2017 Family Conference Ambassador

N

ot long ago we took a trip to Atlanta and while in the Olympic City we decided to purposefully encounter some of their southern cuisine. So what did we do? We found our way to Gladys Knight's "Chicken and Waffles." We had been traveling all day long and we could smell the food outside but could not go in. You see, there was a line nearly out of the door. We had to do something that none of us like to do. We had to stand in line and just wait.

Okay let's cut through the chase and admit it.

Waiting gets on our last nerve. But, all of us are waiting on something. Sick people are waiting to be healed, some single people are waiting to be married, children are waiting to be teenagers, teenagers are waiting to be grown, grown folks are waiting to be wealthy and have someone take care of them for a change, sisters are waiting to exhale, older people are waiting to be respected, college kids are waiting to graduate and our friends in Haiti are waiting on relief. Everyone is waiting on something.

The healing news for today however it this: There is someone that you can wait on and when the wait is over you can shout these words with passion, purpose and power, it was worth the wait! In Psalm 27 David brings healing to every waiting soul when he gives a word of illumination to those in darkness by declaring that "The Lord is my light and my salvation..." He moves from illumination to consecration. He tells that he only desires one thing from the Lord and that is to "...dwell in the house of the Lord all of the days of His life..." After the word of illumination and consecration he then downloads a word elevation when he shouts, "...when father and

mother forsake then the Lord will take me up..." In other words, when what was supposed to hold me up collapses the Lord shall keep me in His hands. But, he concludes with a word of hope and healing for everyone that is waiting on the Lord he says, "Wait on the Lord, be of good courage and He shall strengthen thine heart, wait I say on the Lord!"

So what is the real blessing in waiting on the Lord?

First, your portion is from above. The reason why waiting on the Lord is so worth it, is because what He wants you to have is greater than what you thought you could have ever received! The word "wait" used in the text is quavah and it is in the piel stem and the imperfect mood. It means to look to a larger source to have needs met. Like a child looks to a parent so we look to God. The only problem is that you do not get what you want when you want it.

So the only way to get it is to wait for it! The shouting news of the day however is this, everything that you need is available through your source and the storehouse is full! In other words, God's it!

Healing...He has your portion. Deliverance...He has your portion. Direction...He has your portion. Your portion is in His hands so wait on Him!!!

Secondly, waiting on God is worth it because your perseverance comes from within. You will never gain strength hanging around with weak people. This is why you always want to be found with saints that are strong in the faith that have been through hell and hurt, and came out of it with a testimony and a scar. It is because you discover that the God that is within their soul kept them and gave them strength!

David says it this way, "...be of good courage and He

shall strengthen thine heart..." This should read like this, "...and He shall make you tough and cause you to endure from the inside." Let's be honest, waiting can make you want to quit. But, when you feel like giving up talk like the people that have made it and say "I am going to hold on to the Lord until my break through comes!" And when you do this, strength comes from the inside to keep you and cause your waiting to be your blessing!

And lastly, waiting on God is worth it because your plight is in His plans. Oh My God this is soooooo wonderful!

Listen to this and put it in your spirit, the reason why you need to wait on God is because what you want for you is not good enough for you. In other words, God's plans are much better than your plans. So, learn how to wait! The Psalmist ends the verse the same way he begins the verse. In short, this verse will bless you going and coming. It says, "Wait on the Lord.....wait on the Lord." It is written twice because the Hebrew language does not have punctuation marks. So there was no way to shout a phrase, so they just wrote it twice. So look at this four word phrase as if it were written like this, "WAIT ON THE LORD!!!!!!!!!!" Why? Because your steps are being ordered by the Lord and right now where you are is not a moment of conclusion it is a step in your progression that will end in a celebration of victory. So wait on God because it is worth it!

We waited for a good while at Gladys Knight's restaurant. But, when we got ready to leave people were walking slow with doggie bags in hand and tooth pics dangling from their lips. And one dear friend said to me as we boarded the bus to go to the hotel, "It took a while, but it was worth the wait." Now if waffles from Gladys were worth waiting on, surely the God of heaven is worth your wait too! Wait on the Lord and know that your best days are yet to come!

Scripture Verse: Romans 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved

2017 GRADUATES & MINISTRY WORKERS