I have promises from God about my job, family, and home.
So far, they have not come to pass.
I have had some things come to pass over the years, which has been magnificent. But with this season of life, it has not been easy to wait.
It’s a funny thing, waiting on the Lord. Sometimes it seems effortless. Yet, other times, it seems unbearable.
And then, there is the idea of waiting. Do I sit and remain in one situation? Yet, in another, am I supposed to be doing something and wait for God to create results?
Waiting on God to move and fulfill his promises can be difficult, but they can be rewarding.
Today, I wanted to share three examples from the Bible where someone waited on God, and he fulfilled his promise.
Abraham and Sarah
“But God replied, “No—Sarah, your wife, will give birth to a son for you. You will name him Isaac, and I will confirm my covenant with him and his descendants as an everlasting covenant.” - Genesis 17:19
This is one of those long promises. Abraham was an older man before he had a son. And that son God had promised him came when he was 100 years old. What I find interesting is the number of times God promised things to Abraham before the promise was fulfilled.
Moses
“So I have come down to rescue them from the power of the Egyptians and lead them out of Egypt into their own fertile and spacious land. It is a land flowing with milk and honey—the land where the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites now live.” - Exodus 3:8
Moses is out in the wilderness, tending flocks of sheep, and God gives him the promise that he will help rescue the Israelites from Egypt. Yet, it doesn’t happen right away. There is a bunch of things that Moses must do and experience before this happens.
King David
“So as David stood there among his brothers, Samuel took the flask of olive oil he had brought and anointed David with the oil. And the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David from that day on. Then Samuel returned to Ramah.” - 1 Samuel 16:13
David was tending his father’s sheep when God came to him as Samuel the prophet. David was a boy then, not yet ready for what God would call him to, but he did it anyway. God promised David he would be king. And after years of preparation, mostly running from the current king, this promise came true.
What Can We Learn From These Stories?
As I continue to sit in this season of waiting, I know I need to glean some new revelation from these stories. Because these stories aren’t just stories, they are testimonies of God’s faithfulness.
As such, we can take them as part of our own since we are part of God’s family in faith. So, how do we take these testimonies as part of our own? How do we learn from them and trust them in our situation?
Understand that waiting on God often takes time.
Every situation from these stories shows that time passes before promises are fulfilled. Moses didn’t immediately take the Israelites out of Egypt. Abraham was 100 years old when he had a son. And David waited decades to become king.
Waiting on God isn’t passive.
Each of these examples had things they needed to do to move the story forward. David fought much, Moses had to confront Pharaoh, and Abraham traveled during the in-between. Our waiting will likely take activity too. Even if we miss a step, we can return to God for the right path.
The outcome might look different than we expect.
In my experience and reading these stories, sometimes things looked a little different than we thought they would look at the beginning. Moses probably didn’t think they were going to the wilderness, and David probably didn’t know he would be on the run for a year.
Are you in a season of waiting?
“I’ve tasted your goodness. I trusted your promise, I’m going to wait on you… Wait on the Lord. He will renew your strength.” - Maverick City Music
Waiting on God for something is hard. It is tiresome too. I get it. I have been there, and I am there once again.
However, God comes to us in our waiting. He provides for us in this time. Sometimes it is encouragement. Other times it is the promise itself.
Almost every single time, God steps in with revelation for something we don’t even know we need. And I think that might be for you right now. What is God giving you during this season?
If you need a little additional encouragement, I would like to encourage you to listen to this song from Maverick City Music and Elevation Worship:
Is there anything I could be praying for you and your family that you have been waiting on! Let me know in the comments below!
J.R. Heimbigner is a #1 Bestselling Author on Amazon who loves helping people grow in their faith and help writers become authors. You can connect with him on Medium, his website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Substack!
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