Wrestling with God

God is so gracious that He likes to speak to us. Sometimes He speaks to us about the present moment, but other times He reveals plans that are far into the future.

Often, the bigger the promise, the longer it takes to see it come to pass. When the prophet Elijah told the Shunammite woman she would have a son, the promise was fulfilled in about a year. Abraham waited around 25 years before receiving the son the Lord had promised. However, Abraham's promise was larger. The Lord gave the Shunammite woman a son to care for her in old age. The Lord gave Abraham a son in order to bless all nations through Him. When Isaiah prophesied about the coming Messiah, centuries passed before the promise came to pass.

Although times of waiting can easily test our faith, God's promises are definitely worth the wait.

While waiting to see promises fulfilled, we have a choice of how to respond. If we have no faith we can easily disregard the Word of the Lord, rather than seeking the Lord to see it fulfilled. There can also be temptation to take things into our own hands, like Abraham did. He gave up on waiting for the Lord to fulfill His promise, so Abraham took things into his own hands and bore a son through Hagar. Although Abraham did get a son, this decision brought conflict into his household. It did not bring about fulfillment of the Lord's promise.

As we wait to see promises fulfilled, we will be best served by seeking the Lord and trusting in His timing.

So, we wait. We don't wait passively, but we walk alongside the Lord and pay attention to His timing and his leading. When Elisha asked Elijah for a double portion of his spirit, the promise came at a price. Elisha had to diligently contend not to let Elijah out of his sight until Elijah was taken up.

There are many promises in the Bible that are simply waiting for people of faith to grab onto them and fervently seek the Lord to see them fulfilled. The Lord loves us so much that He intends for us to engage with him. He has given us the great privilege of partnering with Him to see His Kingdom come on this earth. He could do it instantly without us, but He chooses let us play a part.

My experience of waiting has felt like holding on tight and continually asking the Lord not to leave me out. For many years, it appeared that the Lord's promises for me weren't realistic. I watched many others do things that I would love to do, as I fought to rescue my life from being caught up in utter disaster. It would appear that "God's promises" may have just been "my ideas." So, I asked God like a million times to be a part of what He is doing. I grabbed on to even the tiniest opportunity that I felt God had brought across my path, regardless of already being overwhelmed by regular life.

Lately, what has been on my mind is the image of Jacob wrestling with God. Jacob had wrestled all night, but despite being injured and exhausted he would not let go until God blessed Him.

In hindsight, I feel like I have been saying "God, I will not let go until you bless me." As I am beginning to see more and more that "God's plans" aren't actually just ideas I made up, I no longer have to wrestle to ensure do not miss out on God's blessing and greater plans. I'm not sure exactly what they are, but I am certain He is going to show me.

So for me, that's what waiting on God's promises looks like - fighting for it while I am waiting and then stepping back and just following where God leads me.