Sunday Morning - February 22, 1998
Text: Genesis 16:2 "And Sarai said unto Abram, Behold now, the LORD hath restrained me from bearing: I pray thee, go in unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai."
THE LORD'S MANNER
Isaiah 30:18 "And therefore will the LORD wait [long piercing wait], that he may be gracious unto you, and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: for the LORD is a God of judgment [determination, discretion, disposing, manner]: blessed are all they that wait for him."
TO WAIT IS TO:
Bear children, to have a calve, to fear, to hope, look, be in much pain, rest, shake, be sorrowful, to stay, to tarry, to be wounded.
THE LORD WILL NOT HURRY
Psalms 69:3 "I am weary of my crying: my throat is dried: mine eyes fail while I wait for my God."
TEACHING METHODS
Isaiah 30:20 "And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity, and the water of affliction, yet shall not thy teachers be removed into a corner any more, but thine eyes shall see thy teachers:"
TEACHABLE AND LEADABLE
Psalms 25:5 "Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day."
Isaiah 26:8 "Yea, in the way of thy judgments, O LORD, have we waited for thee; the desire of our soul is to thy name, and to the remembrance of thee."
Isaiah 25:9 "And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the LORD; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation."
Job 40:8 "Wilt thou also disannul
my judgment? wilt thou condemn me, that thou mayest be
righteous?"
HE WILL BEAR LONG WITH US
Luke 18:7-8 "And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? 8. I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?"
WAITING IS RESTING
Psalms 37:7 "Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass."
PATIENT WAITING
Psalms 40:1-2 "I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. 2. He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings."
STRENGTH GAINED IN WAITING
Psalms 27:14 "Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD."
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."
Lamentations 3:25-26 "The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. 26. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD."
WAIT WITH EXPECTATION
Micah 7:7 "Therefore I will look unto the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation: my God will hear me."
Psalms 123:2 "Behold, as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their masters, and as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress; so our eyes wait upon the LORD our God, until that he have mercy upon us."
Psalms 62:5 "My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him."
THOSE WHO WAIT INHERIT
Psalms 37:9 "For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth."
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."
Isaiah 64:4 "For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him."
FRUIT OF IMPATIENCE
Genesis 16:11-12 "And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael [God will hear]; because the LORD hath heard thy affliction. 12. And he will be a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man's hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren."
ABRAHAM LEARNED TO WAIT
Hebrews 11:9-10 "By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise: 10. For he looked [waited as "the husbandman waiteth... for fruit" James 5:7] for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God."
THE LORD IS IN CHARGE!
Isaiah 49:23 "...thou shalt know that I am the LORD: for they shall not be ashamed that wait for me."
Job 23:13-14 "But he is in one mind, and who can turn him? and what his soul desireth, even that he doeth. 14. For he performeth the thing that is appointed for me: and many such things are with him."
TRUST AND WAIT ON HIS JUDGEMENTS
Psalms 19:9-11 "The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether. 10. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. 11. Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward."