I'm Struggling with Waiting

 

“Overcoming Waiting Frustrations”

Psalm 27:14; 40:1-4; Lament. 3:24-26                      

SUBJECT: GOD’S STRENGTH IN FRUSTRATIONS.

THEME: You Can Overcome the Frustrations by the Wisdom and Strength of the Lord.  

RELEVANCE: Why is this important to us? We need to understand the source of our frustrations is Satan (these are spiritual battles) and trust the Lord to help us overcome these hindrances. God prescribes specific practices to escape the trap of impatience like patience, His control, prayer, trust, and fellowship with Him.    

INTRODUCTION: 

An impatient state of mind includes struggles to tolerate delays, obstacles, or slow progress. It is often characterized by an intense longing for things to happen immediately, often resulting in feelings of frustration, irritation, or restlessness when expectations are not met. This is far from ideal!

MESSAGE:

FRUSTRATION COULD BE ROOTED IN IMPATIENT ATTITUDES

Psalm 27:14, Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.

There are also times when our feelings of frustration are rooted simply in a hurry-up attitude—impatience. We become impatient with the timing of certain events or changes that we desire in our lives. David’s wise counsel is to “wait on the Lord: be of good courage.”

“Courage” because ‘waiting’ on God is rarely easy, especially in a fast-paced culture that expects instant results. Waiting often highlights our lack of control and brings feelings of tension or frustration.

A.  ARE YOU RUNNING AHEAD OF GOD?

Impatient attitudes are generally framed as foolish, destructive, and lacking in faith revealing that we are indeed running ahead of God. 

1.     God Warns Us Against the Problems of Impatience:

a.      Proverbs 14:29, He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding: but he that is hasty of spirit exalteth folly.

b.     Proverbs 16:32, He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city.

c.      Ecclesiastes 7:9, Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.

d.     James 1:19, Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath.

The Bible warns that rushing ahead of God's timing often leads to sin, anger, strife, frustration, and regret, while urging believers to practice patience and resting in the Lord instead.

2.     God Gives Us Concrete Examples Where Impatience Led to Terrible Outcomes:

a.      King Saul’s Impatience (1 Samuel 13:8-14): Saul grew impatient waiting for the prophet Samuel to arrive and perform a sacrificial offering. Taking matters into his own hands, Saul disobeyed God's commands, ultimately costing him his royal kingdom.

b.     Abraham and Sarah’s Haste (Genesis 16:1-6): Despite God's promise to give them a son, Sarah grew impatient with the wait and gave her servant Hagar to Abraham to conceive. This hasty workaround resulted in deep jealousy, family strife, and historical conflict.

c.      The Nation of Israel’s Hurry (Exodus 32:1-4): While waiting for Moses to return from Mount Sinai, the people grew impatient and demanded that Aaron craft a golden idol to worship, provoking God's severe wrath.

Rushing ahead of God’s timing often means allowing anxiety or comparison push us to force outcomes. Instead of waiting for doors to open naturally, we might find ourselves trying to manipulate situations. This impatience can lead to unnecessary stress and blunders, as we take matters into our own hands rather than trusting God’s broader plan.

A restlessness in spirit can manifest itself as a tendency to run past God's will. You may know what God wants you to do, and in eagerness to get the job done, you forget that God also has a perfect timetable for accomplishing His will. Just as the Lord has a right thing for you to do, a right path in which you are to walk, and a right growth pattern for your faith, so, too, He has a right time for each step He leads you to take. (Dr. C. Stanley)

God describes impatience not just as a minor annoyance, but as a spiritual trap. He warns that rushing and impatience lead to poor decisions, stir up conflict, and often stem from a lack of trust in His perfect timing and sovereignty. (From Christian Life Resources)

B.  WAITING ON GOD BUILDS ADVANTAGES AND PATIENCE.

Psalm 27:14, Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.

Numerous times in the Bible we find an advantage associated with “waiting on the Lord.” Waiting means, in part, saying to the Lord, “Is now the time? I'm waiting until You give me the green light before I go.” 

     1.  Waiting Creates Time During Which We Can Trust God.

David knew from experience what it meant to wait for the Lord. He had been anointed king at age sixteen but didn't become king until he was thirty. During the interim, he was chased through the wilderness by jealous King Saul. David had to wait on God for the fulfillment of his promise to reign. Later, after becoming king, he was chased by his rebellious son, Absalom. (Dr. C. Stanley)

God Counsels and Encourages us to Live more Patiently.

Instead of relying on immediate gratification or control, God directs believers to practice patience and trust in His timing:

a.      Psalm 27:14, Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.

b.     James 5:7-8, Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.

c.      James 1:4, But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

Wait on the Lord by faith, and prayer, and a humble resignation to his will; wait, I say, on the Lord; whatever you do, grow not remiss in your attendance upon God. (2.) Keep up your spirits in the midst of the greatest dangers and difficulties: Be of good courage; let your hearts be fixed, trusting in God, and your minds stayed upon him, and then let none of these things move you. Those that wait upon the Lord have reason to be of good courage.^[1]

     2.  Waiting for God Is Not Easy Though.

Often it seems that He isn't answering our prayers or doesn't understand the urgency of our situation.

          A.  The Implications of Impatience.

That kind of thinking implies that God is not in control or is not fair. But the Bible never states that God is not in control or that He is unfair. Instead, God is entirely sovereign and totally just. The Bible actively addresses our complaints that God is not fair by pointing out that His ways are equal, but our actions are often not. (See Ezekiel 18:25, 29; Acts 10:34). The Bible consistently affirms God's supreme authority, control over human plans, and overall orchestration of events.

·        Proverbs 19:21, There are many devices in a man's heart; nevertheless the counsel of the LORD, that shall stand.

·        Isaiah 46:10, Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:

          B.  The Benefits of Patience.

God gives us incentives to encourage us to wait on Him and His wisdom.

Psalm 40:1-4, To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.  I waited patiently for the Lord; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. [2] He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. [3] And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the Lord. [4] Blessed is that man that maketh the Lord his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies. 

Waiting on God prepares us to have our real needs met. Waiting for God to help us is not easy, but David received four benefits from waiting: God:

             1. Lifted Him out of His Despair;

             2. Set His Feet on a Hard, Firm Path;

             3. Steadied Him as He Walked; and

             4. Put a New Song of Praise in His Mouth.

Often blessings cannot be received unless we go through the trial of waiting.  

Always bear in mind that God is worth waiting for. Lament. 3:24-26, The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. [25] The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. [26] It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord. We are called to hope in and wait on the Lord because often God uses waiting to refresh, renew, and teach us. Make good use of your waiting times by discovering what God may be trying to teach you in them.

          C.  The Examination of our Hearts.

If you have a pattern of getting ahead of God's timing, ask yourself,

“What am I looking for in life? Why do I keep running right past God's will in trying to get it? What am I in a hurry for?”

Psalm 37:34, Wait on the Lord, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land: when the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it.

Psalm 25:21, Let integrity and uprightness preserve me; for I wait on thee.

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^[1] Matthew Henry, Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible: Complete and Unabridged in One Volume (Peabody: Hendrickson, 1994), 780.