Delays can feel agonizing, but God has a bird’s-eye view and His timing is perfect. In this practical message, Dr. Stanley talks about six things you need in order to receive God’s best in every situation. For more messages from Charles Stanley, including this week’s broadcast, go to intouch.org/tv.
when I think about all the lessons I’ve
learned throughout all the years the
most important principle I’ve ever
learned is this one obey God leave all
the consequences to him but there’s a
second principle though I think it’s so
very important and that is wait upon God
for his timing wait upon God for his
timing his timing is very very important
and so often we think well if I know
what God wants me to do that’s all that
matters no I also need to know when he
wants me to do it or how he wants me to
do it so when I think about these
passages and I think about all the
opportunities we have and whatever God
calls us to do you can never go wrong
wedding for God’s timing but it requires
something it requires it would be
patient because God doesn’t always tell
us immediately when he wants us to do a
certain thing sometimes it’s this time
that yours buy and when we step ahead of
him we get ourselves in trouble so
timing is very important with God
because what he wants to accomplish is
usually more than what we have in mind
so when I think about this I came to
this verse in the twenty-seventh song
which means wait for the Lord be strong
and let your heart take courage yes wait
for the Lord that is don’t hurry but
wait for him waiting for him is a
difficult thing especially when I want
something now or when I think it’s
necessary to have it now and God doesn’t
think the same way wait for the Lord be
strong let your heart take courage yes
wait for the Lord so I think about two
times in my life where this principle
was very important and when I think
about them I think about how absolutely
easy simple and true it is yet
oftentimes it’s not so simple and so
easy and the first one I remember when I
had wrecked my automobile that he hit me
from behind and knocked me about 30 feet
down the street and I remember being in
the car and he got spoke to my heart
don’t buy a car I thought well that’s
strange I’m not anything bad buying a
car
but y’all knew I would be thinking about
it and so I waited in the way didn’t
waited and I thought okay god I’m gonna
do what you say and I’m just gonna trust
and so I finally thought well I’ve got
to do something so I went to this dealer
and I set in this particular car I’d
chosen I waited and I prayed and talked
to God about it and then I got him left
then I went back and I sat in it and I
fumbled around like you doing checking
everything out to see how it all works
and it’s like God said to me do you want
this do you want my best I saw God I
want your best he said well don’t buy
this car so when the salesman walked up
and said what he hit me I said you
probably won’t quite understand what I’m
thinking but I’m not gonna buy this car
and so it was probably a few months
later I’m going with the friend of mine
to a meeting and he says when are you
gonna buy yourself a car I said well
I’ve just been waiting for God to show
me he said well what kind of would you
buy if you were gonna buy one I didn’t
even think I said well if I just had my
choice I’d buy one like this and three
days later I got a check in the mail to
buy that car now it was a whole lot
better than the one I was looking at you
know whole lot more expensive and then
of course I I don’t always do the right
thing sometime and when I first came to
Atlanta I would live with a friend of
mine that three months because couldn’t
find a house
and so finally after looking and looking
and looking
I said okay we’ll take this one but I
said now one thing I want to be sure I
put in the contract there’s no water in
the basements in a water in the basement
not No Deal well when I went home I
thought well Lord I didn’t do what you
said there I stepped ahead of you that
night it came this horrible torrential
rainstorm but a foot of water in the
basement and saved me the very same day
that it rained I found the house that we
moved into brand-new house yards timing
isn’t good it’s perfect because he knows
all the details
he knows past present future he knows
what we need what we want
what’s the wisest thing to do you can
never go wrong waiting upon God’s timing
so when you think about decisions that
you make and decisions that you’re faced
with ask yourself the question am i in
the hurry am i waiting on God’s timing
and I talk to people oftentimes who are
making big decisions who tell me why
they’ve got to do something right now
and I’m always willing to say do you as
God told you this is the right time well
I don’t always hear from God Oh sir well
if you haven’t heard from him you better
listen because God has a right time and
a wrong time the scripture says in this
27th Psalm wait for the Lord
listen to this be strong and let your
heart take courage yes wait for the Lord
that thought in verse he repeats it wait
for the Lord be strong and let your
heart take courage why do you say that
because oftentimes it takes courage to
wait but listen when the Spirit of God
saves you the Spirit of God inhabited
your life he was there for a number of
reasons one of which was to give
instruction to give direction for your
life because God knows none
