Romans 4:3 What does Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”
How do we wait without becoming desperate? How do we hold our peace without panicking? Waiting on the Lord becomes uncomfortable and distressful as many times we don’t know how long we should wait. The wait seems to be indefinite. This is when our prayers become suggestive. We give God the best solution to our problems. When we find our prayers indicative and suggestive, it is very clear that we are praying out of desperation and not dedication.
Abraham also got disheartened waiting for his promised child. The couple waited for 10 long years but there was no sign of the pregnancy. They were under pressure and Sarah suggested a shortcut solution. Abraham was lured to the idea. So after Abram had been living in Canaan ten years, Sarai his wife took her Egyptian slave Hagar and gave her to her husband to be his wife (Genesis 16:3). Abraham was 86 years old when Hagar gave birth to Ishmael. But at the age of 99, the Lord visited Abraham again and said, “..your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will call him Isaac” (Genesis 17:19). Even after a major mistake of bringing Ishmael into this world and missing God’s plan A, the Lord God did not give up on Abraham. Even after 24 years of waiting, Abraham believed God.
There is a bank account that God maintains for each one of us. When we trust God and live waiting for His promises to be fulfilled there will be deposits of “righteousness” but when we doubt and grouch there will be withdrawals. Restlessness and anxiety makes withdrawals from our divine bank account. Righteousness is more valuable than gold, bitcoin currency or property. Righteousness buys God’s favour and fortune both on earth and in heaven. However, there will be credits of righteousness only when we wait without desperation, fear or anxiety.
How to wait without panicking?
1. Miss: We are pushed into a panic-mode while waiting because we are fearful that we will miss what we deeply desire. Anxiety is a result of not being able to control our tomorrow. “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself (Matthew 6:34). Plan and prepare for tomorrow but do not panic. We become nervous as we want our tomorrow to go according to our plan. Plan, don’t panic; God knows what’s best.
2. Mess: We panic while waiting as we fear that the delay will push us into a snare. Repeating God’s promises delivers us from the messy mesh and fowler’s snare. Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence (Psalm 91:3). Pray, don’t panic.
3. Mistake: We panic in fear that our past mistakes will devour our future vision. The Lord God was gracious to Abraham even after he failed to follow through God’s Plan A. God’s plan B for us is even better than plan A. God will turn our mistakes into a miracle. Praise, don’t stress.
‘Waiting’ without ‘panicking’ will credit righteousness into our divine bank account.
Romans 4:18a Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed.
Prayer: Dear Holy Spirit, give me the serenity to wait without becoming weary and worried. Amen.
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