Waits Patiently For God’s Timing

Waits Patiently For God’s Timing

A HERO’S TALE

Tick, tock, tick, tock . . .

The hours and days passed slowly. Weeks turned into months. Months turned into years. Years turned into decades. And still, Abram waited for God to keep his word.

When God promised to make Abram into a great nation, Abram was about 75 years old and his wife, Sarai, was about 65 —too old to have a baby under normal circumstances. Yet as we learned in yesterday’s devotion, Abram put his faith in God’s promise.

But nothing happened immediately. Abram waited . . . and waited . . . and waited. He grew older. His hair became grayer. His strength waned.

Occasionally, doubts crept in —Is God really going to keep his promise? Has he forgotten about me? Was it all just a dream? —and God had to reassure Abram. God even gave Abram and Sarai new names —Abraham and Sarah —as a sign confirming his promise. Finally, when Abraham was 100 years old and Sarah was 90, God gave them a child —baby Isaac, the son of the promise.

DECODING THE MESSAGE

Abraham waited a whopping 25 years for God’s promise to be fulfilled. That’s a long time!

We usually think of heroes as men and women of bold action. And that’s often true. But godly heroes also know how to wait patiently on the Lord.

As Abraham learned, God is never slow in keeping his promises, and he never forgets. He is always in control and has a perfect plan for our lives.

But his timing is not like ours. He does things according to his schedule, not ours. And that’s a good thing, because he is God and we are not. He is perfect in knowledge and power. He can do whatever he wants, whenever he wants. But he always does what’s best for us. Isn’t that awesome?

God wants us to ask him for things. Scriptures like Psalm 5:3, Matthew 7:7-11, Ephesians 6:18, Philippians 4:6, and James 1:5 make that very clear. But we must be prepared to wait for God’s answer and trust that we are in good hands while we wait.

During the waiting period, God teaches us important lessons. Waiting produces perseverance, patience, and trust. It’s like a plateful of green beans —you might not like it at the time, but they’re very good for you.

Whatever you are waiting for, trust in God. He will do what’s best for you in his perfect timing.

BATTLE PLAN

Keep a prayer journal of the things you ask of God. Track when and how he answers to see his faithfulness at work!