Waiting Well, Part II

Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness (Genesis 15:6, NIV).

There are quite a few stories in the Bible about waiting. 

Abram, waiting on God to fulfill His promise that he would be the father of many nations.

Zechariah, silenced until the birth of his child, before affirming they would name him John.

Sarah, childless, waiting on God’s promise that she would conceive and bear a son.

Joseph, waiting all those years to be set free after being betrayed by his brothers.

I am learning how to wait well. It’s hard, but the Lord is always kind to meet me in the spaces where my heart’s desire remains unfulfilled. One night a few months ago I was watching a movie that left me with a yearning of what motherhood is like. While I know there are some excruciatingly difficult parts, I can imagine hearing the sound of your baby say “momma” for the first time fills one's heart in a way that can’t be explained. 

Processing some emotions, I finished up the movie, and decided to spend a few minutes on the Bible app before going to sleep. I landed on a reflection about Genesis 15:1-6, the Lord’s covenant with Abram. Here is an excerpt:

Yet God is teaching Abram in the waiting. God cannot allow Abram to fully realise the promise before he has come to a place of full dependency on God’s presence. God wants Abram to know His faithful presence will always exceed anything He will promise Abram. God alone is Abram’s reward.

That last line struck my heart. While the desires of my heart are good, pure, and I believe put there by God himself, this moment reminded me that God alone should always be enough. 

The yearning will remain until God removes it, but when I remember Abram’s story (and Zechariah’s story, and Sarah’s story, and so on), I can continue to keep my focus on serving Jesus, and trusting His timing. 

God’s best, His plan for my life, will always be better than what I can imagine for myself. That’s absolutely true for you, too. 

What are you waiting for today? I know it’s not easy. Sometimes you feel like your heart may explode when you let yourself truly lean into those unfulfilled desires. May I encourage you to cling to Jesus, and continue to lean into the truth found in verse 6 of Genesis 15: “Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness.”

Even when the waiting is breaking our hearts, and even when we aren’t guaranteed those desires will be fulfilled, we can choose to be like Abram, and cling to God alone as our reward. Everything else will just be icing on the cake.