While You’re Waiting, God Is Working

CURRENT TEACHING SERIES The Keys to a Blessed Life

While You're Waiting, God Is Working By Rick Warren — Oct 11, 2015 “I trust the LORD God to save me, and I will wait for him to answer my prayer.” (Micah 7:7 CEV) The Bible is clear that there are seasons in life, and one of the seasons that God talks about again and again is the season of waiting. While you’re waiting, God is working. Don’t think that the season of waiting means that God has stopped working. He’s just taking you through that season because he’s using the time to work in your circumstances for your good. You’re going to spend a lot of life waiting. If you don’t figure out how to trust God while you’re waiting, you’re going to spend a lot of your life not trusting God. God is never in a hurry. He’s eternal! He is watching; he is working. He is seeing how and when you will trust him as you’re waiting. You’re saying, “When, Lord? When is it going to happen?” And God’s saying, “You can trust me with this.” The problem with waiting is that our human nature and our culture say, “Don’t wait! Get things as quickly as you can.” That’s the way our culture is wired, but it goes against God’s blessing in our lives because God’s blessing comes through these times of waiting. Ecclesiastes 3:11 says, “[God] has set the right time for everything” (TEV). You might be in a time of waiting. Maybe it’s for school to end. Maybe it’s for a man or a woman to come into your life. Maybe it’s for a marriage to happen or a baby to come. And you may be frustrated with how slowly things are happening. We’ve all been there. There’s a promise in the Bible that tells you not only that God is working but also how God is working, and you need to claim it while you’re in your time of waiting: “I am the LORD, and when it is time, I will make these things happen quickly” (Isaiah 60:22 NCV). That’s how God worked when he sent Jesus into this world. The world waited thousands of years for Jesus to come the first time. And he came at just the right time. We’ve been waiting 2,000 years now for Jesus to come again. When is he going to come again? At just the right time — God’s time. That’s when he’s going to come. You need to apply this to your time of waiting and remember that a delay is not a denial. When you think God is saying “No,” he may just be saying, “Not yet. Will you keep trusting me through this?” Micah 7:7 says, “I trust the LORD God to save me, and I will wait for him to answer my prayer” (CEV). That is the kind of faith that God blesses. PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick >> Talk It Over What have you been waiting on God to do in your life? What has been your response to the season of waiting? How have you seen God work in your life when you have had to trust in his timing and not your own? What can you do to slow things down in your life so that you learn patience and trust? Our Gift: The Keys to a Blessed Life Study Kit What is the secret to accessing the abundant life God promises? In perhaps the greatest sermon of his ministry, Jesus gives us the keys to the Kingdom; a life of wholeness, happiness, and healing. In this 6-session video study, Pastor Rick Warren examines the Beatitudes and explores the practical steps to lead you to peace and fulfillment in your life, your work, and your relationships. LEARN MORE Complete Audio Series (Purchase) Includes all complete sermons from the Rick Warren The Keys to a Blessed Life teaching series. LEARN MORE Series Summary Message 1: It Depends Who You Depend On Message 2: ​​​​How God Blesses Broken Hearts Message 3: ​​​​The Strength of Gentleness Message 4: ​​​You​r Ministry of Mercy Message 5: ​How To Reconcile a Relationship Message 6: ​Handling Opposition To Your Faith PLAY TODAY'S BROADCAST

Pastor Rick Warren

Enjoy today's Devotional? Listen instantly to the full radio message at Daily Hope Radio. Did someone forward this devotional to you? Subscribe to Pastor Rick Warren's Daily Devotional. This devotional is based on the current Daily Hope radio series at rickwarren.org. Rick Warren has helped people live with hope and on purpose for more than 40 years. He’s the founding pastor of Saddleback Church in Southern California and author of several books, including "The Purpose Driven Church" and "The Purpose Driven Life," read by more than 100 million people in 137 languages. He created the PEACE Plan (plant churches of reconciliation, equip servant leaders, assist the poor, care for the sick, educate the next generation), which is used by churches in 196 countries. His radio teaching and daily devotional, Daily Hope, is offered across America. This devotional © 2015 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission. You can unsubscribe at any time by changing your e-mail preferences. Update your preferences  |  Unsubscribe