TOPIC: Waiting on God
Text: 1 Kings 18:41-46
Introduction:
It is difficult to wait on the Lord when we want God’s response to our lives to be fast, prompt, but the Word of God teaches us that waiting on God, while we wait for those promises that God has for our life or perhaps you have a request before God and perhaps a long time has passed, even years have passed, it is difficult and you at that moment of waiting for the answer in God, so many situations have happened and that until this day you, there are people who Perhaps they have already given up that wait and stopped trusting in the Lord, they despaired of that answer they longed for so much and perhaps they saw that answer, but they did not have that joy in their hearts that they stood firm waiting for God’s answer.
The Lord in his word says that He is never late, He never arrives out of time, but He arrives at the precise moment, at the exact moment that He wants us to receive that answer.
The verses that we have read speak of Elijah, a prophet of God, a great man of God whose trust was in the Almighty God, and here we can see that Elijah prays for rain, he was trusting that when he cried out to the Lord, when he prostrated himself before the Lord, the Lord was going to answer his prayer and tells his servant to go up and look towards the sea, and says that the servant goes up and looked and said: There is nothing.
My beloved brother knows that many times we are crying out to the Lord, we ask Him, we prostrate ourselves before Him, we pray before Him, and we do not see anything, we do not see the answer that we need, just like this servant who said: There is nothing . And he told Elias again: he comes back 7 times.
Without a doubt during the 7 times that this servant went up to where Elijah told him to go to see if he saw a sign of rain, without a doubt this servant at one point perhaps thought and said: how tired it is to go and come back and tell him that there is nothing , I don’t see anything.
And you know, beloved brother, many times that happens in our lives, we cry out to our God and there is no answer, we do not see any sign of an answer for our lives, and perhaps discouragement comes to our hearts, many times doubt comes to our hearts, because the enemy works in these areas, he works on discouragement and it is the first thing he puts in the human being, he puts discouragement in our hearts, in our minds, and perhaps many times we come to think: The Lord is not going to answer my request, the Lord has forgotten what I need.
But you know the Lord has not forgotten you or me, He has not forgotten those petitions that we have before Him, and in the Word of the Lord we find verses that encourage us.
Perhaps you, like this servant, say: brother, I have not seen anything, I have prayed, I have fasted, I have been obedient, I have been faithful, I have been aware of being in the Presence of God and every day I present my request, and to this day I have seen nothing.
But know, beloved brother, that the answer will undoubtedly come, perhaps today our response is delayed, perhaps today in our hearts is to say: why is it taking so long, if the Lord knows that I already need this answer. Lamentations 3:25-26
Lamentations 3:25-26. You know that many times when we least expect the answer comes to our lives, when we least imagine, the Lord responds to that request that we have before Him, and let me tell you that just as Elijah prostrated himself before God and says that he put his face between his knees, and prostrated himself on the ground and he was sure, that’s why he tells the servant: go up now and look towards the sea, and says the Word of God that he went up and the seventh time he said: I see a small cloud like the palm of the hand of a man rising from the sea.
And he said to him: go to the end and tell him: hitch up your chariot and descend so that the rain does not stop you. Perhaps today you woke up with hope, or perhaps discouraged because the answer has not yet come, and waiting on God for a long time, many thoughts have come to your heart and many situations have come, which perhaps have discouraged your life, and perhaps he has said in his heart: I don’t ask the Lord anymore, I’m tired of asking him and he doesn’t answer me.
But you know my beloved brother, perhaps this servant of Elijah went up only 7 times to see if the rain was on, perhaps we have gone up the mountain to pray, perhaps not only 7 times, but many more, those 7 times multiplied and we have not seen nothing, but today may be the day that you can see a sign to that answer you need, only if we trust and do not despair, if we trust in the promises of God.
Psalm 27:13-14
He knows that the Lord demands of our lives that we trust with all our hearts in him, that we not lose heart, that we make an effort, that we take the strength that comes from Him for our lives, and that we wait for that answer that we so much need, perhaps it is an answer due to some illness, perhaps it is a response that your children have some change in their lives, perhaps it is in your heart for that husband that you have prayed so much to come to the feet of the Lord and perhaps you do not see that he is getting closer, that changes, but many times we see the opposite, we see that things get worse, we see that the disease worsens in our body, we see that the economic condition worsens, we see that our family is giving more problems, and many times that brings discouragement to our heart.
But you know, brother, in the midst of this waiting, the Lord wants to encourage us tonight through his word, waiting on God is perhaps difficult, it is difficult to understand him because perhaps we do not see what we want to see with our eyes, but he knows that when we get into prayer and come before the Lord and prostrate ourselves before Him my beloved brother, the Lord through his Holy Spirit brings strength to our lives, and if today we did not see the answer we need, maybe tomorrow will have mercy on us us, and perhaps it is not tomorrow that the Lord is pleased to answer us, perhaps it will be within a week, or we do not know how long the Lord will take.
But at that moment of waiting we must come before the Lord. Isaiah 40:31. Many times we weaken, we no longer want to raise our hands, but the Lord on this night says that those who hope in Him will have new strength, they will raise wings like eagles.
Perhaps this servant of Elijah had a hard time going up, because Elijah was sure that the Lord was going to answer him, he had come from a great victory against the Baals, and the Lord had answered his life, and then he appears praying for the rain. Perhaps you woke up this day and after thanking God, perhaps you told him: Lord, remember my request, Lord, do not forget me, my children, the situation I am going through, and you know, brother, God has not forgotten our requests, but many times we must wait on him, have faith in his word, have faith in the promises he has left for our lives. Psalm 62:5-8. The Lord is our refuge, He is the strong rock that we need, because the Lord brings strength to our hearts. Perhaps tonight you have said: I no longer ask the Lord, tonight I invite you to gain strength, continue trusting in the Lord, he will not fail you, brother, even if that response is late, he will not fail you .
Do you know why? Because He knows us perfectly, He knows us my beloved brother, and He always comes into our lives at the right time.
Perhaps today there are many joyful people in their hearts, saying: I waited so long, but the answer came, perhaps others say: I am on the way to wait for God’s answer, many times I falter, many times I get tired, many times my strength they weakened, but along the way the Lord strengthened my life, along the way I took new strength through the Holy Spirit, and one day that answer came and that is why there is joy in my heart.
But there are also many people who today are crying out to the Lord, perhaps for the healing of their bodies, perhaps because an unexpected diagnosis has come into their lives, but let me tell you that in the midst of the storm, in the midst of this not very pleasant news for The Lord has not left us, nor will he leave us, he is always there to help us, to bless us, to strengthen our lives.
Psalm 33:20-21. Only in Him can we hope, only in Him can we trust, and without a doubt we will see the glory of God, we will see our children changed, we will see those spouses transformed, we will see how bodies are healed by the power of God.
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