I imagine when Abraham was first given God's promise in Genesis 12 that he would be made into the father of a great nation, he probably thought that God meant it was going to happen pretty soon. I can just picture Abraham rushing home all excited to tell Sarah the good news, and the two of them starting to prepare.
They were ready for God' promise to be fulfilled but years went by and they got nothing. All they got was radio silence. Abraham and Sarah found themselves waiting. They started to wonder, "maybe we heard God wrong?"
Today in society, we want everything done so fast- we are impatient and just want everything done as quickly and easily as possible. But God works on a very different timetable. He does things on His terms and when He knows is best.
It is now April, and we all just want to be outside enjoying some warm weather. I had so many plans in the upcoming months to look forward too but now I am unsure if any of those plans will follow through due to our current quarantine. So many of us are stuck at home, just sitting around waiting and wondering when this will all end so we can go back to living our lives.
Nowadays I just keep saying Lord, why of all times, did you chose 2020 to hit us with a worldwide pandemic?
I find myself praying, asking God what He is doing and when is He going to make this all end? I'm tired of waiting around to find out what is going to happen. And if I'm being honest, I feel like I'm now getting radio silence from God.
I don't know about you, but personally, when I find myself stuck in the wilderness and I find myself struggling and begging God for a sign of what is to come- when all the waiting feels endless and the road ahead looks empty- I find myself tempted to doubt. I find myself thinking: Did I hear God right? Maybe what I thought was going to happen isn't? All of these questions that I start to ask myself can quickly turn into feelings of hopelessness.
Abraham and Sarah were stuck in the wilderness for decades. They waited for 25 YEARS to have God's vision fulfilled. After all those years of waiting they finally were able to have a child. Imagine the hopelessness and doubt they faced during that time period. The struggle and spiritual conflict they must have been feeling (wow). They faced spiritual doubt and had their ups and downs I'm sure but they did not lose their faith in Him. God kept His word and did fulfill His promise and gave them a child.
Throughout scripture, we see this pattern of God making His people wait. He kept Moses in a desert for 40 years. Joseph in a prison cell for 10 years. David on the run for 15 years. God will come along give someone a vision and then they get stuck in the wild and years later finally God's vision is fulfilled (God most definitely works in mysterious ways).
“When God gives you a vision and darkness follows, wait. God will bring the vision He has given you to reality in your life if you will wait on His timing.” - Oswald Chambers
With the snap of his fingers, He could make this whole COVID-19 virus go away. God could literally answer that same prayer that you've been praying for years every night in a millisecond. It is absolutely insane to think about the power that our God has. So why doesn't He just make everything better right this second? What are we supposed to do during a season of waiting?
Psalm 37:5 says it perfectly, " Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and He will act."
In a season of waiting, the Lord calls on us to build our faith and our relationship with Him. He wants you to build your trust in Him when the storm keeps raging.
We need to have faith.
Many of you I am sure, like me, are experiencing this "radio silence" from God. But you cannot allow yourself to dwell in it. No matter what situation you are in, like being stuck inside, losing your job, missing out on your senior year and graduation, or even having to cancel your wedding. We all just want to carry on with our lives and continue with life's plans that we all had.
It is okay to feel confused and irritated during the period of waiting but let me remind you, you need to keep your focus on Christ. Remain in the word. Keep on praying! It is so important that you remain full of faith. God is not deaf to your prayers. He is not blind to your cries, to your desires, and to your needs (Jeremiah 29:12). He is listening and He is working behind the scenes whether you feel it or not.
You need to consider: If He is telling you "no" today, maybe it is because he has a better "yes" waiting for you tomorrow.
Just from reading scripture, we can see that God is faithful and pulls through on all His promises. There are times when we experience doubt. But you cannot allow your waiting period to make you feel hopeless in what tomorrow may bring.
I came across Lamentations chapter 3, I read a bunch of different translations, and the ICB translation stood out the most to me. Lines 22-26 says, "The Lord’s love never ends. His mercies never stop. They are new every morning. Lord, your loyalty is great. I say to myself, “The Lord is what I have left. So I have hope.” The Lord is good to those who put their hope in him. He is good to those who look to him for help. It is good to wait quietly for the Lord to save."
I feel like that verse just speaks for itself. You cannot turn your back to the Lord in times of hopelessness because He would never turn His back on you. His love is everlasting and He has pretty a good track record of keeping His promises.
So, embrace in the wait and trust in Him. Build on your faith, and allow it to give you a greater hope for what God has prepared for you.
Have faith in Him because something great is going to happen real soon.
Some worship songs to encourage you during times of hopelessness:
Not in a Hurry- Will Reagan, United Pursuit
Trust in You- Lauren Daigle
You're Worthy of It All- The Worship Initiative
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