DON'T WASTE YOUR "WAIT"S

IS THERE SOMEONE... OR SOMETHING...YOU ARE WAITING FOR? 

One man said husbands spend half their lives waiting for their wives.  I don't know how accurate that is, but you may have spent considerable time waiting for a plane to depart, for your turn in a check- out line, for an oil change to get done. 

WHAT DO YOU DO WHILE YOU ARE WAITING? Waiting isn't always enjoyable. The apostle Paul even experienced waiting for someone. He showed us how to turn waiting into eternal profit. 

Acts 17:16 tells us what happened "while Paul waited."  He was waiting for his preaching partners to arrive at Athens. He didn't waste this waiting time.  He didn't let waiting irritate him. He didn't let it distract him from his true purpose in life. 

While Paul waited he observed the city and the people and "his spirit was stirred within him when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry."

The burden of his heart for the lost compelled him to do something.  He turned his waiting into reaching. Boldly he preached Jesus to the religious and devout Jews in the synagogue and every day he walked to the market place and preached to groups of people.  This led to confrontation and ministry to many more in Athens...all because Paul made eternal use of his waiting time. 

I WAS ONCE SEATED IN A ROOM FULL OF PEOPLE JUST WAITING. 


My husband was in another room for an appointment and I knew I would be sitting there for awhile. 


An elderly gentleman was seated across the room and as I observed him thoughts filled my mind. He is probably very close to facing eternity. How sad it would be for such a nice appearing gentleman to wind up in hell. The desire grew inside me to have the opportunity to speak to him, but the room was so full of people. That would make it uncomfortable. I just kept waiting and began to pray. 


Much sooner than I expected the room emptied out leaving just that man and me in it. Thank you Lord! You have prepared the way.


Looking over at him I asked him how he was doing and he mumbled a few words in response. Attempting to initiate a conversation I called over to him and asked him, "What kind of work have you done in your lifetime?" He eagerly replied that he had travelled the world doing oil exploration.


I took that cue and moved across the room to sit closer to him. He enjoyed describing his flights, his sea journeys, his many exciting adventures.


 Learning that he was 86 years old I did my best to move the conversation to his present need.  He had a cane and showed signs of weakness.  He began to tell me about his bone cancer, and things he would still like to do.


“What if you are able to do those things. What would you do then?” I asked him. "Just go a little slower," he replied.


I was trying to get him to think about eternity so I asked, “And when you finally get to that last moment of your life, what then?


"Well, I guess it will all be ready for us." he stated matter-of-factly.


"But," I said, "the important question is, will you be ready for it?" 
“Do you have a Bible?” I inquired.
“No.”
“Have you ever had one of your own?” I asked.


I was amazed to learn that in all his eighty-six years he had never had a Bible. It was my privilege to pull a New Testament out of my purse and present to him his first Bible. He was very happy to receive it, put it in his shirt pocket, tapped it, and said he would read it.


JUST THINK! THIS OPPORTUNITY CAME WHILE I WAS WAITING.