so sufficiently than ourselves to always
make wise decisions and so we have the
Holy Spirit to caution us to quicken our
spirit to do the right thing always
willing and ready to show us the right
thing to do so when he says be strong
let your heart take courage wait for the
Lord
sometimes it takes courage and sometimes
we have to be strong to say no not right
now so what I want to talk about is this
simple subject when God says wait when
God says wait in your life what do you
do do you pray and say well Lord thank
you for that but I think I’ve got this
all figured out now Lord know when God
says wait that’s exactly what he means
whatever the issue is
you wait till God gives you direction
somebody says well now I don’t know that
I always hear God watch this carefully
you listen and say Amen that’s why you
need to learn to listen to God when you
don’t have anything that’s pressing you
don’t start like this you learn to
listen to him when you don’t have a big
issue in life when there’s no pressure
you make it a habit to listen to him
with little things in life things that
are not so crucial at that particular
point learning to listen to God and
waiting on his timing I believe is the
second most important principle in the
word we’re now talking about whether we
believe in God now we talk about
Christians we’re talking about waiting
upon God till we have a clear direction
as to what to do because we have the
promise of God’s Word he will give us
direction it’s not a matter of trying to
find it is there any place in the world
I’ve got where we have direction sure
many places he promises to give us
direction he promises to answer our
prayer and so when I look at this verse
wait for the Lord be strong and let your
heart take courage yes wait for the Lord
in that verse is a warning listen be
strong and let your heart take courage
wait why does he say be strong
because he knows that at some points and
sometimes in life it’s very difficult to
have to wait especially when everybody
around you is telling you or why not now
this is a good time it’s a good time of
the year this is a great time not
whether you have the money or not
not whether you’ve had found the will of
God or not listen if we are going to
practice the best principles one of
those principles is simply this that is
wait upon the Lord be strong he says
wait upon the Lord so ask yourself the
question are you one of those person
who’s got to have everything now if you
are you gonna get in trouble when God
says we’re to wait upon him watch this
is what he’s doing he’s saying I because
I love you with all my omniscience
knowing all about past present future
what’s the best for you now will be best
for you tomorrow you wait until I give
you direction then you’ll have absolute
clear perfect direction that’s what to
do it’ll prove better for you now it’ll
prove better for you for the future but
wait till I give you clear direction
somebody says well but how am I gonna be
sure I’m listening to God watch this
carefully you learn to listen to him
when you don’t have any pressure I’ve
said it before you learn to listen to
him when you don’t have any pressure
learn to listen to him when when it’s
something simple Lord would you have me
to do this and so so 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 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 knocking 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 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 want it 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 yes 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
I not it takes faith to wait for God
something and I just gave you an example
the first time I didn’t wait about the
wrong hell
but thank God I got he delivered me from
that and I assure you I’ve never
repeated that mistake again
secondly he gave me enough wisdom to
wait and I got another mobile I never
would have purchased his timing is
always perfect so ask yourself the
question do I have the faith to wait a
second thing that is required of us and
that is simply patience in the 37th
psalm 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 in
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 do 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 so it takes faith but
secondly it takes patience
for example David was a teenager King
David was a teenager probably when
Samuel the Prophet anointed him to be
king of Israel he was somewhere probably
17 18 19 years of age well when do you
think he became King you would have
thought this is that this is it over 12
years later God fulfilled a promise
God’s timing is perfect
the question is watches am I willing to
trust him for his timing or insist on my
time do I really and truly believe that
my patience is a gift from God then when
God says not yet that God is looking out
for me not doing something against me 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 listen to God said to him
no man will be able to stand before you
all the days of your life
just as I’ve been with Moses I’ll be
with you I will not fail you or forsake
you wonderful promise then he says in
verse 9 one of my favorite verses he
says how 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 how do
I tell my friend that I cannot accept
something so valuable and beautiful and
desires and when I finally did naturally
he did not understand
I saw 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
