Contentment While Waiting on God
Lesson #7: Singleness and Pursuing Marriage
I. Waiting is the Hardest Part
A. Many people are Waiting on God
1. Waiting for a spouse
2. Waiting for a child… especially a barren couple, but also adoption and just
waiting for the nine months!
3. Waiting for healing for self or loved one
4. Waiting for a job
5. Waiting for a lost loved one to be converted
6. Waiting for a family crisis to be resolved
7. Waiting for wisdom for a specific life situation
B. One Gift or Another… But What If You Don’t Have It Yet?
1 Corinthians 7:7 I wish that all men were as I am. But each man has his own gift
from God; one has this gift, another has that.
C. Waiting for God to Make the Path Clear
James 1:5-8 If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to
all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. 6 But when he asks, he
must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea,
blown and tossed by the wind. 7 That man should not think he will receive
anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.
D. Deliverance Often Comes at the Last Possible Moment
1. God stopped Abraham from slaying Isaac… but He waited until the last
possible moment
2. God does this to allow the trial to have its full effect on us
3. God has us all “in the oven” baking; He’s not going to take us out of the trial
until we are “done”
2
E. Fighting Discouragement in the Meantime
1. Discouragement in general: one of Satan’s greatest weapons
2. Specific discouragement in the issue of marriage
a. Probing questions: “Will I be single forever?” “What does the future
hold?”
b. Deeper worries: feelings of rejection… “Is something wrong with me?” “Is
life passing me by?” “Should I be doing more to get ready?”
3. Easy to get depressed, down, discouraged… Satan piles on with insinuating
thoughts that are downright vicious
4. Have to fight by renewing your mind
II. The Waiting Saints of Scripture
A. Noah on the Ark: Waiting for the Flood to End
Genesis 8:3-7 The water receded steadily from the earth. At the end of the hundred
and fifty days the water had gone down, 4 and on the seventeenth day of the
seventh month the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat. 5 The waters
continued to recede until the tenth month, and on the first day of the tenth
month the tops of the mountains became visible. 6 ¶ After forty days Noah
opened the window he had made in the ark 7 and sent out a raven…
Genesis 8:10 He waited seven more days and again sent out the dove from the ark.
Genesis 8:12 He waited seven more days and sent the dove out again, but this time it
did not return to him.
Genesis 8:13 By the first day of the first month of Noah's six hundred and first year,
the water had dried up from the earth
Genesis 8:14-16 By the twenty-seventh day of the second month the earth was
completely dry. 15 Then God said to Noah, 16 “Come out of the ark…”
B. Abraham and Sarah: Waiting for Isaac
Genesis 12:4 Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Haran.
Genesis 21:5 Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him.
C. Job: Waiting for God to Relieve His Suffering
Job 7:2-5 Like a slave longing for the evening shadows, or a hired man waiting
eagerly for his wages, 3 so I have been allotted months of futility, and nights of
3
misery have been assigned to me. 4 When I lie down I think, 'How long before I
get up?' The night drags on, and I toss till dawn. 5 My body is clothed with
worms and scabs, my skin is broken and festering.
James 5:11 You have heard of Job's perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally
brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.
D. David: Waiting for a Kingdom
1 Samuel 16:11-12 So Samuel asked Jesse, "Are these all the sons you have?" "There
is still the youngest," Jesse answered, "but he is tending the sheep." Samuel
said, "Send for him; we will not sit down until he arrives." 12 So he sent and
had him brought in. He was ruddy, with a fine appearance and handsome
features. Then the LORD said, "Rise and anoint him; he is the one."
David was a teen-ager at that point
In the course of time, Saul became his enemy and hunted him like a dog; David
had to flee for his life
Even after Saul and Jonathan died, David still did not become king of all Israel for
another seven years
2 Samuel 5:4 David was thirty years old when he became king
E. The Psalms: Waiting Patiently for the Lord
Psalm 5:3 In the morning, O LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my
requests before you and wait in expectation.
Psalm 6:3 My soul is in anguish. How long, O LORD, how long?
Psalm 13:1-2 How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever? How long will you
hide your face from me? 2 How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and every
day have sorrow in my heart?
Psalm 37:7 Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him
Psalm 130:5-6 I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope. 6
My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more
than watchmen wait for the morning.
F. Hezekiah: Waiting for Healing
Isaiah 38:12-13 Like a shepherd's tent my house has been pulled down and taken
from me. Like a weaver I have rolled up my life, and he has cut me off from the
loom; day and night you made an end of me. 13 I waited patiently till dawn, but
like a lion he broke all my bones; day and night you made an end of me.
G. Habakkuk: Waiting for God’s Plan to Be Fulfilled
4
Habakkuk 3:16-19 I heard and my heart pounded, my lips quivered at the sound;
decay crept into my bones, and my legs trembled. Yet I will wait patiently for the
day of calamity to come on the nation invading us. 17 Though the fig tree does
not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the
fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in
the stalls, 18 yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior. 19
The Sovereign LORD
H. Elizabeth and Zechariah: Waiting for John
Luke 1:7 they had no children, because Elizabeth was barren; and they were both well
along in years.
