THE "WAITERS"

[prophetess m. brignac]

There are not many believers, or non-believers for that matter, who have not had to wrestle and strive in the area of patience, long suffering, and endurance. Yielding to the ways of passing time is one of the greatest challenges for our human nature, because we were born of the loins of ancestors, founding fathers, and the patriarchs, way back when time had no measurements, who had constant battles with "waiting". When in situations that we don't, and can't control the speed with which things happen, or don't happen,it is our nature to become restless, nervous, anxious, agitated, worried, vexed, frustrated, apprehensive, dismayed, doubtful, resigned to failure or disappointment, and we lose focus, while losing heart, but more tragically, we regress in our faith and confidence on God. It is through spirits of impatience, which belies actual faith, that many a man has jeopardized and forfeited the very blessings they were stressing over, by presumptuously,getting involved in circumstances they were supposed to be trusting God with, and were testifying of how they knew that God's got it!", or "I know "MY GOD" is going to work it out!" Meanwhile, these same mighty testifiers are searching their minds and the resources of this world to expedite or make happen what they just claimed that they were assured down in their souls, that the Lord" was going to do,and when we supercede the efforts of God to manifest the answer to our petitions, He will graciously bow out, because you've indicated that "you've go this", and you really don't need His sovereignty, favor or power!.The Bible admonishes us to "let patience have her perfect work in you", and so in order to allow her" to do that,we must have a knowledge of what that work is. The bible declares that the "trying of your faith"/patience, is much more precious that gold, and in your patience, strong confidence, and blessed assurance, you "possess your soul"? In other words, when we bring our impatience under subjection to what we say we "Know" regarding God's faithfulness, inability to fail, and His inability to lie, we take back the power to rest in God, and in His promises, that we surrender when we give our souls over to dob, fear, and worry, which will become full grown "unbelief" if we fail to deal with it. Had Eve waited for her husband to join her, or waited to share her encounter with God, Who had kept, provided for, and sustained her up until the moment she wandered out of His presence, and from the companionship and covering of her husband, her mind would've been realigned with the Truth of Who god is, and everything that He says and has promised, and avoided the unfortunate act of disobedience and the birthing of sin that she initiated.

Waiting has been an issue for men since time began, and had Sarah "waited" for the Excellent God to bless and fulfill her like He said that He would, she would've saved a lot of people,including an innocent child, much grief,drama, and misfortune. A fact about waiting/patience is that it will always produce something,whether its good or bad, desirable or dreaded, positive or negative, what we hoped for, or what God wanted us to have, but t is always productive. There was a time when we were more inclined to wait for marriage (YES, FOR REAL) before engaging in sexual intimacy, thereby giving birth to legitimate' heirs, and maintaining the solidarity of the family structure God has mandated. Because immediate gratification is one of the strongholds of impatience, we now have a sexually obsessed, ,immoral, single parented, unfathered, partially identified and affirmed, angry, displaced, and unmotivated generation of children! Consequently, we now have thousands of children who are victims of "illegitimacy , plus the need for thousands of disease control centers, and infirmities that are putting us graveside, way ahead of schedule. There was a time when couples waited for the sanctity of marriage, and a "DNA test" would've been a legitimate offense, and no one felt the need to be nervous when taking the pre-marriage blood test! Time, by its very nature is manifesting millions of things within the earthly realm, on down to the smallest millisecond. An expectant mother, at the conclusion of her divinely proscribed term of carrying her baby/babies, produces the seed of another generation,which will, in time, regenerate and reproduce as long as time exists, but she has to 'wait" on the fulfillment of the end of her time of patience. We have no problem waiting for a chicken to fry, a slab of ribs to be grilled, or a red velvet cake to be baked to perfection, and these things will probably no more than, give one indigestion if , by impatience, they are not allowed to cook their full amount of time,but when it comes to those things that can cause us to lift up our eyes in hell, or cause one to be eternally separated from God, those things that will enhance our lives in this terrestrial dimension,those things that will cause us to prosper in our way, and bring God the utmost satisfaction and joy,we grumble, moan, complain, give up, brood, whine, make excuses and become discouraged. Job declared that "For all of my appointed time, I will WAIT for my change"! Did you ever wonder what he did to occupy the time that it would take God to manifest his "change, WHILE BEING CLUELESS OF JUST WHEN THE LORD MIGHT BRING HIM OUT.?" It is what you do while you're "waiting" that determines the degree of blessing you will experience, so learning how to maximize the time, is the wisdom one should seek,so that there's no "dead time" for the flesh to have pre-eminence, filling us with apprehension, doubt, fear, anxiety, double mindedness, dread, and eventually, full blown unbelief, if we don't get in the Spirit with a quickness, while we're waiting. Weve witnessed sisters getting their face together, taking out rollers, putting in contacts,drinking lattes, snacking on a biscuit meal, putting on panty hose and actally getting dressed, while on a teleconference call, pulled up to a red light, while "waiting" for a red light to turn gree! Brothers, we know you know how to wait as well, because you've perfected it while waiting for chow time. You masterfully juggle a couple of remotes while you channel surf,watch three different ball games at the same time, take a power nap, or read the news, so we know you get the principle of productively waiting, too! The majority of "road rage" incidents come about because someone was not in the mood, or of a mind to wait" for the vehicle next to, behind, or in front of them to turn, pass, or change lanes, and they respond in violence. Violence and inflammatory behaviour is witnessed all day every day in theaters, supermarket check out lines, bank lines and even in "church, if word gets out that some first class entertainment will be there, because someone felt that they've waited too long, someone tries to "jump" line, or many other scenarios, and it often erupts into altercations that require the intervention of the "law".