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 and I think about so
many people get in trouble
because they tried to reason with God
no no where do I find in the Bible it
says I am to obey God on the basis of
the following reasons no I’m to obey Him
because he’s got that so that’s the only
reason I need when God says no and you
have to be careful when God says no that
you don’t say ok now why not God we all
think that but before you truck watch
this before you try to talk God into
something ask yourself the question
suppose I do this anyway you can’t
fathom all the difficulties and the
hardships and the trials and the
problems and the costs and everything
else that will come as a result of a
deliberate disobedience to Almighty God
now think about all the people who get
excited about a challenge am I’m getting
married if you ask them did you pray
about it well I talk to God about it
that’s not the issue of issues did you
ask God was this his will well I mean
everything looks so good you can’t go by
looks you can’t go by anything but the
voice of God this is why you have to
learn to listen to him and make a choice
watch this make a choice in life before
the pressure in other words is it is it
the pattern of your life to listen to
God before you make decisions there’s
some decisions that are irrevocable once
you make it you’ve made it
some decisions you can’t change you have
to live with them I think about all the
people who get married and never and
never ask God and no other than 30 days
they made a mistake I think some of the
some of the most desperate weeping I’ve
ever witness of people who made that
mistake and they’ve come back to me and
said I didn’t listen to you I should
have but I did not something new you
were telling me the truth but I just
figured somehow it would all work out
watch this you can’t work out
disobedience to God it doesn’t work
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 gonna wait this this is a chance of
a lifetime why are you gonna 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
unless finally you don’t hear they 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 no 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 all 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 voices 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
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 did 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 in 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 from you God’s not gonna tell
you to do anything sinful disobedient
out of the will of God this is why we
talk about walking in the will of God
because it’s the safe place the best
place the wisest place the happiest
place it’s the most successful place you
can be is walking in the will of God
will you miss some things in life only
those things that will not get for you
obey God you’ll have what God knows is
good for you so you have to decide you
don’t listen to him I’ll listen to
somebody else listening to God and
walking on his schedule making decisions
based on his guidance the direction in
your life is the only way to live
so just think about your life for a
moment is it your habit before you make
decisions to ask God or have you come to
the conclusion saying well listen after
50 or 60 years I’ll always make the
right decision I wouldn’t say that I
wouldn’t say forget to pray after all
that mm-hmm
let me tell you something we’re living
in a world of sin disobedience and
rebellion toward God so we have life in
the world the way of life for believers
is to obey God to listen to him and to
walk in his way and watch him work amen
now if you’ve never trusted Jesus Christ
as your Savior all this is foreign to
you I understand that so the most
important decision you need to make in
your life is to surrender your life to
the Lord Jesus Christ confessing and
repenting of your sins surrendering your
life to Him then you can hear him and
you’re going to realize that God has
something to you you never dreamed of he
has the best for you if he will
surrender your life to Him and begin to
trust them follow him obey Him your
life’s gonna change it’s gonna change
for the better and I trust that whatever
you doing wherever you are right at this
moment
you will stop when this service is over
and you will ask God to cleanse your
heart forgive your sin surrender your
life to Him and begin the most awesome
journey you could possibly imagine
walking with the Living God who has
promised to provide your needs give you
direction and give you an excitement of
our life you will never never experience
until you’ve surrendered your life to
Him and that’s my prayer for you father
we love you and praise you that you love
us enough to stop us dead in our tracks
when you know him one of the was right
you know who’s listening to this message
right now who’s in the process of making
a decision maybe it’s a decision that
has long-range consequences father I
pray that you’ll speak to them clearly
impress their heart move their mind will
an emotion to do the right thing and to
realize they can trust you God that you
are trustworthy I pray your Holy Spirit
will speak to every single person who
listens to this message the Lord
impressed their heart to trust you and
watch you work in the most awesome
fashion always feel their good and I
pray this in Jesus name Amen
you