ADULT SUNDAY SCHOOL MANUAL – Topic: WAITING ON GOD  -Church of God Mission International – DATE: SUNDAY AUGUST 7TH, 2022

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ADULT SUNDAY SCHOOL MANUAL

DATE: SUNDAY AUGUST 7TH, 2022

TOPIC: WAITING ON GOD

TEXT: Psalm 37:7-16

CENTRAL THOUGHT: But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; 40:31a

HYMN: S, S & S 894, “Amazing Grace”

INTRODUCTION:
In our world today, most people tend to be in a hurry in all things and at all times. This phenomenon has led to the idea of wanting everything “instant” this or that.
Unfortunately, this has gradually been introduced into the body of Christ. Some
believers are no longer ready to wait on God for His timing. They believe that everything must happen as quickly as
possible. Such want to receive the answers to their requests immediately even if it is not the way God wants it.
We must realise that God is sovereign and cannot be manipulated by any means. He knows what to do and when it is best for us. He is neither too early nor too late. He is always there on time.
God’s timing may not always correspond with ours but one thing is certain, at His own time He makes all things beautiful. The onus lies on us therefore, to wait on God for the right time He has ordained.
His ways are not our ways,band His thoughts are not our thoughts. He will surely fulfil His purpose for those who
patiently wait on Him for His divine intervention.

LESSON OBJECTIVES:
The objectives of this study are to;
1.explain what it means to wait on God;

2.Discuss if there are things we cannot wait on God for and how long we should wait on Him;

3.determine how we are to wait on God;

4.identify some of the dangers of not waiting on God; and

5.mention some of the benefits of waiting on God.

BIBLE TRUTH:

Q1. WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO WAIT ON GOD? (Ps. 27:14)
Waiting on God simply means staying with God, standing by, looking unto Him and confidently expecting the Lord to come through for us. In the given circumstance, it is imperative for one to be strong and courageous .while
patiently waiting with great expectation.

Q2a. ARE THERE THINGS WE CANNOT WAIT ON GOD FOR?
We can wait on God for practically everything that we come across in life. Our God is omnipotent, omnipresent and
omniscient. He knows all things and He can do all things. He has the willingness
and the ability to handle any challenge that may confront us. Waiting on God therefore is not just an option but the
most reasonable thing to do. God’s timing may be different from ours and it does not matter for how long, but one
thing is sure, God will surely show up at His own appointed time and that is the right time.

Also Read: Open Heaven 7 August  2022 Daily Devotional By Pastor E. A. Adeboye –LETTERS TO THE CHURCHES 

Q2b. HOW LONG SHOULD WE WAIT ON GOD? (Acts 1:4)
We should wait on God until our expectation becomes a reality. God says in Isaiah 46:10 Declaring the end from
the beginning, and frombancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will
do all my pleasure”. Our times are in God’s hands. We should be determined to wait on God till our expectations manifest. We must keep waiting on God
until we receive what we are trusting Him for. No wonder Job said in Job 14:14b “all the days of my appointed time
will I wait, till my change come”. Our God is faithful to His promises, He does not
fail. If He says it, He will surely bring it to pass.

Q3. HOW CAN WE WAIT ON GOD?
Waiting on God includes but not limited to following:

A) Courageously- Acts 27:25:
We need to be courageous while waiting on God. This is very important because our God never disappoints His people. God will surely show up at His appointed time. He will fulfil His word. We should therefore wait until the result comes. “Wait on the LORD: be of good courage,
and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD” (Ps. 27:14AMP).

B)Expectantly- Psalm 33:20:
As we continually wait on God with great expectation and in righteousness and
holiness, we will surely receive answers to our requests. “And your hope and
expectation will not be cut off” (Prov. 23:18). We must therefore wait expectantly for the Lord because He is our only source of help and also our shield.

C) Patiently- Romans 8:25:
Patience is a virtue and is also an aspect of the fruit of the Spirit. If we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it
patiently. It is very important to wait patiently on God because He will surely
answer. The Psalmist experienced this and said “I waited patiently for the
LORD; He turned to me and heard my cry” (Psa. 40:1 NIV).

D) Faith fully/Trusting- Romans 4:18-21; Hebrews11:1:
While waiting on God, the believer must exercise his/her faith in the fact that
God is sovereign and has the ability to do whatever He has promised to do. Abraham the father of faith was strong in
faith because he was persuaded that what God had promised, He was able also to perform.

