We live in an instant society, and we tend to bring that instant mentality into our spirituality and wonder why the two frequently don’t mesh. Why does God make us wait? Let’s find out:
Text: Hebrews 6:10-15
God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them. 11 We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end so that what you hope for may be fully realised. 12 We do not want you to become lazy but to imitate those who, through faith and patience, inherit what has been promised.
13 When God made his promise to Abraham since there was no one greater for him to swear by, he swore by himself, 14 saying, “I will surely bless you and give you many descendants.” 15 And so, after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised.
In other words, Abraham and Sarah waited patiently for a while, and then their prayers were answered. Isn’t that lovely? They all lived happily ever after. Or did they?
Faith and patience are recurring themes in scripture:
• Joseph - 13 years for freedom
• Paul - 17 years to begin his ministry
• Moses in Midian for 40 years
• Israel was enslaved for 400 years
In an instant world, we sometimes find it hard to accept that we can’t have everything we want right now. There are often years of preparation: waiting for the right time and doing the right thing in the meantime!
Q. Why does God make us wait?
1. Waiting develops character
None of the people I mentioned were ready when the promise was first given:
• Joseph wasn’t prepared to be Egypt’s prime minister.
• Paul wasn’t equipped to be an apostle.
• Moses wasn’t willing to be Israel’s deliverer.
• Abraham and Sarah weren’t equipped to be founders of a new nation.
Maturity of character doesn’t happen when we always get what we want straight away.
Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything (James 1:4).
2. Waiting enables us to be realistic
Life is not a Disney movie where the goodies always win and where everyone lives happily ever after.
The Bible is a candid book that tells stories, warts and all. People end up waiting ages for their prayers to be answered; some prayers are never answered (Hebrews 11:39), and only some things finish well. Consider Psalm 88, which ends: You have taken from me friend and neighbour—darkness is my closest friend.
3. Waiting creates compassion for others
If we received everything instantly, we wouldn’t appreciate anything, and we could be unkind towards others who weren’t so blessed.
Waiting, suffering, and the trials of life create compassion in us for other people. We learn to empathise and be kind, considerate, caring and gentle.
In chapter one of 2 Corinthians, Paul speaks of God as the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we receive from God.
How to be compassionate:
Listen.
Don’t say, “I know what you’re going through,” unless you do.
Give practical help where possible.
Letting people know you’re thinking of them.
I’m here for you if you need me.
Don’t be intrusive.
Please don’t ask people how they are all the time.
4. Waiting develops relationship
Moses’ relationship with God grew exponentially during his 40 desert years, at the end of which God revealed Himself to Moses in a new way: God said to Moses, “I am Yahweh—‘the Lord.’ I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob as El-Shaddai—‘God Almighty’—but I did not reveal My name, Yahweh, to them.” (Exodus 6:2-3).
At the end of his awful suffering, Job said to God: My ears had heard of you, but now my eyes have seen you.
Responding patiently while waiting for prayers to be answered or promises to be fulfilled deepens our relationship with God and each other. Those who look for quick fixes and instant results will never appreciate or experience this blessing.
God is never in a hurry.
God takes a long time to move suddenly.
God appears to come through for us at the last minute. But it isn’t! It’s just the right time!
God promises to make “everything beautiful in His time” – not ours (Ecclesiastes 3:11).
“Don’t give up! Remember that by PERSEVERANCE, the snail reached the ark” ~ Charles Spurgeon.
Discussion Questions
Share personal stories of times when God has made you wait for something. How did you respond during the waiting? What did you learn from waiting? Looking back, are there any changes you’d like to make?
In what ways are you affected by living in an instant world? What are the benefits and pitfalls?
Faith and patience are recurring themes in Scripture. Joseph, Paul, Moses, and Israel are examples. What other instances come to mind?
Discuss: “In an instant world, we sometimes find it hard to accept that we can’t have everything we want right now. There are often years of preparation: waiting for the right time and doing the right thing in the meantime!
“The Bible is candid and tells stories, warts and all. People end up waiting for ages for their prayers to be answered; some prayers are never answered (Hebrews 11:39), and only some things finish well (Psalm 88:18). Read the Scripture verses and discuss these statements.
Read 2 Corinthians 1:3-4. Share examples of when God has comforted you in your troubles. How has this helped you to support others?
God appears to come through for us at the last minute. But it isn’t! It’s just the right time! Discuss this statement in light of Ecclesiastes 3:11.