When We Wait For God Part 2

Reese Flores looking to Jesus, founder and perfecter for God. It goes against our instincts, waiting for his timing guarantees things happen at the right time waiting for God means investing time every day in prayer seeking his face and seeking his direction today how David learned to wait from the Moody Church in Chicago.

This is running to win with Dr. Irwin sir. Clear teaching helps us make it across the finish line circular in Psalm 37 again today in your series on when God shows himself give us a preview of what will be learning what they were going to continue our emphasis on waiting for God. That means that we have to seek his face. We have to be silent before him.

We have to surrender to him and we have to let him do his work. You don't even hear it running to win. I want you to know that we see this ministry as belonging to God and not tell us. And that's why we do wait on God for his blessing.

And it's because of people like you.

This ministry has indeed multiplied throughout the years were now in 20 different countries in four different languages and today is the last day that you have.

To maximize your gift because we have some friends who said that every gift given to running to win this month will be doubled.

Would you help us you go to RTW offer.com that's RTW offer.com or call us at 1-888-218-9337 how delightful it is for me to hear the rustling of leaves from the Bible. For those of you who have one and bring it.

God bless you don't notice it says in Psalm 25 verses four and five make me to 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 day long to examples one from Scripture, the other from life. The Bible says that Joshua when he came into the land he was tricked by the Gibeonites unit. Remember that story.

They said were coming from a distance and so they took moldy bread and they put it in their satchels and they acted as if they were from a distance, because God says don't make a covenant with the people who are from the land so they came and they said oh we came from a Long Long Way, Joshua makes a covenant that is not going to kill them that they are no he's not going to fight against them that they're going to be able to live among them those Gibeonites were a thorn in his side. But here's the phrase you should always remember it says regarding Joshua.

He has not.

The Council of the Lord. It seemed so right, he thought. There's some things you don't have to ask God about. I mean, it's clear these people came from a distance. It's perfectly legitimate for us to make a covenant with them, but he can't see around corners and God can and those Gibeonites irritated the Israelites for generations because he asked, not the counsel of the Lord. One of the interesting things to me as a pastor is why it is that some people marry so unhappily. Most people when they are married, don't go down the aisle, saying pastor where here today and were committed to misery really committed yet. 10 years later. That's what happens. I think of a woman I knew who was counsel to not marry a certain man, and she said, quote I'm unhappy single I might as well be unhappy married so she married him later on she learned that it's much better to want what you don't have than to have what you don't want young people there something far worse than singleness. In fact, singleness is a great blessing and we should preach in our churches about the glories of singleness is God can use you in ways that those of us were married can't be used because we have other, but the simple fact is that there are so many people who do not ask the counsel of the Lord. They may ask God to bless their marriage but they don't say God. I'm asking your counsel.

I will wait for you all day long for the decision.

They don't do that and look at where they end up number of years ago when I was a teacher at Moody Bible Institute, and I'm glad to see some Moody students here today when I was a teacher there is having lunch with a student who had graduated several years previously, and he said I'm going into medicine, but he said it is so tough. It is so competitive.

He said I this is my lifelong dream and I fear I'm going to fail said, but he said in my anxiety. I find I can study I'm I'm not sleeping well. I can hardly eat because of the anxiety I sent him no problem we can take care that right here is no difficulty. I said what you and I are going to do is were going to pray emerges going to take all this from your shoulders and transferred onto gods and you tell him that if he wants you to be a doctor, he's going to help you get through if he doesn't you're satisfied with that. Equally, because you're interested in God's will take care of it right here. He said no he said I can't do that.

He said if I give it over to God.

What if God wants me to fail and not become a doctor.

All so that's the issue you want your will so bad that you won't even turn it over to God and ask for his counsel. I don't know what happened to him, but unless he changed his attitude. He will never be happy because he doesn't know what it is to wait for God, the Bible says that we should wait for guidance. We should wait for final salvation, final salvation, it says in Romans chapter 8 verse 23 we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for the adoption of sons. We groan within ourselves, and we should eagerly wait for the return of Christ. It says in first Corinthians chapter 1 verse seven waiting for the return from heaven.

What were not waiting for the return from heaven were waiting for the wrong thing we want what we want when we wanted an Godhead better get on board and as a result of that we run into all kinds of troubles in all kinds of wasted lives and decisions because we want something that God may not get us or we may be out of step with his timetable.

