Waiting on God isn’t easy. Consider these “waiters”:
- When the Israelites were captured by Babylon, they prayed for God’s rescue. God answered through King Cyrus — seventy years later. (Ezra 1:1)
- When the Israelites were slaves in Egypt, they prayed for God’s rescue. God answered through Moses — four hundred years later.
- Joseph was seventeen when he was sold into slavery, then wrongly accused of attempted rape and thrown into prison. He prayed for God’s rescue. God answered — when he was thirty years old. I’d have been whining for thirteen years.
Our verse for the week comes from the book of Hebrews. The recipients of this letter were struggling. It was around 66 AD and persecution was on the increase. Life as a Christian was tough. They must have asked God for help, but He wasn’t helping quickly enough (it would take 300 years for the Roman persecution of Christians to come to an end). As a result, they were both whining and losing faith. What did God tell them? After giving them a list of those who had followed the promises of God in faith, even to death (chapter 11), He told them to…
Hebrews 12:12 — Take a new grip with your tired hands and strengthen your weak knees. (NLT)
Ouch. There we go: suck it up, wait, and trust in the God who is always faithful. His promises always come true. A few verses later we’re told, “Since we are receiving a Kingdom that is unshakable, let us be thankful and please God by worshiping him with holy fear and awe.” Hebrews 12:28 (NLT)
More thanking, less whining. That’s what I need: to keep my eyes on the King and His coming Kingdom, not my first-world problems.
I hope you’ll be encouraged this week, and take a new grip — a renewed trust in God’s promises — with me.
Dan
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