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Waiting Upon the Lord - Pastor Boniface Mgonja

Sunday, July 2, 2023

 

WAITING UPON THE LORD...!

Key Verse: Isaiah 40:31 (ESV) “...but those who wait upon the LORD 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.”


Scripture: Isaiah 40:27-31 (ESV)
Why do you say, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel,
“My way is hidden from the LORD, and my right is disregarded by my God”?
28 Have you not known? Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable.
29 He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength.
30 Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted;
31 but those who wait upon the LORD 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.

 


INTRODUCTION:
**They key thing Isaiah is talking about is “waiting...”
WHY IS PROPHET ISAIAH FOCUSING ON “WAITING” AND WHY DO THOSE
WHO WAIT NEED TO RENEW THEIR STRENGTHS?


***“Waiting” – “Looking for’ or “Expecting “is not an easy thing WHY??

A Watchman: Psalm 130:5-6 “I wait for the LORD...my soul waits for the Lord
more than watchmen for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning”.


 Being on waiting list...
 Expectant mother (Refer to Zawadi)...
 Couples waiting patiently for a baby...
 A lady in a relationship with a guy for years but still waiting for a formal
engagement ring...
 Done an interview and waiting for results...
 Bonny & Happy who waited for Michelle to be declared a Cancer-free...

1. In waiting there is “TIMING”

 a particular point or period of time when something happens
 The regulation of occurrence, pace, or coordination to achieve a desired effect

I don’t know about you, but there are times when I feel like my TIMING is
too long and my strength fails...


***In this waiting process...there is fainting, loosing heart, loosing strength,
growing weary, being exhausted etc. (“My way is hidden from the LORD, and my
right is disregarded by my God”?)


 God never promised that we wouldn’t have hard times.
 He never promised that we would sail through life without troubles.
 What He did promise is that:
o He will never leave us nor forsake us.
o He promised that He would supply our every need.
o He promised in Psalms 55:22, "Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he
shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved."

***Biblical Examples of Great people BUT who went through:

 Abraham and Sarah (for Isaac): – their timing becomes too long and opt to
fulfill God’s plan in short-cut through Hagar (for Ishmael)
 Joseph (for his "time" in power): from the time he had a dream to when the
actual dream was fulfilled (hate from his brothers, Potifar’s wife, Jail and later
PM)
 David (for his time for power): Anointed at the age of 16 years and became
a King at the age of 30 and his timing was not easy
 All believers (awaiting for the second coming of Jesus)
All in all...God's timing and his ways are always perfect - God's purpose will
eventually stand!!
-He is never early, never late, his understanding is unsearchable

2. If there is TIMING, then HUMILITY/PATIENCE is needed during this timing while
setting your FOCUS on Him
 Going through is a MUST...but two aspects/sides of going through
(i) The actual troubles and hard times encountered
(ii) God’s promise, God’s control, God’s hands in the time of going through

--Many Christians, when going through they only look at one side of the “going through”
i.e. the torments and troubles encountered at this time.
1 Corinthians 10:13: We must not forget that God has promised us that we would never
be tempted above what we are able to bear, but with every temptation, every trial, every
test, every trouble, He will make a way for us to escape and win the victory.
 Waiting upon the Lord requires true faith.
 Waiting upon the Lord requires going through the fire sometimes and still trusting
God to bring us through.
 Waiting upon the Lord requires that we believe in the impossible, look for the unseen
answers, hope in the times of hopelessness and know, without knowing why or how,
that God will take care of us.


THE STOY OF JOB: See Job 19:25...Yes, I’m going through, yes, it is too much to
bear...BUT, as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives. In the end, he will stand upon the earth.
---I see the torture/pains/discouragements/failure/discomforts on this side but...I see my
redeemer/my savior/my comforter/my provider/my shield/my fortress/ on the other side!!!

 


 REST/RELAX in God’s timing
o BUT those who wait upon the LORD.....focusing on Him...on His loving kindness...on
his father’s heart...rely upon his love
o The everlasting God = Elohiym, the LORD = Jehovah Yahweh, the Creator of the ends
of the earth] He does not faint or grow weary
o In the end, he will stand upon the earth. JOB 42:2 Lord, I know you can do
everything, and that NO ONE, can stop your purpose ---JUST LIKE JOSEPH
 God’s purpose in your life, your business, your marriage, family etc

Sickness & Diseases
Torture
Fire, Water
Family
Marriage etc

God’s
promises

3. If HUMILTY is needed, then ACCEPTANCE is an essential factor in the time of
Waiting Upon the LORD
- Sometimes God’s answers can be NO and contrary to our wills.
- This is hard to accept, unless you truly know Him as a LOVING FATHER
EXAMPLES: The Three Hebrews: Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego
(Dan.3;
15 Now if you are ready when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp,
bagpipe, and every kind of music, to fall down and worship the image that I have made, well and
good.[c] But if you do not worship, you shall immediately be cast into a burning fiery furnace.
And who is the god who will deliver you out of my hands?”
16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we
have no need to answer you in this matter.

17 If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to
deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. 18 But
if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image
that you have set up.”


4. CONCLUSION:
Regardless of what you are going through and how your paths are:

1. Understand God’s promises (Psa 23:4,-Valley of the Shadow of death; Isa. 43 –Deep
waters...Fire etc)
 Dan 3:24 The fourth person =God’s promise (I’ll never leave you nor forsake you)
 Dan 6:22 “My God sent his angel and shut the lions’ mouth...”


JUST REMEMBER: (Song by Lynda Randle):


The God on the Mountain, Is still God in the valley
The God of the Good Times, Is still God in the Bad Times
The God of the Daytime (good), Is still God in the Nighttime (dark)
The God in the time of laughing, Is still God in the time of weeping
The God in the time of dancing, Is still God in the time of mourning
The God of the first cry at birth, Is still God of your last breath at death


2. REST/RELAX in God’s timing -

BUT those who wait upon the LORD.....focusing on
Him...on His loving kindness...on his father’s heart...rely upon his love
Because....when things go wrong, He’ll, FOR SURE make them right

 

*Next, click here to watch the full replay of this Sermon:  "Waiting Upon the Lord...!"