Trusting God's Timing: Embracing the Waiting Process
Summary
In our journey of faith, we often find ourselves in a season of waiting, much like the physical training we undergo to become fit. Just as a good workout plan includes both cardio and weight training, our spiritual fitness requires us to build endurance through waiting and trusting in God's timing. Waiting is not a passive state but an active process of trusting God, even when we don't see immediate results. It's about understanding that God is working behind the scenes, positioning people and circumstances to fulfill His promises in our lives.
Galatians 6:9 encourages us not to grow weary in doing good, for in due season, we will reap if we do not give up. This due season is God's appointed time for our dreams and promises to manifest. Just as a seed goes through stages before it becomes a harvest, our dreams also have stages of growth. There is a time for preparation, planting, and eventually, picking the harvest. During this process, patience is crucial. Hebrews 6:12 reminds us that through faith and patience, we inherit the promises. Patience is not just enduring but doing so cheerfully, knowing that our joy is found in Jesus, who lives within us.
God's timing is precise and perfect. He has a calendar that is not aligned with ours, but it is always right on time. We see this in the story of Paul, who was hindered by the enemy but eventually reached his destination in God's timing. The enemy may try to hinder us, but he cannot stop God's plans. Our role is to remain steadfast, keeping the vision God has given us in front of our eyes, and trusting that it will come to pass.
Key Takeaways:
- Trust in God's Timing: Waiting on the Lord requires trust, as it often feels like nothing is happening. However, God is working behind the scenes, positioning people and circumstances to fulfill His promises. Trust that there is a due season for everything you are believing for. [02:41]
- The Process of Growth: Just as a seed goes through stages before becoming a harvest, our dreams also have stages of growth. Embrace the process, knowing that each stage is critical and that patience is required to see the full manifestation of God's promises. [09:18]
- Patience and Cheerful Endurance: Patience is not just about enduring but doing so cheerfully. Even in waiting, we can find joy in Jesus, who is the center of our joy. Our happiness is not dependent on the fulfillment of our dreams but on the presence of Jesus in our lives. [12:34]
- God's Precise Timing: God's timing is perfect and precise. He has a calendar that is not aligned with ours, but it is always right on time. Trust that when the time is right, God will fulfill His promises in your life. [27:02]
- Overcoming Hindrances: The enemy may try to hinder us, but he cannot stop God's plans. Stay steadfast, keep the vision in front of you, and trust that God will bring it to pass. God's plans are people-proof and demon-proof, and He will ensure that His promises are fulfilled. [35:30]
Youtube Chapters:
[00:00] - Welcome
[01:32] - The Challenge of Waiting
[02:41] - Trusting God's Process
[03:32] - Why is it Taking So Long?
[04:30] - Do Not Grow Weary
[05:13] - Understanding Due Season
[06:17] - The Stages of Growth
[07:18] - The Due Season of Dreams
[08:39] - The Process of a Seed
[09:18] - Embracing the Growth Process
[10:48] - The Patient Stage
[11:48] - The Joy in the Process
[12:34] - Faith and Patience
[13:53] - The Role of Patience
[15:11] - God's Appointed Time
[16:20] - Keeping the Vision Alive
[17:59] - The Vision's Appointed Time
[19:05] - Sticking to the Vision
[20:55] - God's Eagerness to Bless
[22:26] - The Precision of God's Timing
[23:54] - God's Timing in Paul's Journey
[25:33] - The Widow's Precise Timing
[27:02] - Cornelius and Peter's Timing
[34:12] - Hearing from God
[35:30] - Overcoming Hindrances
[41:33] - God's Victory Over Hindrances
[42:14] - Daniel's Prayer and God's Response
[43:32] - Reinforcements and Victory
[44:43] - God's Plans are People-Proof
[45:38] - The End Result: God's Promises Fulfilled
Study Guide
Bible Study Discussion Guide
Bible Reading:
- Galatians 6:9
- Hebrews 6:12
- Habakkuk 2:3
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Observation Questions:
1. In Galatians 6:9, what does Paul encourage believers not to do, and what is promised if they follow this advice? [04:30]
2. According to Hebrews 6:12, what two qualities are necessary to inherit God's promises? How are these qualities described in the sermon? [12:34]
