Quit Makin Lanes! - Subtopic: Wait

A former co-worker went to pick something up in the company truck once. He got to an intersection and a car was waiting for traffic to clear so they could make a left turn. The co-worker did not want to wait, so he drove around the car and on thru the intersection. Lots of us have done this. The only problem was a cop happened to see him do it. Maybe cause it was a small town (lol), the cop pulled him and gave him a ticket for “creating a lane”. By law, he should have waited for the car to clear the lane and then go thru. I had never heard of this!

Ya’ll know we do this in life too! Things come in our path that seem to block, or slow us down. It could be a person in our lives, a job, the money. We wait, and wait, and wait, and wait, then we just drive around…thinking we have saved ourselves some time. But!!!!!! James 1:4 says “But let patience have [her] perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.” So some of you that may only read the King James may see the benefit of other translations (via http://bible.cc/james/1-4.htm):

New International Version (©1984)
Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

New Living Translation (©2007)
So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.

English Standard Version (©2001)
And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

New American Standard Bible (©1995)
And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

International Standard Version (©2008)
But you must let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing.

GOD'S WORD® Translation (©1995)
Endure until your testing is over. Then you will be mature and complete, and you won't need anything.


I love to note that God is not trying to see if we will endure!! He already knows. Jeremiah said God knew us before we knew ourselves (in our mother’s wound). But (another but), we need to know ourselves. Muhammad Ali was a pretty good example as to why. He was a successful fighter, because he believed he could beat anyone…even folks like Joe Frazier that many thought would be impossible. WE have to know our limits, our level of endurance (as the other translations said). God is teaching you….IN the wait.

Abram and Sarai had trouble waiting. When their son did not come as God said, they “created a lane” and try to get one through their servant. Jonah tried to “create a lane” when God sent him to minister to “those people”…the ones he did not feel were WORTHY of God’s grace.

Psalms 37 says each of our steps…everyone of them…is orderd by the Lord. John said that Jesus “must needs go through Samaria”, cause He had to minister to a woman, on the way to His next ministry stop.

Job said ALL of my appointed time...will I wait.

Psalms 40 - I waited patiently on the Lord...

1 Peter 5 -...after you have suffered a little while.

God I pray for each of your servants that is tired of waiting. God we know what you said we would be. God some of us even obeyed your Word, and wrote down the vision so it would be clear. But, God, we get tired. We get anxious. We often want to quit, or, we find ways around the very thing you have placed in our path to grow us. God, we repent for the times we rushed your plan. Forgive us God. Now we asked that as David prayed, that you will create in us a clean heart oh God…..a heart that only wants what You want. Give us the patience to only drive the lanes you ordained for our lives…no short cuts.

John Waller’s “While I’m Waiting” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bb7TSGptd3Y