If you’re in a season of waiting, believing for God to come through for you, there is so much hope. That is whether you’re waiting for a spouse, for children, or for a dream that God has put in your heart. The Bible is full of stories that show God’s timing is always right and that our God is never late. What’s more? God works it all for our good and it always makes sense. So in this post, let’s go over some stories that show God’s perfect timing that will build our faith.
Understand God’s Timing and Seasons
When we’re in the midst of waiting, it is hardly ever fun. I don’t actually know of anyone that likes to wait. In fact, most of us absolutely resent waiting. But God doesn’t play by the rules of our timing. Our all-knowing, all present, and all-seeing God indeed knows better than we could ever imagine. It may not make sense to us now why He’s still having us wait but it does. What we should learn from His word is that God often does make men and women wait for His promises. But it is never because He doesn’t have a reason. He always has a reason. So let’s look specifically at three stories.
Abraham and Sarah
Read: Genesis 17, Genesis 24
When God appeared to Abram, He told him that he will be a father of many nations. God also told him that Sarah will be the mother of many nations and through her, kings of nations will be born. From this conversation, Abram, who is now called Abraham, had to wait 25 years for God to fulfill His word. If you and I were Abraham and Sarah, already at a ripe age and had to wait 25 years, we would be patient?
So why did God take that long? The next couple chapters of Genesis will show many events that happened while Isaac was growing up. But what is of interest to our point is found in Genesis 24, verses 11 to 67. Abraham sent his servant to look for a wife for Isaac to a distant land. As he was outside of the town, the servant prayed to God to show him the woman that will be Isaac’s wife. There were many other young women that came to the water well.
However, it was Rebekah, the young woman who God selected to be Isaac’s wife that answered the servant’s prayer by giving him water. As it turned out, she happened to be Abraham’s kin.
We need to pause and think.
What are the chances that on the date that the servant went to the spring, after the short time frame that the servant was praying to God for a sign, that Rebekah went to fetch water? What if Isaac had been born 25 or 15 or whatever number of years before? Would Rebekah being at that same place and time make sense? Would she be at the spring that many years ago?
God’s timing is always right because Isaac’s birth was coordinated so that during the events in his lifetime, including the birth of his future wife and where she would be at a particular time and place, they would all work together. And we know that from there that Rebekah gave birth to Jacob, whom the lineage of Israel came to be.
Jacob and Rachel
Read: Genesis 29, 30, 37
I have read the story of Jacob and his wives many times. I saw hope in Rachel’s early infertility and how she had to wait on God to provide her with children. But I never saw how God worked her pain of waiting, all for good in the end. In Genesis 29 and 30, we read that Rachel’s sister Leah was able to give Jacob many sons while Rachel struggled to conceive. This leads to many more sons through both Rachel and Leah’s maids when the sisters competed for Jacob’s affection.
After Jacob had 10 sons through the three other women, God answered Rachel’s prayers. Joseph was born much later than his brothers so he was much younger. In Genesis 37, we see that Jacob loved Joseph more than any of his other children because he was born to him in Jacob’s old age. Because their father loved him more, Joseph’s brothers hated him. So much so that they tried to kill him but he was eventually sold as a slave to Egypt instead.
God used Joseph throughout his life and eventually to where we see that Joseph was made ruler over Egypt in Genesis 41, verses 37 to 44. In the following chapters, we see that a terrible drought came. So in the end, Joseph was able to save his family.
We need to pause and ruminate on this story.
What if Rachel didn’t have to wait for children? What if Joseph and Benjamin had been born as soon as Rachel wanted them? If Joseph was the age of his other brothers, not born in Jacob’s old age, would Jacob obviously love him more than his older brothers? Would his brothers have hated him, being about the same age as they were? And would his other brothers have been even born if Rachel and Leah had what they wanted? So would there even be the twelve tribes in Israel?
We have to wonder if Joseph would have been sold to Egypt, let alone made ruler of Egypt if God’s timing was not perfect. The fact that Rachel did have to wait to conceive Joseph caused the age gap for Joseph to be much younger than his brothers. The long years Rachel had to wait caused Joseph to be born in Jacob’s old age, which made Jacob loved Joseph more than his older brothers. And it allowed Jacob’s other sons to be born, to Leah and their maids.
Even though it must have been so hard for Rachel to wait on God to have children, we see that God’s timing is always right. Everything tied together in the end so that her son Joseph ended up saving Israel. And the nation of Israel came to be from Jacob’s twelve sons.
Zechariah and Elizabeth
Read: Luke 1, Isaiah 40:3
Going into the New Testament, we find the story of a priest named Zechariah and his wife Elizabeth. The Bible tells us that Elizabeth could not have a baby and both were very old. An angel appeared to Zechariah saying God has heard his prayer and that his wife Elizabeth will have a son. The thing is, God has heard Zechariah’s prayer but God’s timing to answer his prayer was only when God decided the timing was right.
Why only then that the timing of John’s birth was right? Why is this important? Because Elizabeth’s cousin Mary had to be impregnated by the Holy Spirit around the same time. John was the forerunner, the one who had to prepare for the way for the Lord. If John the Baptist was born to Zechariah and Elizabeth before, he could have had a different destiny. But John the Baptist, whose own life was even prophesied in Isaiah 40:3, was the one who baptized Jesus.
Trust While He Works It Out
God’s timing is always right in how he brought people to where they needed to be. Because God sees the whole picture, not just a snippet of what we see. God is not bound by the past, present, or future. He is present in all of them. So if you’re currently in the midst of hoping or even losing hope for God to come through, know that God’s timing is always right.
Think back on all the times that you had to wait on God to answer your prayers. And God can certainly answer them in different ways than we ever imagined. But when it’s all said and done, God knows us better than we know ourselves. We have to trust that His thoughts are higher than our thoughts and His ways better than our ways. God weaves events and people all together in a perfect orchestra. He promises that all things will work for our good and He certainly is not a liar.
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. - Romans 8:28 (NIV)
Let Us Pray
Heavenly Father, thank you for your reminder and sovereignty in all seasons of my life. You already know that I can get so impatient waiting for You. Build up my faith God, to trust that you know what you’re doing better than I could ever imagine. Help me to be diligent, to be a good steward of the time and talents that you’ve given me while I wait. Thank you for your promise that all things will work out for good. I bless your name, Jesus. Amen.
Recommendation
Knowing God starts with knowing His Word. If you don’t already own a Bible, there are many churches that give one for free. You can also download a YouVersion Bible App. Or if you’d like a physical copy, it can easily be found on amazon.