Be a Waiter not a Whiner

I have been listening to a message by J. Piper on the sin of impatience. Patience -"The opposite of impatience is a deepening, sweetening willingness to stand in the place that God has appointed or to move at the pace that God has appointed… to stand in God’s place or go at his pace" which I don't do well most of the time- unfortunately.

I am geared to want to get lots of things done and have lots of things on my plate, but there are times when this is not what God has in mind for me, and I must not murmer or complain about anything or it is sin. So hard to do.

There are so many instances in the Bible when the Israeliets knew what God wanted them to do and yet it didn't come at the pace they had in mind and so they went around God's plan for them, and that didn't work out so good for them. He is serious about our obedience.

It is interesting that His promises are for those who wait for His way and His pace and He punishes those who try to "help" with the process.

So here I sit, arm in a sling, waiting for papers to go through for the adoption, waiting for clients to call to bring in business and that's about all I can do. I hate feeling helpless, or unuseful, but maybe that is exactly where He wants me to be. His Word is filled with so many promises of what comes to those who wait on the Him and I want to be a "Waiter" instead of a "Whiner".

Is. 30:9 These are rebellious people, deceitful children,
children unwilling to listen to the LORD's instruction.

Who wants to be this kind of a child? Not me.

15 This is what the Sovereign LORD, the Holy One of Israel, says:
"In repentance and rest is your salvation,
in quietness and trust is your strength,
but you would have none of it.

So hard to be quiet and rest- but that is where my salvation is.

16 You said, 'No, we will flee on horses.'
Therefore you will flee!
You said, 'We will ride off on swift horses.'
Therefore your pursuers will be swift!

Horses aren't fast enough, because God makes the enemies horses faster.

18 Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you;
he rises to show you compassion.
For the LORD is a God of justice.
Blessed are all who wait for him!

"Learning to walk by faith and not sight is hard. It was hard for Abraham and Sarah. It is hard for all of us. God designed it that way. It is his process of mercifully weaning us off of self-sufficient delusion and letting us taste the joy of what it means to hope in him alone. Learning to patiently trust a promise from God develops our capacity to really hope in eternal life. We learn not to trust our perceptions or emotions but God’s promises. And over time the unseen reality of heaven becomes more real to us. There is nothing like the experience of tasting hope when all looked hopeless to teach the soul that the death we fear is not the end." Jon Bloom- Newsletter for Desiring God Ministries.

BLESSED are those who wait for Him, and NOT blessed are those who don't wait- who try to make it happen on their own- try to strategize a way to get out from under the "waiting" and "resting" that God appoints. May I learn this lesson and go to The Word as my defense against the sin of impatience.