Waiting for the Seventh Time

I Kings 18:44 (KJV) “And it came to pass at the seventh time, that he said, “Behold, there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man’s hand.” And he said, “Go up, say unto Ahab, prepare thy chariot, and get the down that the rain stop thee not.”

This prophet had to listen to six disappointing reports before he found evidence of his promise. Think about it. Most of us would get discouraged after the first one or two reports came back negative; when we didn’t see immediate results or results in the timeframe we had in mind. That’s why some of us never achieve our full potential because we can’t overcome disappointment, missed expectations, and mis-understandings we incur while following the journey to the “seventh time.” I am reminded of several principles I must keep in mind while I am in the “waiting period” of life:

“Not now” doesn’t mean “Never”, it just means the time hasn’t come

God’s timing is different than mine, often its much longer than I would like it to be

God uses His “waiting period” to mold me, change me and make me more into what He wants me to be

This “Waiting Period” is often painful because change is painful

I will be successful in the end if I allow Him to do His work in me, even if it takes seven times to do so

Sometimes God realizes I am not ready for all he has for me, that I need to mature, that if He released what He had in mind I might not be able to handle it

When I reach the seventh time and look back I will realize the journey was worth it and was necessary to prepare me to handle the fullness of his promise

The message for all of us is:

1. God has a plan for us,

He wants us to be successful,

He knows how and where we need to change to be able to handle our promise,

If we wait on Him, change in response to His lessons, refuse to be discouraged and refuse to quit, we will realized the fullness of our promise.