For more messages from Charles Stanley, including this week’s broadcast, go to intouch.org/tv.
let’s think about it for just a moment
well what are the requirements for
waiting upon God because there are
requirements well the first one is this
and that is I have to trust him if I’m
gonna wait upon God I’ve gotta trust
them because my waiting is saying I’m
trusting you God that your timing is
better than mine you know what I do not
know your time is always right and so
I’m gonna trust you and I’m gonna wait
till you give me permission to go there
I’ll do this I have that ababa Ella it
isn’t that God’s trended the promise of
anything he only wants what is best for
us so it takes faith and then what I
mean by better simple this am I willing
to trust God for his timing before I
make a decision you say well how do you
will you know God’s timing he will show
you what does he say ask and it should
be given you seek and you should find
nothing that she’ll be open to you that
is God is willing to show you the truth
if you’re willing to ask him now if
you’re living in sin disobedience to God
you’re probably not gonna hear him
because you can’t hear and because you
don’t think they wanna hear but I’m
talking about people who really truly
want to do the right thing you want
what’s best for you for your family
decisions that you have to make it takes
faith to wait upon God because trusting
him doesn’t mean I’m gonna get what I
want when I wanted trusting him says I
believe that when the timing is right
God will provide what I’m asking him for
so would you say that you have the faith
to wait upon God when you come to a
decision in your life a major decision
it takes faith to wait because we think
well if I don’t get it now what I won’t
get it if I don’t do it now it won’t be
done let me ask you a question is there
anything too hard for God no can’t God
control any and every circumstance yeah
if God tells you to wait do you think
that something’s gonna slip out from
under God’s care know if we’ll stop and
think the power of God the wisdom of God
the love of God the knowledge of God
we’re not going to miss anything
we ought to have but waiting upon God if
God doesn’t provide something that
you’ve asked for and you are trusting
him it’s because you either don’t need
it because it’s not good for you it’s
not the right timing it all boils down
to this do I trust him or do or not a
second thing that is required of us and
that is simply patience in the 37th some
listen this three times the 37th Psalm
he says beginning in verse one do not
fret 2nd times he says rest of the Lord
wait patient for him do not fret third
time do not fret three times in that
Psalm he says don’t pray that is don’t
allow yourself to be they get anxious
about something when you can ask God
about it now if I should ask you do you
believe God loves you you would say yes
what would you include in love wouldn’t
you include good advice good guidance
provision help strength energy what when
you include those things and God’s
guidance and love for you yes you would
if you believe that God is who he says
he is you can believe that God will show
you the right time to do anything and
everything the right time to make a
purchase the right time to go yonder the
right time to do this the right time to
have this particular job God’s timing is
always perfect though I believe that he
has our best interest at heart if I
believe that I’m gonna wait but watch
this somebody says I don’t have any time
to waste you never waste time waiting on
God
never you’ll always find out that his
timing is always the right time it takes
faith it takes patience it takes courage
and I love one of my favorite verses in
the Bible is in this first chapter
Joshua he says have I not commanded you
be strong and courageous do not tremble
or be dismayed for the Lord your God is
with you wherever you go and so if I’m
gonna trust him I’ve got to trust this
time it takes courage let’s say no the
two offers for example I remember on one
occasion somebody wanted to give me a
very very valuable piece of property and
build me a house at no cost in a
wonderful place I thought it was a great
idea I did and so we said about he he
just said here’s the architect and you
know just design it just design it the
way you want it and here’s where we’re
gonna put it which was on a beautiful
island and so naturally I thought well
Lord you just blessing me and then when
I got to pray in that’s not what I got
now I got real encouragement from the
person who wanted to do it and
encouragement by the architect naturally
and so the Lord and I had to talk about
it and I wanted to know well why not why
not and the Lord reminded me that’s not
the right question the right question is
if it’s my will and this is not of me
it’s not my will it looks right it’s
free but it’s not my will and so you
must say no
well then I had to deal with that
Heather I’ll tell my friend that I
cannot accept something so valuable and
beautiful and desirous and when I
finally did naturally he did not
understand
I said the only thing I can tell you is
this when God tells me not to do
something I’ve made enough mistakes in
life to know he means exactly what he
says and I cannot require of God to tell
me why sometimes he’ll tell you why
sometimes he won’t it was probably about
six months later that I realized why
now did I covet it doll during that time
no I didn’t I knew very clearly that God
was saying to me no this is not my will
it looks like my will but it’s not this
is why listening to God is so very
important and it’s why it takes faith
patience and courage to wait upon him
till we know his will many things look
like the will of God because oftentimes
it looks like God’s just being good to
you in other words I couldn’t think of
any reason not to accept something that
was so desirous but finally the Lord
showed me I didn’t have to understand
why all I had to understand this what I
was going to be obedient or not God’s
not watch this God’s timing is perfect
it’s perfect it may appear to be late
but it’s perfect timing
because God knows all of the avenues
that affect us it takes faith it takes
patience it takes courage it takes
determination to obey God takes
determination sometimes because of all
of the things that other people think
and what they say and maybe their
influence in your life and all the rest
it takes determination to wait why are
you going to wait this this is a chance
of a lifetime why you
wait watch this carefully you say what
do you keep saying watch this carefully
because I want you to watch it carefully
because it’s so very important things
may look exactly right but something
deep down inside of you who is the Holy
Spirit is cautioning you and watch this
carefully if you don’t obey the heating
of the Holy Spirit he doesn’t get louder
and louder and louder he comes on loud
to begin with but because of your
disobedience you hear him less and less
and less violently you don’t you have to
determine you have to determine to wait
for God especially when you’ve got lots
of pressure on you you have to determine
the way to plan together everybody has
an opinion about something so think
about it it takes faith patience courage
determination and then it takes strength
know not moving until God says move not
making a choice until God says make a
choice it takes strength and so we go to
the scripture and who is the source of
our strength
Almighty God Lord of this is not your
will give me the strength to say no and
Lord give me the desire of my heart for
you and for obedience so strong I don’t
want to do anything that brings about
disobedience in my life it takes
strength to say no and especially if
somebody is saying oh come on come on
come on come on it’s gonna be okay and
let me tell you what’s gonna be okay
nobody can change the mind of God by
telling you it’s gonna be okay and this
is why you have to be careful it’s easy
to listen to loud boys
is rather than the quiet whisper of the
Holy Spirit
he’s not gonna shout unless it’s so very
important that God is not gonna put up
with it and the other rules with his
sovereign care and comes down so strong
no and God knows how to do that so let’s
go over them again it takes faith
patience courage determination strength
and then the last one it takes is
endurance you just have to hang in there
and listen to people tell you why you
should listen to people tell you why you
should not endure that is you endure
their suggestions their influence their
testimony or whatever it might be but
you have to decide if you’re gonna be
obedient to God or not waiting upon the
Lord is a lesson we learn and having
heard this sermon I pray to Almighty God
you do not walk out of here and forget
what you’ve heard if you do you’re going
to get in trouble the world’s full of
trouble
the world’s full of offers people full
of suggestions of how you ought to live
your life and what you ought to know
what you should not do there’s only one
ultimate supreme voice that you listen
to and that’s God if I’m going to wait
upon him and listen to him it takes
faith patience courage determination
strength and endurance that means I’m
willing to hang in there God with you no
matter what until you show me what to do
obey God leave all the consequences to
him but a way to fund the Lord until you
know that you have heard what he
requires of you