How long should we wait for God’s promises to come true?
I’ll be honest, I’m impatient. I want things to happen now, so that I can get on with my life. But God doesn’t operate on my timeline.
Abram’s Wait
When God revealed himself to Abram, Abram was 75 years old. When Issac was born, Abraham was 100. 25 years between initial promise and the special son being born.
I don’t think I would have waited 25 years. In that sense, I understand why Abraham/Sarah used Hagar to get a son.
Waiting sucks. No one likes to do it.
My Hand Pain
I have some chronic hand/arm pain, it’s been around 2.5 years now. To me that feels like an eternity.
So much of my life has gone by while I’ve struggled with this problem. I want it gone now.
But I’m just 10% of how long Abraham had to wait. What if it’s 10 more years? Or 20? Can I be okay with that? What if it never gets fixed?
More Waiting
In Genesis 15, God tells Abraham that his offspring will be oppressed for 400 years. That is lifetimes of people waiting on God’s promises. I struggle to comprehend how they kept it together all those years.
If someone told me that my great-grandson’s great-grandson would experience God’s freedom, I’d struggle to find the good news in that.
- What about me?
- What about my life?
- Am I just peanuts, not worth much of anything?
I confess, I’m very self interested.
Searching for Answers
When searching for answers, trying to figure out the future, trying to escape crappy conditions, the last thing I want to do is wait.
I want to take action. See change. Figure out the solution so I can get my life back on track.
But what if I should instead be waiting? Waiting for God’s timing to be fulfilled? Can I be okay with that?
That’s honestly the answer in front of me now, will I have the patience to wait?
Can I trust in God’s timing?