Sometimes when all systems are “go,” God says “wait.” Delays can feel agonizing, but God has a bird’s-eye view and His timing is perfect. Thankfully, patience can be learned.
In this practical message, Dr. Stanley talks about receiving God’s best in every situation. Find out the six things you need in order to hold on for His blessing.
Make sure you aren’t busy elsewhere when God’s plan unfolds. Wait for Him!
[Music]
next on InTouch dr. Charles Stanley
begins his two-part series learning to
wait today’s message when God says wait
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 that I think is so very
important and that is weight 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 that we be patient
because God doesn’t always tell us
immediately when he wants us to do a
certain thing sometime 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 is
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
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 about buying a
car but y’all knew I would be thinking
about it and so I waited and waited and
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 sat 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
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 said god I
want your best he said well don’t buy
this car so when the salesman walked up
said 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 a dubai 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 for the friend of mine for 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
talked to people often times 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
saved 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 of us are
sufficient within ourselves to always
make wise decision
and so we have the Holy Spirit to
caution us the quick and out spirit to
do the right thing always willing and
ready to show us the right thing to do
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 til 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 time and I believe is the second
most important principle in the word
we’re not 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
of God 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 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
neither whether you’ve have 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 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 til you give me permission to go
there or do this I have that about the
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 well 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’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 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 can’t 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
Psalm listen to this three times the
37th Psalm he says beginning in verse 1
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 in 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 family is
always perfect though I believe
Eve that he has 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 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
to 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
oh 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 desirous and
when I finally did naturally he did not
understand
I saw the another 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 covered it doll during that time
though 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 in
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 the 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
[Music]
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 hear 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’s 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 their
suggestions their influence their
testimony 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 that’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 listen to somebody else listening to
God and walking on his schedule making
decisions based on his guidance in
direction in your life is the only way
to live amen
[Applause]
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
that 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 the Lord impressed
their heart to trust you and watch you
work in the most awesome fashion always
for their good
and I pray this in Jesus name Amen
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