The Gift of Waiting - Part 1

The Gift of Waiting – Part 1

(Isaiah 9:1-7)

Yearly Theme:  “Patience is…”

Series Title:  “The Advent of Patience”

December 4^th, 2022

Something to think about:

Have you ever had to wait for something so long that you just couldn’t stand it? 

Warren Wiersbe makes the observation, “The ability to calm your soul and wait before God is one of the most difficult things in the Christian life. Our old nature is restless...the world around us is frantically in a hurry. But a restless heart usually leads to a reckless life.”[1]

Today, we look again to GOD’s Word to understand the story of love, redemption, and waiting.  In doing so, we turn to an Old Testament prophecy in Isaiah’s writings that foreshadows a specific time in history when the Messiah would come to save the lost and offer the gift of eternal life to all who believed in Him.  Written some 700 years before Jesus’ birth, Isaiah writes…

Isaiah 9:1-7 (NLT),

¹ Nevertheless, that time of darkness and despair will not go on forever. The land of Zebulun and Naphtali will be humbled, but there will be a time in the future when Galilee of the Gentiles, which lies along the road that runs between the Jordan and the sea, will be filled with glory.

²  The people who walk in darkness

will see a great light.

For those who live in a land of deep darkness,

a light will shine.

³ You will enlarge the nation of Israel,

and its people will rejoice.

They will rejoice before you

as people rejoice at the harvest

and like warriors dividing the plunder.

⁴ For you will break the yoke of their slavery

and lift the heavy burden from their shoulders.

You will break the oppressor’s rod,

just as you did when you destroyed the army of Midian.

⁵ The boots of the warrior

and the uniforms bloodstained by war

will all be burned.

They will be fuel for the fire.

⁶ For a child is born to us,

a son is given to us.

The government will rest on his shoulders.

And he will be called:

Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

⁷ His government and its peace

will never end.

He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David

for all eternity.

The passionate commitment of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies

will make this happen!

Here’s the takeaway this morning:

Key Point:  “Since the beginning, GOD’s true people faithfully waited on the Messiah and were blessed.”

How did GOD’s people wait for the Messiah’s first arrival during the time of Isaiah, and how are we to wait on the second coming of Messiah today?  What does waiting on GOD require of us?

• Waiting on GOD sometimes requires  through times of darkness and despair.

Isaiah 9:1 (NLT),  Nevertheless, that time of darkness and despair will not go on forever. The land of Zebulun and Naphtali will be humbled, but there will be a time in the future when Galilee of the Gentiles, which lies along the road that runs between the Jordan and the sea, will be filled with glory.

• Waiting on GOD requires  that He will come through at just the right moment.

Isaiah 9:2-6 (NLT), ²  The people who walk in darkness will see a great light.  For those who live in a land of deep darkness, a light will shine.  ³ You will enlarge the nation of Israel, and its people will rejoice.  They will rejoice before you as people rejoice at the harvest and like warriors dividing the plunder.  ⁴ For you will break the yoke of their slavery and lift the heavy burden from their shoulders.  You will break the oppressor’s rod, just as you did when you destroyed the army of Midian.  ⁵ The boots of the warrior

and the uniforms bloodstained by war will all be burned.  They will be fuel for the fire.

• Waiting on GOD requires  that His promises are true.

Isaiah 9:6-7 (NLT),  ⁶ For a child is born to us, a son is given to us.  The government will rest on his shoulders.  And he will be called:  Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.  ⁷ His government and its peace will never end.  He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David for all eternity.  The passionate commitment of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies will make this happen!

Something to take home:

1. Campbell Morgan wrote, “Waiting for God is not laziness. Waiting for God is not going to sleep. Waiting for God is not the abandonment of effort.  Waiting for God means, first, activity under command; second, readiness for any new command that may come; third, the ability to do nothing until the command is given.”

This Christmas season let’s not only remember that there were countless generations that waiting on the coming Messiah that would be born in the small town of Bethlehem, we too are awaiting the very same Messiah to come again and fulfill His promise of a New Heaven and a New Earth, where there is no sorrow, pain, tears, death, or corruption.  And even if He doesn’t come in our lifetime, through the Holy Spirit’s power and strength within us we will endure, believe, and trust in GOD’s promises.

Key Point:  “Since the beginning, GOD’s true people faithfully waited on the Messiah and were blessed.”

[1] “Men’s Life,” Spring, 1998.