READ: GENESIS 12:1-4; 21:1-5

One thing I’ve always had to keep practicing is patience. I’m more patient now than when I was younger, but having to wait for things still irritates me more than I would like. And as I’ve gotten older, I’ve had to wait longer for the things that are important to me.

When I was in school, I was surrounded by change, even if it didn’t feel like it at the time. Every year I was in a new grade, with new teachers and new materials to learn. But now, a few years after I’ve graduated from college, things have slowed down. I’ve been at the same job for some time and moved into a house with my husband. Life has slowed down, and now I’m in a waiting and resting period.

Waiting is a huge part of God’s story. I don’t always see the full effect of waiting in the Bible because for me, I can turn the page and time has already passed in the story. For instance, in Genesis 12:1-4, God promised Abraham he would have many descendants. But then it was twenty-five years before Abraham and Sarah had their son Isaac (Genesis 21:1-5). This delay between God’s promises and their fulfillment happens throughout the Bible. For example, David was a teenager when he was anointed to be king, but he didn’t start his reign till he was thirty (1 Samuel 16:10-13; 2 Samuel 5:4).

The Israelites also had to wait hundreds of years for the Messiah, the Rescuer God promised them. And when Jesus the Messiah was born, He was not what the Israelites expected Him to be, but He was exactly what was promised. Even now, we are waiting for Jesus to return to make all things new. God has always included waiting in His story, but God has also always delivered on His promises. So, the next time we’re waiting on God for an answer or a sign, let’s look around and see what unexpected things we already have, and remember that our loving God’s timing is often different from our own. • Naomi Zylstra

• Is there something you’ve prayed for that you’re still waiting for an answer on? Even in the midst of our waiting, Jesus is with us. He is always at work behind the scenes. How could it be comforting to know that God’s people have always experienced periods of waiting, and God has always fulfilled His promises?

Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart be courageous. Wait for the LORD. Psalm 27:14 (CSB)