You say, well, well, how long do we have to wait Abraham, whom we are going to be studying in detail said it said of him in the book of Hebrews that he died without seeing the promises fulfilled their some promises that God won't fulfill for us until after we are dead after we see Jesus Christ, but we wait and we wait patiently and as a result of that waiting. We are absolutely convinced that the only good that takes place in our lives is the good God produces with again us. So what better way to spend our lives than to spend them waiting on God. Now let me give you some practical benefits. Waiting on God is a big timesaver. It's a great timesaver because when you wait on God.

God makes up for you the time that you spend waiting on him. You are to go to a library and look at all of the things that Martin Luther wrote literally volume after volume, commentary, translation of the Old Testament translation of the New Testament.

I just look at that and I say he did it without a word processor.

He had to write every lying how in the world did he do it well. Of course he didn't have television.

God be thanked, and he didn't have some of the modern things he didn't have cell phone got the thing but Luther says the reason that I can be so productive is because I spend so much time in prayer. That's how you become productive. There's that old story of a man who is chopping down a tree he was flailing away at this tree with sweat running down his face and somebody said you know you should sharpen your acts. The tree would go down more easily is that I don't have time to sharpen my acts because I had to get all these trees down waiting on God sharpens our acts waiting on God enables us to do things above and beyond our normal abilities because we begin to understand that it is what God does through loss that is that which is most important and not what we do for God and we change the way in which we view reality. Waiting on God saves time waiting on God saves energy because there's a transfer of all the psychic energy. All the guilt all the burdens the transfer is taken from our shoulders onto his wait on the Lord. The Bible says, be of good courage, and he shall strengthen by heart. Wait, I say on. You say very nice but how do we do it or don't get impatient.

I'm going to tell you how do we wait on God. Is it just passivity. You just simply sit back and say okay working wait for God to wait for God to give me a job and wait for God to get me through school so I don't have to study. Just go to wait on God. Let me give you three words and all three begin with the letter S. First see God. The Bible says in Hebrews chapter 11 verse one. This remarkable statement without faith it is impossible to please God, for he who comes to God must believe that he is and I love the translation that says and that he rewards those who diligently seek him out in evangelical circles. We have this idea that since we found God through Jesus, God no longer has to be sought to get you read the Psalms of David is continually saying I seek thee with my whole heart.

I seek the how do we seek God.

Well, we seek God through his word most assuredly because we read it and we meditate on it.

We seek God by being with the people of God and singing the songs of God.

We put ourselves in the way of God, so to speak, and we seek him in that sense we seek God with our whole heart never bowed in prayer and said God teach me to seek you first word is seek, there's a second word and that is the word silence. Silence, the Scripture says in Psalm 62 verse five for God alone all my soul, wait in silence, for he is my hope, let me give you a little window into my own life. The older I get, the more I begin to realize that prayer isn't just simply coming before God and sing now hear my needs here the things you need to bless prayer is rather opening our soul to the Lord.

There are times when I come before the Lord in prayer when I don't say a word.

I just simply say, God, I'm here. I just need your presence for these silent moments I've nothing to say. The problems in the world are so overwhelming the needs are so great that unless you come and help us. We won't be helped unless you do it, it won't get done. There was a man who was chiseling chiseling marble and a minister walked by and said I wish I could choose oldish hard human heart like you are chiseling this marble slab. The man said you can.

If you do it like I do it, namely on my knees, who is it that can change the human heart. Who is it that can take stray children and bring them back to the fold. Who is it that can overcome the blindness of the human heart. Life the only person is God.

Therefore, why should you and I simply rush into his presence. Give them a list of do's and don'ts and then rush out. If we can't be quiet even when we pray, how are we going to wait on God for the whole day. Sometimes because of the busyness of life because of the schedules because of the these thoughts and the anxieties. There are times when I have to be in God's presence 10 or 15 minutes before my heart even begins to really subside in the anxiety and the stray thoughts begin to disappear so that I can just concentrate on God and you do so in silence. You say God what sins do I need to confess God what burdens do I need to give to you, God, what's going on in my life here. What is it that I've not looked at that you're trying to teach me and God does not talk to me in words but there are ideas that come to our minds, particularly ideas that need to be surrendered by the power of the spirit and that can only be done in silence and it takes time.

All of us so I want to be holy.

But I want to be holy in a hurry. It's hard to be holy in a hurry like the song says take time to be holy first word is seek second is silence between you and God. The third word of course is surrender. Surrender says God, what is there for me to do from your loving hand. No manipulation, no desire to finagle advanced to have them come out according to my liking. I am thine, do with me as seems good in thy sight, and that's when the transfer takes place. Now let's help ourselves here by remembering that when Jesus died on the cross.

