God's Waiting Room

SCRIPTURE

Genesis 16:1 Now Sarai, Abram's wife, had given him no children; and she had a servant, a woman of Egypt whose name was Hagar. 2 And Sarai said to Abram, See, the Lord has not let me have children; go in to my servant, for I may get a family through her. And Abram did as Sarai said. 3 So after Abram had been living for ten years in the land of Canaan, Sarai took Hagar, her Egyptian servant, and gave her to Abram for his wife.

Genesis 16:16 Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar gave birth to Ishmael. 17 Then Abraham went down on his face, and laughing, said in his heart, May a man a hundred years old have a child? will Sarah, at ninety years old, give birth?

Genesis 18:11 Now Abraham and Sarah were very old, and Sarah was past the time for giving birth. 12 And Sarah, laughing to herself, said, Now that I am used up am I still to have pleasure, my husband himself being old? 13 And the Lord said, Why was Sarah laughing and saying, Is it possible for me, being old, to give birth to a child? 14 Is there any wonder which the Lord is not able to do? At the time I said, in the spring, I will come back to you, and Sarah will have a child. 15 Then Sarah said, I was not laughing; for she was full of fear. And he said, No, but you were laughing.

Genesis 21:5 Now Abraham was a hundred years old when the birth of Isaac took place.

OBSERVATION

Sarah was tired of waiting on God and gives Abraham an evil temptation.

The other day my family was trying to leave Steak n Shake and we stood at the counter for several minutes with employees standing around looking at us waiting to pay and then just looking away. I finally saw our waiter and asked him out loud if anybody wanted our money.

God has a waiting room for us to sit in, he asks his children to wait for a lot of good things:

For mercy - Ps 123:2     For pardon - Ps 39:7,8     For the consolation of Israel - Lk 2:25     For salvation - Ge 49:18; Ps 62:1,2     For guidance and teaching - Ps 25:5

For protection - Ps 33:20; 59:9,10     For the fulfillment of his word - Hab 2:3     For the fulfillment of his promises - Ac 1:4     For the hope of righteousness by faith - Ga 5:5     For the coming of Christ - 1Co 1:7; 1Th 1:10

APPLICATION

I will remember Isaiah 40:31:

But those who are waiting for the Lord will have new strength; they will get wings like eagles: running, they will not be tired, and walking, they will have no weariness.

PRAYER

Lord give us all the grace to wait patiently for you. Help me to be patient each day in this hurry up world.