Noah was told to build an ark because a flood was coming. Abraham was promised he would be the father of many nations. Moses was told he would lead the Israelites out of slavery. Joseph had a dream his brothers would bow down to him. David was told he would be king. What do they all have in common? The Lord made them all a promise…and they all had to wait!

Like all of these, many of us have heard God’s promises for our own life, but are discouraged when they do not happen immediately. We feel like we were either hearing things or God was just messing with us when neither is the case. Unfortunately, instead of waiting it out, we often try to expedite the promise and fall flat on our face in our attempt. However, despite our impatience, we can be confident that those promises the Lord has made to us will come true. The only catch is, it is hardly ever on our timing…

Noah waited 100 years for it to rain. Abraham did not have the child promised to him until he was 100 years old. It took Moses 40 years from hearing God at the burning bush until he went back to Egypt to talk to the Pharaoh. Joseph waited 27 years for his dream to come true (He was 17 when he had the dream, 30 when he went to work for the Pharaoh, and then 14 more years passed before his dream came true). David waited around 15 years to become king (He was anointed when he was a teenager and became king at 30).

I get it! Sometimes it takes time, but it still doesn’t make me any less impatient. I do, however, can hold tight and rest assured that though it linger, I will wait for it. For it will certainly come and will not delay (Habakkuk 2:3). For my God is not human, that he should lie or a human being that he should change his mind (Numbers 23:19).