Psalms 27:14 (NKJV) 14 Wait on the LORD; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the LORD!

PSALM 27:14 The Waiting Game

We don ’ t like waiting…on anything or anybody As a society, we are used to getting what we want and getting it now We have set our lifestyle up to be one with minimal waiting

The Waiting Game Think about it, we have:  Instant coffee  Instant tea  Instant oatmeal  Microwaves  Speed dialing  Instant Internet access

The Waiting Game We eat fast food, want fast cash, and drive in the fast lane We are not programmed to wait We do, however, spend a good bit of time waiting in spite of all the modern conveniences and the fact that we don ’ t like to

The Waiting Game We wait…  at the doctor ’ s office  in traffic  in line at the grocery store  at restaurants  to be seated  for the menu  to order food  for the check

The Waiting Game Many times we don ’ t wait well Many of us want to do something while we wait We may read a magazine, listen to the radio, talk on the phone, or play on our phone

The Waiting Game The Bible teaches us to wait Ps. 27:14 – “ Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the Lord! ” We all have trouble, heartaches, and pain

The Waiting Game Job 14:1 – Man is of few days and full of trouble So what do we do when trouble comes? WAIT! What do we do while we wait?

The Waiting Game W – Word of God Does not stand for worry – Matt. 6:25-34 We need to focus on God ’ s word instead Ps. 130:5 – “ I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in His word I put my hope. ”

The Waiting Game W – Word of God While we are waiting for Him to help us, we should be meditating on the promises of His word The word of God should give us great comfort when we are struggling in this life

The Waiting Game A – Asking Does not stand for angry Some react with anger when they are forced to wait Ps. 5:3 – “ My voice You shall hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning I will direct it to You, and I will look up ”

The Waiting Game A – Asking Lk. 18:1 – Jesus told a parable to teach his disciples that they always ought to pray and not lose heart In other words, while we are waiting we should continue asking Not lose faith – Js. 1:6-8

The Waiting Game I – Involved Does not stand for impatient Patience is a virtue – II Pet. 1:6 Js. 1:3&4 – Testing of our faith produces patience Ps. 37:34 – “ Wait on the Lord, and keep His way… ”

The Waiting Game I – Involved An idle mind is the devil ’ s workshop Same thing goes for our hands We need to stay involved in order to keep out of trouble and keep Satan at bay

The Waiting Game T – Trust Does not stand for troubled If we become troubled, then are we really putting our faith in Him? Ps. 37:3 – “ Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. ”

The Waiting Game T – Trust Ps. 32:10 – “ …he who trusts in the Lord, mercy shall surround him. ” Isn ’ t that what we need when troubles come?

The Waiting Game Is. 40:31 – “ But those who wait on the Lord(focus on His Word, keep Asking for His help, are Involved in His work, and Trust in His promises) shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint. ”