Waiting for The Lord

Waiting for the Lord

The chief cupbearer, however, did not remember Joseph; he forgot him.
Gen. 40:23

Have you ever thought that God had forgotten about you? Impossible! A nursing mother may forget her child but The Lord could never forget you. Sometimes delays in our prayers being answered can be quite discouraging. The Bible is filled with examples of individuals having to wait for promises, often the wait can last for years. One of the great examples of perseverance is Abraham. He received a promise from The Lord when he was about seventy years old. The promise of the birth of Isaac did not come to pass until Abraham was one hundred years old. The Lord hears our prayers, as Paul taught, we have need of endurance that we can receive the promise. Here is how Martin Luther say the issue of supposed unanswered prayer.

“No other model we can think of compares to Joseph. He had so many unbearable tortures heaped on him, and he didn’t have any help or hope. In contrast, martyrs for the faith usually suffer for only a short time. But Joseph had to suffer for a long time. You won’t find many people who, when abandoned like Joseph, wouldn’t complain, become angry, and become impatient. Yes, Joseph had his weak moments too. At times he felt depressed and wanted to complain, cry, and give up. Joseph’s example illustrates the importance of waiting for the Lord. In Psalms we read, “Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD”. Habakkuk says, “For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay” (Habakkuk 2:3). Isaiah encourages us, “Then you will know that I am the LORD; those who hope in me will not be disappointed”. But our human weakness tells us, “It’s been too long. I’ve been waiting for help for five, ten, or twenty years, and there’s no end in sight.” But remember that God made these promises to you. He is your friend and father.”

So what kind of prayers have you been waiting on? One of the ways we can wait is by building our faith up in the word of God. Rehearse God’s promises in your heart, as you do you will grow strong in your faith. We can also be strengthened in faith by giving glory to God. Acknowledge The Lord with your worship; as you do, you will grow strong in faith giving glory to God.
As we are waiting on The Lord not only are we being strengthened in our faith, The Lord is working all of the circumstances out for our benefit. One of the most shocking of all of God’s promises is often connected to theses apparent delays. It is found in Rom.8:28, “And we know that all things work together for good for those who love  God, for those who are called according to his purpose.”