Do you dread waiting? Do these thoughts lodge in your thinking? Is it ever going to happen; why do I have to wait so long; I might as well give up and do something else, etc.
When we are waiting for God’s provision and His promises to be fulfilled it should fill us with excitement and anticipation, much the same as a pregnant woman waiting to give birth, waiting to hold her child for the first time. It should be similar to the child waiting to go to the circus or on a special fishing trip with Grandpa.
Each day we are one day closer to the expected goal, our hopes are high!
Waiting for one of God’s promises to be visible starts with hope and grows into faith.
“Faith is what makes real the things we hope for. It is proof of what we cannot see. 2 God was pleased with the people who lived a long time ago because they had faith like this.” Hebrews 11:1-2
Waiting is what Abraham did for 25 years. Waiting for God’s promise to come to pass in the birth of a son, Abraham was excited!
“There was no hope that Abraham would have children, but Abraham believed God and continued to hope. And that is why he became the father of many nations. As God told him, “You will have many descendants.” 19 Abraham was almost a hundred years old, so he was past the age for having children. Also, Sarah could not have children. Abraham was well aware of this, but his faith in God never became weak. 20 He never doubted that God would do what he promised. He never stopped believing. In fact, he grew stronger in his faith and just praised God. 21 Abraham felt sure that God was able to do what he promised.” Romans 4:18-21
Joseph knew God had made him a promise that he would rule over his brothers and that they would bow before him. He held on to that promise. However, he first experienced being sold into slavery, serving in a foreigner’s house, being falsely accused of rape. He was imprisoned and forgotten.
Eventually he was called before Pharaoh and exalted to second in command in all of Egypt. He experienced all of this with hope and without bitterness. Hope that the promise God made him would be kept.
“So Joseph said to his brothers again, “Come here to me. I beg you, come here.” When the brothers went to him, he said to them, “I am your brother Joseph. I am the one you sold as a slave to Egypt. 5 Now don’t be worried. Don’t be angry with yourselves for what you did. It was God’s plan for me to come here. I am here to save people’s lives. 6 This terrible famine has continued for two years now, and there will be five more years without planting or harvest. 7 So God sent me here ahead of you so that I can save your people in this country. 8 It was not your fault that I was sent here. It was God’s plan. God made me like a father to Pharaoh. I am the governor over all his house and over all Egypt.” Genesis 45:4-8
Jesus discounted the pain and anguish of dying on the cross and becoming sin for all mankind by looking past it to see what God had promised – the salvation and restoration of man in relationship to God.
“We must never stop looking to Jesus. He is the leader of our faith, and he is the one who makes our faith complete. He suffered death on a cross. But he accepted the shame of the cross as if it were nothing because of the joy he could see waiting for him. And now he is sitting at the right side of God’s throne. 3 Think about Jesus. He patiently endured the angry insults that sinful people were shouting at him. Think about him so that you won’t get discouraged and stop trying.” Hebrews 12:2-3
Nothing I have ever had to wait for compares with the depth of these examples.
We have the ability to replace dread with expectation; frustration with hope and disappointment with peace. We are one day closer to seeing God’s promise fulfilled.
Be joyful, be excited because God is doing a mighty work and He can be trusted to keep His word!