Waiting on God’s time isn’t easy especially when we have no idea how long it will be. Take Abraham for instance, God told him his descendants would be as numerous as the stars (Gen 15:1-4). Abraham trusted God and longingly waited to see the promise fulfilled. He wound up waiting 25 years. That’s a long time to wait! How do you remain hopeful year after year?
Sarah actually lost hope rather quickly. And why wouldn’t she? Her child-bearing years were floating away like dandelion petals in the wind. The likelihood she would get pregnant grew slimmer as the years passed.
Waiting becomes so much harder when reality keeps showing up to state the obvious.
Eventually, Sarah grew tired of waiting as fear and doubt eroded hope. Would she ever have children? How long would she have to wait? Why did she have to wait?
Caving into fears was much easier than waiting on God. So Sarah took matters into her own hands. She decided Abraham was going to have a child. If not by her then it would be by her servant Hagar. But one way or another she and Abraham would get the heir he was promised.
The longer the wait, the greater the frustration and the desire to find answers outside of God.
Although Sarah is the one who voiced her frustration, I wonder if Abraham had doubts. After all, he readily agreed to Sarah’s plan without hesitation. He could’ve told his wife ‘no’ or reminded her of God’s promise but he complied without any objections (Gen 16:1-3).
Ultimately, Sarah’s decision to take matters into her own hands was a mistake. One she would regret more than once, especially after the birth of Isaac, the heir God promised.
Trying to make God’s promise happen in our time will always be a mistake. We can’t rush God’s time.
What I’ve Learned
Waiting is hard. And the longer the wait the harder it gets because fear and doubt creep in to steal hope. We question why God hasn’t answered. We doubt we will ever see an answer. It may even get to the point that we grow tired of waiting and take matters into our own hands. We try to make God’s promise happen in our time.
We can get so hung up on God’s promise we fail to see the bigger picture: the work God’s doing in us to prepare us to receive the answer.
What Abraham and Sarah thought was a delay was God strengthening and refining their faith. The birth of Isaac was a testimony to everyone that God is a God of the impossible, the improbable and the inconceivable. And He is faithful to keep His promises.
The promises God has for you will come at the appointed time, wait for it. Meanwhile, rest in the knowledge while you’re waiting your faith is being strengthened and made perfect.