Joy

Waiting

            God’s Promises are a signed, sealed guarantee, but often so is the waiting that accompanies them.  Like we see with Abraham, sometimes God gives us promises far in advance of their fulfillment to give us hope for our future and stability during our present pain.  But He still makes us wait and wait and wait for them – to the point we honestly believe our hearts will explode with anxiety or pain.  See, it’s in our hearts where our deepest desires reside and therefore it is the most vulnerable of places for us.

But because those desires are in the most vulnerable of places and are often the most important to us, they are also of utmost importance to God.  And He is never inactive in our waiting time, even when He calls us to be still.  In fact, He absolutely loves to work for those who will wait for Him.

Although He may not explain all of His purposes to us as He has us in this season of waiting, there is always a reason.  I am sure that Abraham would have gladly relived each and every day of waiting, knowing the joy that his son Isaac brought him for the rest of his days.  Even though the waiting felt like an eternity, Isaac was worth waiting for.

God has something worth us waiting for too.  I was driving to a function the other day, and praying while I drove.  Much of my time spent driving involves me praying that I don’t get a ticket, but on this particular trip I was bearing my soul to the Lord in terms of my desires and longing for a family.  And that’s when the Lord laid it on my heart, “I am making you wait because there is something worth waiting for.”  There is something worth waiting for. It’s kind of hard to argue with that, and so I have no choice but to wait.

There are days I feel much like I am sure Sarai felt….a bit past my prime in terms of the timeline of my hopes and dreams…a bit on the wrong side of where I would like to be.  But that’s when God does something to remind me of the promises He has given me.  That’s when He reminds me that my waiting will produce a joy that I will carry with me for the rest of my life.