Genesis 16:2

New Living Translation

So, Sarai said to Abram, “The Lord has prevented me from having children. Go and sleep with my servant. Perhaps I can have children through her.” And Abram agreed with Sarai’s proposal.

Meditation

It was the Lord’s day, and the worshippers packed the church. Quite remarkable, for transportation becomes a problem when it rains. The Pastor stood to deliver the message when the people settled down after much dancing.

Drip! Drip! Drip!

Right on the pulpit, the ceiling dropped its accumulated water from the downpour. Time to speed up the building project, the Pastor told the congregation.

A gentleman walked into his office the following Tuesday with a proposal to finance the re-roofing of the building. The choice seemed easy – to accept his offer for a quick fix or wait through the fundraising effort for the planned new building, which was not going well. His proposal won the day, and the building initiative died when people felt comfortable in the renovated structure, which still lacked the necessary facilities for effective ministry.

So, couldn’t they have trusted the Lord to fire the fundraising effort for the new building as planned?

Sometimes, waiting is all the Lord requires, trusting Him through what He has started with us, despite the bleak outlook. However, that is the problem we all have!

Waiting is one of the tools God uses to build the believer’s faith in Christ. It is a period of impatience and stress; many of God’s mighty soldiers have failed the test.

Abraham failed the test when Sarah proposed Hagar to help them when the Promised child lingered, and God gave no signs but His word (Genesis 15:4-5; 16:2).

Impatience is always an expensive bump in the dry and winding path of faith to fulfillment, as Abraham and Sarah would soon discover.

Moses had to live forty years in Sinai because of impatience (Exodus 2:11-14). King Saul lost the kingship for his family when he stepped into the forbidden lane because Samuel delayed (1 Samuel 13:5-14). In each example, God showed up in His time to move His plan forward.

Wait, therefore, for the Lord who has promised or to whom alone you can look for the help you need. His name is El-Shaddai. There is nothing He cannot do, and He does not change. He will be faithful to His promise (Numbers 23:19).

Does it seem like an eternity to you? Remember 2 Peter 3:9 and Psalm 90:4 and wait. If what He has said tarries, wait for its appointed time, for it will not fail (Habakkuk 2:3).

The waiting period will try your patience, but you will be stronger and more resilient in the end, like the eagle (Isaiah 40:31).