3. What does Habakkuk 2:3 say about the timing of God's vision, and how does this relate to the concept of "due season" mentioned in the sermon? [19:05]
4. How does the sermon illustrate the process of growth using the analogy of a seed? What stages are mentioned, and why are they important? [09:18]
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Interpretation Questions:
1. How does the concept of "due season" in Galatians 6:9 challenge the way believers typically view waiting and timing in their spiritual journey? [05:13]
2. In what ways does the sermon suggest that patience is more than just waiting? How does cheerful endurance play a role in this understanding? [12:34]
3. How does the story of Paul in the sermon illustrate the idea that God's timing is precise and perfect, even when faced with hindrances? [23:54]
4. What does the sermon suggest about the role of faith and patience in the process of seeing God's promises fulfilled in one's life? [13:53]
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Application Questions:
1. Reflect on a time when you felt weary in doing good. How did you handle it, and what might you do differently now, knowing that there is a "due season"? [04:30]
2. Identify an area in your life where you are currently in a "waiting period." How can you practice cheerful endurance in this situation? [12:34]
3. Consider a dream or promise you believe God has given you. How can you keep this vision in front of your eyes, as suggested in the sermon, to maintain hope and faith? [16:20]
4. How can you remind yourself that God's timing is perfect, especially when you feel like things are taking too long? What practical steps can you take to trust in His timing? [27:02]
5. Think about a situation where you felt hindered by circumstances or opposition. How can you apply the sermon’s message that God's plans are people-proof and demon-proof to this situation? [35:30]
6. How can you cultivate a mindset that finds joy in Jesus, regardless of whether your dreams have been fulfilled? What daily practices might help you focus on His presence? [12:34]
7. Reflect on the analogy of the seed and its growth stages. How can you embrace each stage of growth in your spiritual journey, and what might be your next step in this process? [09:18]
Devotional
Day 1: Trusting in God's Hidden Workings
In our spiritual journey, trusting in God's timing is essential, even when it seems like nothing is happening. This trust is not passive; it involves actively believing that God is orchestrating events and people behind the scenes to fulfill His promises. Just as a farmer waits for the right season to harvest, we must trust that there is a due season for everything we are hoping for. This trust requires patience and faith, knowing that God's timing is always perfect and precise. [02:41]
"For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end—it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay." (Habakkuk 2:3, ESV)
Reflection: What is one area in your life where you feel like nothing is happening? How can you actively trust God to be working behind the scenes in this area today?
Day 2: Embracing the Growth Process
Our dreams, like seeds, go through various stages before they come to fruition. Each stage is crucial, from preparation to planting, and finally to harvest. Embracing this process means understanding that growth takes time and that each phase is necessary for the full manifestation of God's promises. Patience is required, but it is not a passive waiting; it is an active engagement with the process, trusting that God is nurturing our dreams to maturity. [09:18]
"And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up." (Galatians 6:9, ESV)
Reflection: What stage of growth do you believe your dreams are currently in? How can you embrace this stage and actively participate in the process today?
Day 3: Joyful Patience in Waiting
Patience is more than just enduring; it is about maintaining a cheerful disposition while waiting. Our joy should not be dependent on the fulfillment of our dreams but on the presence of Jesus in our lives. This joyful patience is a testament to our faith, as we trust that through faith and patience, we will inherit God's promises. Finding joy in Jesus allows us to endure the waiting period with a positive and hopeful attitude. [12:34]
"Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer." (Romans 12:12, ESV)
Reflection: How can you find joy in Jesus today, even as you wait for the fulfillment of your dreams? What practical steps can you take to cultivate a cheerful heart during this waiting period?
