waiting |ˈweɪtɪŋ| noun [ mass noun ]1 the action of staying where one is or delaying action until a particular time or event: There was hope in the waiting.
Having two toddlers in my life, constantly wanting things “right now” and needing me “right now” and being hungry or thirsty “right now” has really taught me a thing or two about the art of patience. I feel I am constantly reminding my children that they need to wait, and that patience is a virtue. But how often do we, as adult believers, revert back to our toddler mentality when we expect God to answer our prayers or move in our lives exactly how and when we want Him to.
We want our mountain of debt to move, immediately. We want our our business to thrive, instantaneously. We want our dreams and destinies to be fulfilled, today! We want our marriage issues to be fixed without any compromises on our end. We want it, and we need it–right now.
There is no doubt throughout the scriptures that Jesus proves He is the God of “right now” kinds of miracles. He healed the blind with a touch, the dead rose with a word, and a woman was made whole by only brushing the hem of His robe with her fingertips. God can and will miraculously move in our lives in a moment–but sometimes, God requires us to wait.
“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, and faithful in prayer.” Romans 12:12
Did you know that there are more accounts of God’s children waiting on God’s promises than stories of instantaneous miracles recorded in the Bible? I believe God does this to show us that there is something very significant about seasons of waiting and learning to trust in Him.
In Genesis Chapter 17 we read that Abraham was ninety-nine years old when the Lord promised that he and Sarah would have a child. He waited nearly a century for his heart’s desire to be fulfilled through the promise of a son. But God’s promise to him was much greater than that. God proclaimed over Abraham’s life and he became the Father of the Faith.
“I promise that you will be the father of many nations… I will give you many descendants, and in the future they will become great nations. Some of them will even be kings.” Genesis 17:4-5
Sometimes we will not even see the promises of God fulfilled in our own lifetime. Moses obeyed God and freed the Israelites from Pharaoh’s mighty hand in Exodus, even though he did not enter the Promised Land with them after 40 years of leading them through the desert!
“The Lord caused the Egyptians to look favorably on the Israelites, and they gave the Israelites whatever they asked for… The people had lived in Egypt for 430 years. The Lord kept his promise to bring his people out of the land of Egypt on this night.” Exodus 12:36, 42
Joyce Meyer often says regarding this story, “The people of Israel wandered around in the desert for 40 years, rather than what should have been an 11 day journey. Choose to get your hearts right with God, and be obedient to Him, or you will just continue to walk around in circles.”
If we don’t choose to get our hearts right with Him and submit to His authority, we could end up feeling like we are wandering around in the desert for most of our lives. Sometimes we believe we are waiting on God, but He is really waiting on us!
“But you must not forget this one thing, dear friends: A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day. The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.” 2 Peter 3:8-9
I am so grateful that our God is a God of patience, mercy and grace. He is good to us, always. I pray that if you are struggling with patience, worry and waiting today that this message will encourage you to hold on a little longer. To put your trust in Him, and to believe that all things will work together for the good of those who love Him (Romans 8:28).
I am believing for your miracle and your promise today–whether God chooses to answer instantaneously, or by one step at a time, hand in hand with you as you walk through the desert together. Either way, He is with you today and always.
XO-
Sabrina