The Bible says that "they that WAIT upon THE LORD, shall RENEW THEIR STRENGTH, they shall mount up with wings as an eagle; they shall RUN and not grow weary, and walk and not FAINT!" Fainting is one of the adverse effects of doubt, unbelief and impatience,,and if it goes unchecked, the lack of patience can develop into physical manifestations, such as irregular heart beats, hyperventilation, nervous stomach, shaking hands, aching heads, and cold sweats. The Bible also declares that "in your patience, you possess your soul. In other words, if you submit your doubts to the Lord, He will exchange your worn out, useless strength, for brand new mercies, hope, and assurance, and you will retain the governing of your thought, emotions,and reactions to circumstances, by the grace of God. The Bible also declares that hope/patience maketh not ashamed, so the benefits of maintaining a productive 'waiting' posture is well worth the wait.! While you are waiting for the manifestation of your petitions and requests, you should assume a posture of "waiting on", or ministering unto the Lord. You should reflexively, go into Masterful Servant mode, and enthrone Him at your table of abundant reverence, praise and exaltation! You should invite Him to sup with You, because your table is spread with the best that you have to offer, and you shouldn't mind putting on your waiters uniform of meekness, humility, and humbleness. You should wait on Him as if you were the head Maitre D at the most exclusive restaurant in the world, and like He is the most celebrated and revered V.I.P. this world has ever known, because that's exactly What and Who He is! You should approach Him with extreme gratitude, and ",take His order", and find out how He would like His "praise" served, asking Him would He be having a "halal", a "todah", or a "maranatha", and will He be having a side order of "hosanna" with that? You should stand or bow at attention, while He tastes of the spiritual feast you've prepared for Him, as His favored servant and "waiter. Real wise, submitted "waiters/servants" recognize a profound truth, that being that they don't need to be in charge ,or to own the Restaurant to be blessed, because it's those who are actually serving/ministering,, in the thick of things who have access to the "patrons". Many "waiters/waitresses" have had their lives changed while being in the right place, in the right uniform, serving the right people who gave them their dream jobs, opened doors of unbelievable favor for them, or blessed them tremendously. What they learn quickly, and so should we, as a people who shoud've discovered the wisdom and power of "waiting" in the correct posture, that being ,that the BEST WAITERS, get the BEST TIPS,so what kind of "waiter" are you?