Blog Post: The Gain of Waiting

Or: The Pain Gain of Waiting

Have you found yourself waiting for a promise of the Lord to come to pass? Has it been taking a long time, perhaps way longer than you ever expected it to take? Has it become increasingly challenging to believe God for that promise? You see, the longer we wait for something, the harder it becomes to hold onto our belief that it will happen.

For example, (and this is perhaps a personal one), someone who is believing for marriage. When you’re in your early twenties,  it doesn’t seem like too far of a stretch for that to happen soon, so it feels pretty easy to believe God for it. But as the years go by, and that promise has not been fulfilled, it becomes harder to keep the faith. You experience more and more time where that promise hasn’t happened. The longer you wait for God to fulfill a promise, the more disappointment and doubt begin to creep in. You continue a cycle of growing hope and faith that God will bring your promise to pass, only to be followed by unmet expectations and unfulfilled longing. Every year that passes without seeing that promise fulfilled adds to the weight of accumulated disappointment.

Perhaps you find yourself in this very scenario. It could be something other than marriage, maybe it’s a dream of having your own family, or it’s dreams in a career, a life milestone or in ministry. Whatever promise you find yourself waiting on God for, waiting for something that spans a long period of time like years or maybe even decades is no small feat. That’s because you’re not just waiting for the promise itself; you’re also overcoming a mountain of disappointment built from the years of unfulfilled hope. Your reality is that you have lived years where nothing seems to change. To then, in that moment, believe. That is powerful. And perhaps, that is the exact thing God is building in you through this process. 

This is why in Romans 4:22, God calls Abraham righteous. Abraham had received a promise from God that he would be the father of many nations. But at the time, Abraham had no children and for years, he and his wife Sarah struggled to conceive. Yet, Romans 4:18-19 says, “Even when there was no reason for hope, Abraham kept hoping—believing that he would become the father of many nations. For God had said to him, ‘That’s how many descendants you will have!’” Romans 4:20 continues by saying “Abraham’s faith did not weaken, even though, at about 100 years of age, he figured his body was as good as dead—and so was Sarah’s womb.” Despite everything—Abraham’s age, Sarah’s age, and their circumstances, Abraham remained convinced that God would fulfill His promise, even when it seemed impossible.

Waiting a long time for something is not easy. But in the waiting, our faith is strengthened and we learn how to trust God deeper and surrender to His plan more fully. It is a process. Romans 4:21 says “[Abraham] was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever he promises.” Just like Abraham, in our waiting, may we also become fully convinced that God is able to do whatever He promises. If God has promised you something, remember, He IS ABLE to make it come to pass. 

The Lord told me recently “I hold time in My hands, and just because you are waiting for something doesn’t mean I won’t give it.” A lot of times, we think a “not yet” means a “no” or it is a punishment and negative thing from God. Personally, because I have waited a long time for promises from the Lord, I mistakenly have come to the conclusion that God won’t do it and that’s why it hasn’t happened. When in reality, that’s simply not true. God does have a timing to bring His promises to pass in our life, even if its not the timing we would have chosen or expected. 

Another way to look at it is that the waiting period has just as much purpose as the fulfillment itself because God is accomplishing something in us—just like He did in Abraham’s life. Abraham did not just become the “Father of Faith” (Galatians 3:7) for no reason, Abraham’s faith grew into a great faith as he continued to believe God to do the impossible in his life over a period of time. That is the exact work that God is doing in you, building in you a deep trust and a great faith that will sustain you for a lifetime. 

So if you find yourself in a long period of waiting, remember that God is in it. You too are living out a story like in the Bible, it’s your own story of endurance and faith. You continue to give God permission to make His glory known through your life. Against all hope, you dare to still hope and believe in a God who still works miracles and does the impossible today. And may you also experience that promise come to pass in your life and may it be a testimony that gives God the glory.