Posts
One
of the biggest frustrations with waiting is how long things seem to take. We’ve
all waited for justice, recognition, that long-awaited letter or call from a
loved one or for a relationship to heal. Whether we
recognize it or not, waiting is a constant in our lives. At any given
moment we’re all waiting for something or someone.
Waiting patiently is hard,
especially in a culture with a microwave mentality and an on-demand urgency in
everything from meals to work to traffic even our relationships. We want
what we want and we want it yesterday. In this climate of instant
gratification, we can easily feel as if we’ve been waiting forever for
something, even if it’s only been a relatively short time.
Tolstoy said, “The
strongest of all warriors are these two, time and patience.” Yet so often we
give away our strength in favor of immediacy. Perhaps instead of asking “How
long should we wait”, the more important question is, “Can we wait?” Or more
specifically, “What happens if we don’t wait?”
Like Abram, we can get
pretty tired of waiting for that something to happen. Ten years after God had
promised Abram that he would be the father of many nations he was still
childless and he lamented to God about his situation. In Genesis 15:1-6 God
told Abram, "Look up at the heavens and count the stars—if indeed you can
count them. Then he said to him, "So shall your offspring be." Now,
that’s an amazing promise.
Yet, it wasn’t too
long after this promise that a bewildered Abram lapsed in faith with a little
help from his wife Sarai. What’s going on, how on earth is God going to fulfill
his promise? There must be a way God, it’s been years of waiting with no
visible results.
As was the custom of the day and certainly not God-inspired,
Sarai suggests a short-cut and adamantly begs her husband, “Go sleep with my
handmaiden and we can build a family through her.” Maybe Abram thought,
that sounds good to me, sure why not?
Sarai made her own
plan that seemed good to her and plus it was acceptable to her culture. Sound
familiar? Abram could of, should of, but he didn’t. If Sarai
thought Lot gave them a whole lot of problems, she had no idea the radical
impact of her decision would have upon her own family and centuries to come.
They couldn’t wait and
took matters into their hands. Gosh, that sounds way too familiar for
all of us.
For 13 years both of
them told everybody that God blessed their decision. The child Ishmael was the
promised one, the heir apparent, and the fulfillment of God’s promise. Then
something happened that rocked their world that changed their names and lives
forever.
Twenty-five years
after God’s promise in Genesis 12:1-4 God visits Abram and tells him that He is
now going to fulfill His promise. (Gen.17:1-18) Abram can’t believe it, are you kidding me,
we’re in our nineties? Abram cries out, “Oh that Ishmael might live.” Can you
hear the pain in that statement? Don’t you see God I want this so bad I’ve been
telling everyone in my family and friends… Don’t you see this is how it’s
supposed to be? This looks really bad for me now.
God’s responded, “Yes,
but your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will call him Isaac. I will
establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants
after him.” (Gen.17:19) Aren’t you glad that despite our many failings God
faithfully fulfills His promises! They are not dependent upon us, but upon
God’s faithfulness to keep His word!
Waiting on the Lord is
essential to growing in our faith journey. May we learn from Abraham that
running ahead of God and creating and trusting our own resources can create
problems for us and those we love and we can miss God’s best. God helps us. We
need His help!
The good news is that
there is more to Abraham’s life journey than this lapse of faith that we can
learn from and apply.
Questions for personal
reflection and conversation:
Like Abram and Sarai have you been waiting for something for such a long time that you are taking matters into your own hands? Was that effective and where has that gotten you in the past?
Like Abram and Sarai have you been waiting for something for such a long time that you are taking matters into your own hands? Was that effective and where has that gotten you in the past?
What or who can help
you to know that God loves and cares about you and has only the best in mind
for you? It’s never too late to
change course despite your circumstances and deepen your
trust in God’s faithfulness!
Read: Psalm 62:5-8; Isaiah 64:4; I Peter 5:7