His death was a sacrifice for sinners and he died in our place and those of us who have trusted them and some of you are listening to this message have not trusted him. But those of us who have trusted him. We know that we are pinning our eternity on Jesus, my whole eternity is staked on Christ. I trust none other than Jesus. Now if we can entrust our eternal souls to God.

Why is it that we are struggling so much with tomorrow.

Why cannot we simply say God. Here it is a member that story that I told you years ago about the woman who had the very heavy suitcase. She was carrying it and she was so discouraged because it was so heavy in a bus came along and she was very glad to pay the fare she got in the bus and then after that she continued to hold up the suitcase in the aisle of the bus solicit put it down.

She said well I'm just glad that the buses carrying me. I can't expected to carry my suitcase to my friend if you're a believer you're on the bus put it down, put it down and I conclude with this what God does in us while we wait. If you haven't been taking notes. Until now, you better plug your pen right now. This is not my quote I got it from somebody else that's why notes good what God does in us while we wait is usually more important than the thing for which we are waiting, my soul, wait, they'll only on God for my expectation is from and I say it one more time. The person who waits is absolutely convinced that any good that is done is a work that God himself does.

And that's why waiting is the way to go. Let's break. Father we ask in Jesus name.

You are the reader of all hearts you father who know the thoughts and the intense.

You know Lord those areas of our life that we've kept from your sovereignty and you know father that we are people who find it difficult to wait inpatient self-willed in all humility, help us to cast ourselves at your feet and save my soul waits only on God father. If what you do is all that is important to do in us that which pleases you, and teach us to wait. Whatever God is.

Talk to you about when you talk to God about now.

What is it that you need to do some of you have never trusted Christ as Savior. Your eternal destiny is dependent on where you are with Jesus you could even do that without your praying right now say Jesus I'm Bracey was mine. For those of you who know him willing to say today by your grace to wait on you. You talk to God right now our father like the eyes of the maid looking to her master like a dog looking his owner, so our eyes are upon you, from whence our expectation comes in Jesus name, amen. You know my friends sometimes I see myself as a spec hater. I see what God is doing waiting for God to do what God does best and that is to show us his favor, and you know part of that favor our folks just like you who contribute to this ministry.

I want to emphasize this today because it is August 31. It is the end of our matching gift program. It is also the end of our fiscal year and you can help us in this year in a very strong financial position today is the last day, we are giving you the opportunity of having your gift doubled to this ministry, generous friends have said that they are willing to double any gift given up to $90,000. Of course, even $10 becomes 20 and you can do the math very quickly. Here's what you do go to RTW offer.com hope that you have a pen or pencil handy RTW offer.com or call us at 1-888-218-9337 remembering is August 31 the end of our fiscal year.

The end of our offer to you to have your gift doubled RTW offer.com all one word RTW offer.com call us at 1-888-218-9337 it's time again for another chance for you to ask pastor looks or a question you may have about the Bible or the Christian life Esther lutes or Mina listens to run into when and has a question on behalf of a friend who is struggling in her relationship with God. She asks, though she has faith in God. She feels there are certain things in which she keeps failing.

How then can she still have faith well my friend. First of all I want to say to this woman and to you join the club. We all have struggles what this believer needs to understand a couple of things.

First of all that struggles are common to us is in fact it says in the book of James is is counted all joy when you fall into various trials. So the fact that we have struggles in the fact that we even fail is part of the Christian experience, and she should not think to herself that somehow her life is abnormal because she's experiencing this number one number two.

She needs to continue to be in the word and with the people of God. She needs input from the Scriptures to assure her of forgiveness and also God's help, how can she continue to have faith. Will that exactly is the trial of our faith, about which the Bible speaks so often that when were going through life, and when it appears as if God isn't on our side is then that we must keep believing because he who comes to God must believe that he is and that he rewards those who diligently seek him out.

Encourage your friend, pray with her.

Pray for her and help her to know that no matter how difficult the Christian life becomes your there to take her by the arm and keep deleting her all the way to victory. God bless you some wise counsel for Mina and her friend from Dr. Erwin looks or thank you pastor looks or if you like to hear your question answered. You can by going to our website. RTW offer.com and clicking on ask pastor looks or or call us at 1888-218-9337 1-888-218-9337 you can write to us running to win 1635 N. LaSalle Boulevard Chicago, IL 60614 next time a series begins on growing through conflict.

Journey through the life of King David of Israel.

Don't miss part one, family conflict, this is Dave McAllister running to win is sponsored the Moody Church