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Waiting: The space between what is and what could be

Featuring Kim Heinecke

Session 1: Pinpointing the Desire

Session 2: Purpose of the Delay

Session 3: Preparing for Action

Session 4: Patience to Wait

To view the accompanying videos for this series, go to https://ariseministries.net/waiting

This series is presented by Arise Ministries. More online Bible studies can be found at www.AriseMinistries.net

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Patience. We all want it, but none of us want to work for it. Seasons of waiting generally test our patience. Are you able to stay the course and wait for God’s best every time, or are you like most people and sometimes fall victim to restlessness and race ahead of God? What are the dangers of taking matters into our own hands and abandoning the call to wait on the Lord? In this final session we will examine what’s at stake when we fail to surrender to God’s timeline, and we’ll discover the path of redemption for when we stray.

1. What causes you to feel impatient when you’re waiting for something? Select all that

apply.

not knowing the timeline seeing everyone around me move forward feeling like I’m missing out feeling overlooked not wanting to work at it experiencing failure or a setback other people’s opinions selfishness other ______________

2. Do you try to justify abandoning waiting and rushing ahead prematurely? Explain your answer.

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Waiting isn’t for wimps. It takes courage, determination, and patience. And we all know that patience isn’t developed in a vacuum. It grows in circumstances in which we practice submission to God’s timing. If we could always control the timing of a situation, we’d have no need for patience. In this session we will look at an Old Testament story in which people became impatient and impulsive. In Exodus 32, the Israelites had recently been liberated from slavery in Egypt. Moses had led the people on dry land through the Red Sea, prayed to God who provided manna, quail, and water and gave them shelter at night. They had witnessed miracle after miracle in those early days after leaving Egypt. Yet when Moses went to the mountain to meet with God, they became impatient after only a few weeks. Let’s dive into this chapter and learn from their mistakes. 3. Read Exodus 24:18. How long was Moses on the mountain?

4. Read Exodus 32:1-6. What caused the people to become impatient? What was their proposed solution to the perceived problem?

As we discussed in session 3, it can be difficult to endure seasons of waiting when we don’t understand the timeline. While Moses was with God for 40 days, the people became impatient and began to lose heart. They demanded action from Aaron. Was it to replace their mortal leader, Moses? Was it to replace YAWEH, the God who had miraculously led them out of Egypt

Exodus 32:1 When the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people gathered themselves together to Aaron and said to him, “Up, make us gods who shall go before us. As for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.”

Exodus 24:18 Moses entered the cloud and went up on the mountain. And

Moses was on the mountain forty days and forty nights.

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but now seemed silent? Whatever the true reason, they wanted to fill a void with their own actions rather than wait on God’s timing.

They had experienced the invisible God. They had witnessed his power and majesty. They had been set free from captivity, but now they begged for a substitute. Why had they become so dependent on Moses? Had God not been enough for them? Consider this – if the people had known Moses would be gone for 40 days, his absence wouldn’t have been a concern until day 41. It was the “not knowing” that challenged their human limits. How many times have we had the same thoughts when it seems God has forgotten us? If he would just tell us how long a season would last, then we could cope! How long will I be single? How long will this illness last? When will life change for me? Knowing isn’t always his plan for us. Those situations do not require trust and perseverance. Hope and trust are born in the unknown seasons of life.

5. Read Exodus 32:2-6. In a desperate, Aaron instructs them to remove their gold

decorations and hand them over to be melted down and fashioned into a manmade idol. In what ways do we make idols out of our worldly possessions, thoughts, or ideas when we feel life isn’t moving fast enough?

Picture them frantically taking off earrings, nose rings, necklaces, etc. and hurling them to Aaron. They were filled with the anticipation that he would take all their manmade trinkets, throw them into a fire, and out would come something divine – something sacred. But that’s the opposite of what happened. Like the Israelites, we are generous with our idols. We cater to them and go out of our way to offer them a prime position in our hearts.

