The Weekly Encourager - February 26, 2011 - Waiting

Do you know anyone who was born on February 29? Only one day in every four years will they celebrate their true birthday. I bet these people could tell us something about waiting.

On February 20, Pastor Dave Coffin preached on "The Hidden Face of God," or "Spiritual Suffering." He said, "Though in this life a believer may suffer a sense of spiritual desolation, he can be restored through prayers of heart-felt lament and urgent supplication as he reflects upon his past experience of God's faithfulness." Sometimes we just have to wait.

We see King David doing this in the psalms. For example, in Psalm 13 David feels abandoned by God for no good reason, but as he recalls what God has done in the past, it reminds him that God still cares and will work good in his future. David has to wait. Sometimes when we feel that God isn't blessing us anymore, it's because we feel bad physically, or we're not doing the things God tells us to do to be blessed, or we are under a powerful temptation to sin, or we are being chastened for a particular sin.

But what happens when God withdraws "the light of His countenance" for a time for His own greater reasons? Why does God make us wait? This happens to the best of us: it happened to Abraham, Moses, David, Job, and countless other heroes of the faith. Even Jesus, who knew no sin, felt the agony of being forsaken on the cross. Many of us have pleaded, "How long, O Lord?!" The remedy for us is the same as what Jesus did: trust in God and continue to wait upon Him, while being obedient to His will as much as you are able.

An excellent article by Paul Tripp lends insight here. Tripp says,

"When God asks you to wait, what happens to your spiritual muscles? While you wait, do your spiritual muscles grow bigger and stronger or do they grow flaccid and atrophied? Waiting for the Lord isn’t about God forgetting you, forsaking you, or being unfaithful to his promises. It’s actually God giving you time to consider his glory and to grow stronger in faith. Remember, waiting isn’t just about what you are hoping for at the end of the wait, but also about what you will become as you wait.

"Waiting always presents me with a spiritual choice-point. Will I allow myself to question God’s goodness and progressively grow weaker in faith, or will I embrace the opportunity of faith that God is giving me and build my spiritual muscles?...

"The reality of waiting is that it’s an expression of God’s goodness not empirical evidence against it. He is wise and loving... and his focus isn’t so much on what you will experience and enjoy, but on what you will become. He is committed to using every tool at his disposal to rescue you from yourself and to shape you into the likeness of his Son. The fact is that waiting is one of his primary shaping tools.

"So, how do you build your spiritual muscles during the wait? Well, you must commit yourself to resisting those habits of unfaith and with discipline pursue a rigorous routine of spiritual exercise.

"What is the equipment in God’s gym of faith? Here are the things that he has designed for you to build the muscles of your heart and strengthen your resolve: the regular study of his Word; consistent godly fellowship; looking for God’s glory in creation every day; putting yourself under excellent preaching and teaching of Scripture; investing your quiet mental time in meditating on the goodness of God (e.g., as you are going off to sleep); reading excellent Christian books; and spending ample time in prayer. All of these things will result in spiritual strength and vitality.

"Is God asking you to wait? So, what is happening to your muscles?"

I encourage any who are weary with waiting to study Psalm 27: "The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear?... In the day of trouble He will conceal me in His tabernacle...He will lift me up on a rock....I will sing praises to the Lord... Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice,...Thy face, O Lord, I shall seek....I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the Lord."

God is faithful,
j

To read Paul Tripp's full article, "Spiritual Muscle Development," from Desiring God, click on this link
http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/spiritual-muscle-development

To listen to David Coffin's full sermon, click on this link
http://newhopefairfax.org/resources/sermons-to-hear