Luke 1:13 the angel said to him: "Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been
heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the
name John.
Luke 1:20 “And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this
happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their
proper time.”
I. Simeon and Anna: Waiting for the Messiah
Luke 2:25-26 Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous
and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit
was upon him. 26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would
not die before he had seen the Lord's Christ.
Luke 2:36-37 There was also a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the
tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years
after her marriage, 37 and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She
never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying.
J. All Christians: Waiting for the Second Coming of Christ
1 Thessalonians 1:10 to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead-Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.
Revelation 22:20 He who testifies to these things says, "Yes, I am coming soon."
Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
K. All Christians: Waiting for Final Salvation
Romans 8:23-25 Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit,
groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of
our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope
at all. Who hopes for what he already has? 25 But if we hope for what we do not
yet have, we wait for it patiently.
5
III. The Patience of God
A. God Waits Too!
1 Peter 3:20 God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built.
B. The “Fullness of Time” for the Messiah
Galatians 4:4-5 But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born
of woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, so
that we might receive adoption as sons.
C. Christ Waited Patiently Under the Shadow of the Cross
1. While on earth
Luke 12:50 But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is
completed!
2. From eternity past
Revelation 13:8 … the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world.
3. In Old Testament era
Genesis 22:7-8 Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, "Father?" "Yes, my
son?" Abraham replied. "The fire and wood are here," Isaac said, "but where
is the lamb for the burnt offering?" 8 Abraham answered, "God himself will
provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son."
Genesis 22:9-12 Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound
his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. 10 Then he reached
out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. 11 But the angel of the LORD
called out to him from heaven, "Abraham! Abraham!" "Here I am," he
replied. 12 "Do not lay a hand on the boy," he said. "Do not do anything to
him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me
your son, your only son."
Jesus WAS the Angel of the Lord who stopped Abraham from slaying Isaac…
Jesus IS the Lamb that was slain in place of Isaac
At that moment in Redemptive History, Jesus knew He would have to pay the price
D. Christ Waits for His Enemies to be Crushed
Hebrews 10:12-13 when this priest [Christ] had offered for all time one sacrifice for
sins, he sat down at the right hand of God. 13 Since that time he waits for his
enemies to be made his footstool
6
E. God Waits for Sinners to Repent
Romans 2:4 Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and
patience, not realizing that God's kindness leads you toward repentance?
Romans 10:21 But concerning Israel he says, "All day long I have held out my hands
to a disobedient and obstinate people."
2 Peter 3:8-9 But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like
a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. 9 The Lord is not slow in
keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not
wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
F. God Waits for the Right Time to Punish His Enemies
Romans 9:22 What if God, choosing to show his wrath and make his power known,
bore with great patience the objects of his wrath-- prepared for destruction?
G. God Waits for His Plan to Unfold… Even if it mean Suffering for His People
Revelation 6:9-11 When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of
those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they
had maintained. 10 They called out in a loud voice, "How long, Sovereign Lord,
holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our
blood?" 11 Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to
wait a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and brothers who
were to be killed as they had been was completed.
H. God Waits for the Consummation of the Ages
Romans 8:19-21 The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be
revealed. 20 For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice,
but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will
be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of
the children of God.
IV. Why God Makes Us Wait
A. To Prepare Us for a Life of Pilgrimage toward Heaven
Hebrews 11:13-16 All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did
not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a
distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth. 14
People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their
own. 15 If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have
had opportunity to return. 16 Instead, they were longing for a better country-- a
heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has
prepared a city for them.
7
B. To Enable Us to Glorify God More Than When We Get the Thing We Want
C. To Develop a Humble, Servant Demeanor
1. If we never were made to wait but immediately received from God whatever
we asked, we might grow to despise God and look on Him as if He were a
houseboy, or a genie in the bottle: “My wish is your command.”
2. By making us wait, we are kept in our place: He is the King, we are the
servants
D. To Strengthen our Faith
Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things
not seen.
1. We live by faith when we are waiting for things we hope for, things we do not
yet see
2. Our faith is not strengthened in the receiving of the things promised, but in the
waiting for what we don’t yet have
3. Answered prayer only strengthens our faith for the next “thing hoped for, thing
not seen”
E. To Teach Us God-Centered Delight
Psalm 73:25-26 Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire
besides you. 26 My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my
heart and my portion forever.
1. Waiting for things focuses our mind on God more and more
2. We begin to realize that God is our portion and our cup
3. We begin to treasure God above all other things… even more than the thing we
are yearning so much for
F. To Wean Us from Idolatry
1. Correspondingly, we are weaned little by little from treasuring things above
God
2. Any created thing we treasure above God is an idol
3. When God makes us wait for anything—a spouse, a
G. To Teach Us Thankfulness for Blessings Already Received
8
H. To Develop God-like Patience
James 1:2-4 Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds,
3
because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4
Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not
lacking anything.
I. To Teach Us Self-Denial
Matthew 16:24-25 Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me,
he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25 For whoever
wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it.
