psalm 33:20
“For the vision is yet for the appointed time; it hastens toward the goal and it will not fail. Though it tarries, wait for it; for it will certainly come, it will not delay.”
Habakkuk 2:3
“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.”
Hebrews 10:23
“For we have become partakers of Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of our assurance firm until the end.”
Hebrews 3:14
“It will be said in that day, ‘Behold, this is our God for whom we have waited that He might save us. This is the LORD for whom we have waited; let us rejoice and be glad in His salvation.’”
Isaiah 25:9
“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 carries out wicked schemes. Cease from anger and forsake wrath; do not fret; it leads only to evildoing. For evildoers will be cut off, but those who wait for the LORD, they will inherit the land.”
Psalm 37:7-9
“I waited patiently for the LORD; and He inclined to me and heard my cry. He brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay, and He set my feet upon a rock making my footsteps firm. He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God; many will see and fear and will trust in the LORD.”
Psalm 40:1-3
“Therefore the LORD longs to be gracious to you, and therefore He waits on high to have compassion on you. For the LORD is a God of justice; how blessed are all those who long for Him.”
Isaiah 30:18
“Indeed, none of those who wait for You will be ashamed; those who deal treacherously without cause will be ashamed. Make me know Your ways, O LORD; teach me Your paths. Lead me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; for You I wait all the day.”
Psalm 25:3-5
“Wait for the LORD; be strong and let your heart take courage; yes, wait for the LORD.”
Psalm 27:14
“The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, to the person who seeks Him. It is good that he waits silently for the salvation of the LORD.”
Lamentations 3:25-26
“As for me, I will watch expectantly for the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation. My God will hear me.”
Micah 7:7
“My soul, wait in silence for God only, for my hope is from Him. He only is my rock and my salvation, my stronghold; I shall not be shaken.”
Psalm 62:5-6
“The LORD sustains all who fall and raises up all who are bowed down. The eyes of all look to You, and You give them their food in due time.”
Psalm 145:14-15
“I wait for the LORD, my soul does wait, and in His word do I hope. My soul waits for the Lord more than the watchmen for the morning; indeed, more than the watchmen for the morning.”
Psalm 130:5-6
“Therefore, return to your God, observe kindness and justice, and wait for your God continually.”
Hosea 12:6