Day 4: Aligning with God's Perfect Timing
God's timing is not aligned with ours, but it is always right on time. He has a precise calendar for our lives, and when the time is right, He will fulfill His promises. This requires us to keep the vision God has given us in front of our eyes and trust that it will come to pass. Even when the enemy tries to hinder us, he cannot stop God's plans. Our role is to remain steadfast and aligned with God's timing. [27:02]
"He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man's heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end." (Ecclesiastes 3:11, ESV)
Reflection: In what ways can you align your daily life with God's timing? How can you keep the vision He has given you at the forefront of your mind?
Day 5: Overcoming Hindrances with Steadfast Faith
The enemy may try to hinder us, but he cannot stop God's plans. God's plans are people-proof and demon-proof, ensuring that His promises will be fulfilled. Our responsibility is to stay steadfast, keeping the vision in front of us, and trusting that God will bring it to pass. By maintaining our faith and focus, we can overcome any hindrances and see God's promises come to fruition in our lives. [35:30]
"No weapon that is fashioned against you shall succeed, and you shall refute every tongue that rises against you in judgment. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord and their vindication from me, declares the Lord." (Isaiah 54:17, ESV)
Reflection: What hindrances are you currently facing that may be trying to deter you from God's promises? How can you remain steadfast in your faith and trust that God's plans will prevail?
Quotes
"Waiting on the Lord can be challenging because it feels like nothing's happening. You know, you look around and you don't see any change. You don't see anything that would say to you that what you're believing for, that your dreams are going to come to pass. So there's a trust factor involved. You've got to trust God. You've got to trust that God is working on this thing, that he's positioning people, that he's positioning you, that he's doing everything it takes to bring this thing to pass." [00:02:54] (38 seconds)
"Notice he's talking about, the process of a seed becoming a harvest. We understand that this is just a law of nature. This is just how things work. That there's a planning stage. There is a preparing stage where you prepare the ground. There is a planting stage. And there is a picking stage. And every stage is critical. You don't want to miss the preparing stage. Or the planting stage. You surely don't want to miss the picking stage." [00:09:27] (42 seconds)
"For the vision, the dream, the revelation is yet for an appointed time. It has an appointment. That's what that means. There's a particular due date for this thing. But at the end, at the finish line, it shall speak and not lie. In other words, you're going to get to that place where you're going to cross the finish line and you're going to see that what God said is what happened." [00:18:05] (34 seconds)
"God's whole purpose for Paul's ministry, the main purpose of it, the main purpose for having churches and preachers and Christians is so that everybody can hear the word. The good news about Jesus, his resurrection. So here Paul is planning to go into Asia, where we know a city by the name of Ephesus is. Here's a place where people have not heard about Jesus. And when he plans to go, the Holy Ghost says, don't go." [00:23:10] (35 seconds)
"God set it up just right so that even though she was about to have her last meal, she came in contact with the man who had the anointing at the right time. And he and she and her son were taken care of. But. The timing was precise. There's another one in Acts chapter 10 where God appears to a Gentile by the name of Cornelius." [00:26:40] (23 seconds)
"God's eager to bless you. God's the parent that has got you the perfect gift and is waiting for you to open it up to see the look on your face. He is thrilled when you prosper, when you have success. He can't wait for your due date. It can hardly wait. It doesn't lie. If it seems slow in coming, wait. It's on its way. It will come right on time." [00:22:10] (26 seconds)
"God's will ultimately was for Paul to get to the Thessalonians, the enemy stepped in and hindered it. Now, notice he hindered. It doesn't mean he stopped. Okay. Let me show you another example. Go with me if you would to Romans chapter one. You know, we understand this in the game of football or basketball as well. But let's just say football that you've got one team that has the ball and their goal is to get to the end zone with the football." [00:37:10] (33 seconds)
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