Exodus 32:2-6 So Aaron said to them, “Take off the rings of gold that are in the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me.” 3 So all the people took off the rings of gold that were in their ears and brought them to Aaron. 4 And he received the gold from their hand and fashioned it with a graving tool and made a golden

calf. And they said, “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!” 5 When Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it. And Aaron made a proclamation and said, “Tomorrow shall be a feast to the LORD.” 6 And they rose up early the next day and offered burnt offerings and brought peace offerings. And the people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play.

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The truth is, when we worship a substitute for God, it’s not the sacred that comes out of a refining fire; it’s destruction. He never rewards or honors our addiction to self-rule, and he will not bless something that hijacks his rightful place in our lives. The Israelites failed to wait for Moses to return, and they failed to place their hope securely in God. They created an idol from the things the world deemed valuable. As it turned out, they were no more valuable than the scrap metal that once adorned their mortal bodies. A cheap substitute for the living God ultimately leads to death.

6. What negative consequences have you experienced when rushing ahead of God? Describe a time when your hasty actions seemed like a good idea but turned out to be destructive? What did you learn from that experience?

7. Read the following scriptures. How do these encourage you to develop patience and wait for God’s perfect timing?

KEY THOUGHT #1: We risk consequences or pain for ourselves and others when we fail to wait.

Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,

goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

Galatians 6:9 And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will

reap, if we do not give up.

Romans 8:25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

Isaiah 40:31 But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

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It’s in the outer limits of our patience that God stretches our faith and develops our spiritual maturity. The calling for us while we wait is always faithfulness. We can’t give up or abandon God’s timeline simply because we don’t perceive anything happening right now. You may be waiting for a godly husband to come along; don’t settle for a golden calf boyfriend. Perhaps you’re waiting for the pain of difficult circumstances to subside; don’t dull your pain with substances, food, or toxic relationships. You could be waiting on the hearts of your children to change; don’t stop trusting God and replace faith with nagging and manipulation. Be faithful in your waiting. The reward is worth it.

8. What does the Bible say about the rewards for our faithfulness?

We’ve all found ourselves wandering from God’s perfect plan. Waiting is difficult. The days creep by when we are longing for our desires to be fulfilled, but we know rushing ahead always has consequences. What can be said to the woman who replaces God with idols of convenience?

Luke 16:10 One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much.

1 Corinthians 15:58 Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.

Proverbs 28:20 A faithful man will abound with blessings, but whoever hastens to be rich will not go unpunished.

James 1:2-4 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

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Grace. The Bible is clear that when we veer off the path God has set before us, we can find our way back. He is faithful and just, and he gently leads us. Because of Jesus, we have forgiveness from trying to control God, forgiveness from the sin of idolatry, and the sin of prideful thinking we know what is best. Jesus waits for us, and intercedes on our behalf when we take a wrong turn.

9. What does the Bible say about how God waits for us?

10. Write a prayer asking God to increase your patience to wait on him. If you’ve rushed ahead, confess your sin and ask him to help you surrender to his perfect timeline.

2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is

patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.

Isaiah 30:18 Therefore the LORD waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to how mercy to you. For the LORD is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him.

KEY THOUGHT #2: God is faithful to guide us back to his will if we take a wrong turn.

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As we conclude this series, be encouraged to trust God to move in his time. As you are in step with him, you’ll recognize his voice and you’ll feel his gentle nudge toward change. Let the words of Psalm 16:11 be the declaration of your heart as you navigate the space between what is and what will be.

Psalm 16:11 “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”

Notes for Small Group Discussion:

1. Briefly share your thoughts on the video.

2. Briefly talk about spiritual concepts you learned.

3. Share with your group a choice you need to make that will honor God.

4. Consider practical ways to find accountability with these truths.

To share your thoughts regarding this study, contact us at info@ariseministries.net.

This resource is made available by Arise Ministries. No part of this study may be copied, sold, or distributed in

conjunction with any another work or compilation. It may not be posted on any other website. Links to this

document should be made directly to www.ariseministries.net/bible-study. All scripture references are made

using the ESV translation.

KIM HEINECKE

Video and Study Guide Author

Kim is a contributing writer for Arise Ministries. As a former single mom, she uses

her life experiences and personal spiritual growth through studying God’s Word to

encourage women. She and her husband have four sons and live in Edmond, OK.