Wait on God

Sometimes we get tired of waiting and become desperate. Sarah was desperate for God to fulfill his promise that they would have a child. She helped Abraham have a son through her maid rather than continue to wait for God to do it in his way. After her efforts had backfired, she swung to the other extreme of hopelessness. I imagine that after decades of waiting and hoping she was afraid to hope again for fear of being disappointed. So, she scoffed at the prophecy that she was going to have a baby (Genesis 18:12).

When we wait for an answer, and it doesn’t seem forthcoming, we can become resigned and cynical. We embrace hopelessness as a palliative to cushion our disappointment. After all, you can’t be disappointed if you have no expectations.

The alternative of following God’s guidance is always better. When we let God lead us, and we choose to wait on him, he helps us get to our destination effortlessly. Although the word hope is often used passively, it is the active ingredient that drives faith, and our faith becomes unproductive when we let go of it.

Hope is a potent force. The Bible categorizes it alongside love in 1 Corinthians 13:13. In fact, the Bible says in Romans 5 that our hope grows when we suffer and persevere. Waiting is hardly easy for anyone, it’s natural to want to be in full control of our lives, events, and timelines. However, we need to trust God, trust that his plans are best, and trust that he will use our wait for his glory. Having this mindset will help us choose to be joyful instead of hopeless and make the best of each season of life.

Reflect

Are there unfulfilled expectations in your life that leave you disappointed and hopeless? Take these to God in prayer and ask him to help you trust him and give you hope as you wait on him.