J. To Allow His Plan Time to Develop
1. Best example: Jacob and Joseph
a. Jacob believed that his beloved son Joseph was dead, torn by wild animals
b. He actually was alive in Egypt
c. God never told Jacob that Joseph was alive… for many years He allowed
Jacob to believe a lie
d. Meanwhile, Joseph was gradually being worked into position to save Egypt
and his family from famine
e. At the right time, God revealed to Jacob that Joseph would be at his bedside
as his death:
Genesis 46:2-4 God spoke to Israel in a vision at night and said, "Jacob! Jacob!"
"Here I am," he replied. 3 "I am God, the God of your father," he said. "Do
not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you into a great nation there.
4
I will go down to Egypt with you, and I will surely bring you back again. And
Joseph's own hand will close your eyes."
2. Jesus with Lazarus, Martha and Mary
John 11:5-6 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 So, when he heard
that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was.
John 11:21 Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not
have died.
John 11:32 Now when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his
feet, saying to him, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have
died."
9
3. Applied to marriage: both you and your prospective spouse need to be made
ready for the blessing… in fact, one of you may be more ready than the
other… perhaps even completely ready… but the other person needs to be
ready too!!
K. To Heighten our Joy in the Fulfillment
1. The longer we wait, the greater our joy when at last God fulfills the desire
2. Key statement:
Proverbs 13:12 Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of
life.
L. To Smoke Out Hidden Heart Sins
1. Job began the trial well… at first he responded in faith
Job 1:20-22 At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to
the ground in worship 21 and said: "Naked I came from my mother's womb,
and naked I will depart. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may
the name of the LORD be praised." 22 ¶ In all this, Job did not sin by charging
God with wrongdoing.
2. But little by little, some hidden heart sins came floating to the surface
Job 19:6-7 God has wronged me and drawn his net around me. 7 "Though I cry, 'I've
been wronged!' I get no response; though I call for help, there is no justice.
3. God confronted Job about this very thing
Job 40:8 Would you discredit my justice? Would you condemn me to justify yourself?
4. In the end, he had to repent for those sins
V. The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment
Jeremiah Burrough’s timeless classic:
A Puritan minister in the first half of the seventeenth-century, had seen his share of suffering
in the persecution of Puritans under Archbishop Laud. In the late 1640’s, he wrote this
classic meditation, “The Rare Jewell of Christian Contentment” on Paul’s statement in
Philippians 4.
Burrough’s Doctrine: To be well-skilled in the mystery of Christian
contentment is the duty, glory, and excellence of a Christian.
A. The Secret Declared: Contentment in Any and Every Situation
10
Philippians 4:12 I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation,
whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.
B. Contentment Defined
Definition: Christian contentment is that sweet, inward, quiet, gracious frame of spirit,
which freely submits to and delights in God’s wise and fatherly disposal in every condition.
1. Inward
“If the attainment of true contentment were as easy as keeping quiet outwardly, it would not
need much learning.”
2. Quiet
What it is opposed to
murmuring and repining at the hand of God
vexing and fretting
tumultuousness of spirit
unsettled, unstable spirit which distracts from spiritual
duties
heart-consuming cares
sinking discouragements
sinful shirkings and shiftings to get relief
rising against God in rebellion
3. Frame of spirit
“Contentment is a soul-business: an inward, quiet, frame of spirit.”
“Contentment is not merely one act, just a flash in a good mood.
4. Gracious
Not the natural quietness of certain personalities
Not a sturdy resolution of the will
Not from the strength of natural reasoning
It is a GRACE from GOD!!
5. Freely submits to God’s disposal
It is a matter of submission… of the yielding a subject does to His
King
“A contented heart looks to God’s disposal, and submits to God’s disposal, that is, he sees
the wisdom of God in everything. In his submission, he sees God’s sovereignty, but what
11
makes him take pleasure is God’s wisdom. The Lord knows how to order things better than
I. The Lord sees further than I do.”
No reluctance, no great persuasion needed to submit gladly to
God… not grudging
Not by constraint… not forced to be content
Not by stupidity or ignorance of the afflictions facing them
It is a FREE act by rational people based on spiritual judgment of
God
6. Gladly submits to God’s disposal
Here is where rejoicing in the Lord ALWAYS means the
most
This person is not irritable, angry, and frustrated… they
GLADLY submit to God’s wise ruling… glad that God has
so ruled
C. The Secret Described
Philippians 4:13 I can do everything through him who gives me strength.
D. It is Something to Be Learned
E. How the Contentment Comes
F. The Evils of a Murmuring Spirit
1. By murmuring, we say: “I love the gifts you give more than I love you, Lord.
I love the spouse, the money, and the car, and the family, and the good weather,
and the good food, and the successful job, and the comfortable furniture, and the
beautiful scenery, and the pleasing entertainment, and the good health… I love
these THINGS more than I love you, Lord… and if you take them away, I will
murmur at you.”
2. By murmuring, we behave least like Christ… who was content to take even a
cup of God’s wrath from His hand and drink it to the bottom
VI. Reasonable Expectations
A. Marriage is a Genuine Blessing from God… But
B. Marriage isn’t Heaven
C. Waiting Can Help or Hinder Reasonable Expectations