The wait. The word wait itself brings me a feeling of longing for something to happen. For me, waiting is exhausting. I think of sitting in a doctor’s office with two little boys, trying to keep them occupied until they call our name. My mind goes to sitting in an airport with thousands of people I don’t know, waiting for my plane to arrive. I think of waiting on dinner to be served, school to be out, the clerk to check me out at the store, the sun to come up, or my brain to shut down so I can sleep. Life is full of waiting. And of course, the phrase, “Good things come to those who wait,” was never something I wanted to hear as a child.
In the Old Testament, we see God making a couple wait for a child, which was an extraordinary wait of 25 years. In Genesis 15:3-5, God makes a promise to Abraham. Abraham had no children, and instead of waiting, he was going to give his inheritance to a son by a handmaiden. “And Abram said, “Behold, you have given me no offspring, and a member of my household will be my heir.” And behold, the word of the LORD came to him: “This man shall not be your heir; your very own son shall be your heir.” And he brought him outside and said, “Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” Wow, what a great promise! However, it had one catch: they would have to wait on God’s timing.
Their wait seemed forever as they watched the years roll by and their bodies getting frailer. In Genesis 18:1-3, Abraham sees Jesus and two angels before him. “And the LORD appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat at the door of his tent in the heat of the day. He lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, three men were standing in front of him. When he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them and bowed himself to the earth and said, “O Lord, if I have found favor in your sight, do not pass by your servant.” Abraham proceeds to gather food and make a meal for them. The men then asked where Sarah was, and Abraham told them she was in the tent. The Lord says in verse 10, “I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife shall have a son.” And Sarah was listening at the tent door behind him.”
Sarah laughed in disbelief because she was well past childbearing age. They had waited so long that they had given up having a child of their own. Yet, God would keep His promise, and they would receive the reward from the Lord for their wait.
Genesis 21:1-3 “The LORD visited Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did to Sarah as he had promised. And Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age at the time of which God had spoken to him. Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him, whom Sarah bore him, Isaac.”
While their faith may have been tested, it never failed them. Even when they could not see what or how God would fulfill their promise, it was important to trust and wait. Before Isaac was conceived, there was a time when they tried to take things into their own hands. Sarah would give her handmaid to Abraham, and she would have a child by Abraham. They were trying to manipulate their situation instead of trusting God. If you read through Genesis chapters 16-21, you will see trouble set in motion as they seek to do things their way instead of waiting on God.
So why does God make us wait? What is the value in waiting? We must remember that God always has a plan, and His timing is perfect. Waiting shows our trust in Him. As we wait, we are to continue studying and drawing close to God. This will help to perfect our faith. Waiting is not a passive state of doing nothing; it is an active demonstration of our faith.
Waiting shifts the focus from our ability to God’s timing and sovereignty. When we don’t take things into our own hands, it shows others that we believe God is capable and faithful to fulfill His promise, even when the physical world brings circumstances that look impossible.
Waiting also exposes the maturity of our faith. When things happen immediately, it does not expose our faith. Waiting shows whether or not our faith is conditional. Is it based on getting what you want quickly, or is our faith unconditional, grounded in who God is?
God may also use the process of waiting to force us to examine why we want what we are waiting for. Waiting on God and trusting in His process will develop patience, as we allow Him to work. Humility, because we are powerless to do what only God can do, such as convicting a soul to turn to Him. Waiting will purify our intentions and our character.
Now it is examination time. How do you handle waiting? Do you seek to use shortcuts and manipulate the circumstances? I can assure you this will create problems. Do you fret and worry that God will not answer the way you want Him to? Where are you in this waiting game?
God wants you to trust Him completely. He wants you to rise from your knees with a confidence that He is working and will continue to work until His will is accomplished. Wait, place it in His hands, and trust Him.
