Is anything too hard for the Lord? I will return to you at the appointed time next year. (Gen. 18:14)
Patience is a virtue, so we’re told. But we don’t like to wait, and we certainly don’t like not knowing. It is in the times we feel God’s absence that our faith is perhaps tested most. God’s delay is not God’s denial. His timing does not always align with our timing. It has been that way since the beginning.
In Genesis, God chose Abraham to be the father of his people and to bless the world through him. Yet years went by and the promised son did not come. As they waited, Abraham and Sarah took matters into their own hands. Abraham had a son by Sarah’s Egyptian maid, Hagar. It led to disaster. Through their own efforts, they brought heartbreak and pain. Generations would forever be changed. However, in his time, God renewed the promise of a son for Sarah and Abraham.
We often find ourselves waiting on God, and if we are not patient, we tend to take things into our own hands. In times of uncertainty ask yourself, “Is anything too hard for the Lord?” Just as God came through for Abraham and Sarah when it seemed hope was gone, he will come through for you. Don’t take matters into your own hands. The wait may be long, but the blessing will be far greater than anything this world has to offer.
Stand firm on God’s promise; he will come through in due time.
Scott Simmons serves as lead pastor of Kernersville Wesleyan Church (NC). He previously served The Wesleyan Church as director of youth ministries.
© 2022 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.
