Words from Our Pastor
“WAITING ON GOD”
By Pastor Horace Sheffield, III
Patience, as most of you have probably observed over the years, was always a difficult attribute for me to possess. And quite truthfully, it was something I in some ways failed to appreciate until recently.
Most of my life I’ve tried to reduce the amount of time between wish and fulfillment. I’ve always believed that if I wanted it I should have it. And it should be now not later. This so, if I wasn’t really prepared to keep it or really knew little about what was required to possess it.
Fortunately, through both divine acts and human mishaps, I’ve learned to acquire and appreciate patience. I’ve also learned the value and effect of patience and how to truly trust and wait on God and ultimately in the process remain physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually healthy. I’ve also learned that patience is required as God prepares us to posses His promises, prepares the circumstances to conform to His plans, and prepares people in our lives to facilitate His purposes.
Patience is simply trusting God fully and enough to be still while we wait on Him to do exactly as He has promised. It’s waiting on Him regardless of the timeframe, the visible opposition, and the apparent difficulties. His plans might encounter in this worldly sphere and in the spiritual realm.
In my process of learning patience, and of learning to wait on God no matter how things look or how long He takes, here are a few insights I’ve learned about waiting on God and patience until He moves.(1) Things are not always how they look. Faith and patience blesses me to possess “revised vision.” That is, to not see things as they are at any point in natural time but to see what God is doing, promise wise, regardless of how it now seems.(2) Delay is not denial. God always operates in His own timeframe and not in ours. God has to take time to prepare and package His promise, to make a way for its performance, and to work on and fix us so when we receive it it will be accepted and used for His intended purpose and not ours.(3) God will never promise to do anything that he cannot bring to pass even if it requires human effort coupled with supernatural provision.(4) Being patient and waiting on God no matter what, who, how, or how long is the ultimate indication of the level of our faith and trust in who God really is and what He can do regardless.
Always remember that “they that wait upon the Lord SHALL renew their strength” and that they will not be dissatisfied or denied. So whatever the need is, wherever the need is, and no matter how difficult the need is just wait on God and TRUST in Jesus while you wait.
WAIT, WITNESS, AND WONDER!