E) Standing on God’s word-
Jeremiah 1:12; Isaiah 55:8- 11: God’s word is infallible and stands forever.
The Lord Jesus clearly stated this in
Mk. 13:31 thus; “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away”. This serves as a great assurance that God’s words will never go unfulfilled. God watches over His word to perform it. He further says in Ezek. 24:14 I the LORD
have spoken it: it shall come to pass, and I will do it…”.but must realise that God’s
thoughts are not our thoughts, neither are our ways His ways. His ways are higher than our ways and His thoughts higher than our thoughts. The word that has gone out of God’s mouth will not return to Him empty, but it will accomplish what God desires and achieve the purpose for which He sent it.
We must therefore learn to stand firmly on God’s words knowing fully that they can never fail.

F) Continue in prayer- As we wait on God, prayer is an indispensable part of the waiting period. Therefore, we must continue in prayer till we receive our answer from God.b”Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving” (Col. 4:2). Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ realised the inevitability of prayer and stated in the
parable of the importunate widow “that men ought always to pray, and not to
faint” (Luke 18:1). Prayer is communicating with God. In the place of prayer, we settlebissues with God and receive direction on how to conduct
ourselves in the time of our waiting on God. Our faith is strengthened in the place of prayer. Little wonder Apostle
Paul encourages believers to pray without ceasing

Q4. WHAT ARE THE DANGERS OF NOT WAITING ON GOD? (1 Sam. 13:13-14; Gen. 16:2)
The dangers of not waiting on God include getting a result that may not exactly be free of trouble or sorrow. “The
blessing of the LORD, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it” (Prov. 10:22). Many people fail to wait on
God primarily as a result of impatience and wanting to get quick or instant result without considering the long-term effect of their actions. Saul lost out from having his kingdom established upon
Israel forever because of impatience which led him not to do that which God
commanded him. Saul also went to offer burnt offering which was the duty of the Prophet and this displeased God. His explanation that Samuel did not come at the right time did not exonerate King Saul; as result of his foolish act he lost the throne of Israel. Another case in point was that of Abram and Sarai his wife.bGod had promised them that
they were going to be father and mother of many nations. When Sarai felt like she was not going to be able to bear
children for Abram, her husband she decided to give her handmaid, Hagar to him so that she might obtain children
through her. The aftermath ofbthis case of impatience, doubt and unbelief still lives with us in the world today.
Impatience, unbelief and doubt have brought untold sorrows and hardships to many people.

Q5. WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF WAITING ON GOD? (Heb. 6:15; Lam.
3:25; Heb. 11:6; Isa. 40:31; Jer. 29:11; Prov. 3:5-6; Isa. 26:3)
There are many benefits accruing to as many as truly wait on God. Firstly, they shall obtain the promise of God after they have patiently endured. God will show His goodness to those who wait on Him and those who seek Him. There is a reward for waiting on God and diligently seeking Him: their strength is renewed and in addition, they will
mount up with Wings as the eagles, they will run and not be weary, and they will walk and not faint. God’s thought
towards those who wait on Him are thoughts of peace and not of evil. Ultimately, He will give them an expected end, hope and a future which is secured in Him. God directs the paths of those who wait on Him, trusting Him with all
their heart, not leaning on their own understanding but submitting to Him in all things. Another benefit is the fact that anyone whose mind is stayed on God will enjoy perfect peace because he/she trusts in God. Waiting on God’s timing will always bring joy and we shall never lose out because “God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? Or hath he spoken, and will he not make it good?” (Num. 23;19). Of a truth, our God is trustworthy
and dependable.

DAILY LIVING APPLICATION:
As we wait patiently on God, we are affirming that we trust Him to fulfil His word. We believe and trust that God knows what He is doing, even if the circumstances make us think otherwise. Our God is very mindful of us His
children. He will never abandon us
midway. He remains faithful to accomplish that which He has spoken concerning us. Our God is faithful to His promises, He does not fail. If He says it, He will surely bring it to pass. The onus lies on us therefore, to wait on God for
His own right time because His ways are not our ways, and His thoughts are not our thoughts. He will surely fulfil
His purpose for those who patiently wait on Him and His divine intervention.

MEMORY VERSE
Psalms 27:14 Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.

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