Thursday, December 27, 2012 -- Christmas (3) -- The Long Wait
Thursday December 27, 2012
Audio for CHRISTMAS (3) -- THE LONG WAIT
How long are we willing to wait for God to show us the fulfillment of His plans and do our simple part in that by obeying, today, the ordinary things He's told us to do?
There was also a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem. (Luke 2:36-38)
I just got news while writing this that my nephew and his wife are the proud parents of a son who arrived 5 weeks early. They married a few years ago, completed some studies and ministry service overseas and then planned this pregnancy. Now after 8 months of anticipation, a very long wait for a pregnant mom, they hold their beautiful son in their arms.
What must it have been like to be Anna who for 60+ years heard about God's plans and God's promises and still waited? Anna would have been in her teens when she married. Luke tells us she was widowed after only 7 years of marriage which makes her a woman in her early twenties. From then until she was 84 she had followed hard after God every day, praying and fasting and worshipping God in the temple. She was as committed a follower of God as you are going to find. Yet she was still waiting. Year after year Anna hadn't yet seen the fullness of God's provision, the fulfillment of God's promise because His time for sending Jesus hadn't come. Anna waited and waited and while she waited she prayed and fasted and worshipped God every day and kept looking to Him in trust that He would do what he promised. Anna waited more than 60 years and each day of those 60 years she just did the simple things she knew to do that were right and good.
Another person willing to wait for a long time was the Old Testament prophet Jeremiah. This is what the LORD says: "When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my gracious promise to bring you back to this place. For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you," declares the LORD, "and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you," declares the LORD, "and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile. (Jeremiah 29:10-14)
Seventy years? That's a long time. However, in God's good plan, which included restoring Israel after they rejected Him time and time again, there was a period of time needed so all the pieces of the plan could be put in place. In the meantime, God was with His people and continued to fill them with hope and continued to expect that they would seek after Him and do those things that were righteous in His eyes while they were in captivity.
I don't know how long you or I need to wait for the fulfillment of God's promise in our lives. What I know is that God's plans are right and God's time is right. God desires us to walk with Him and serve Him today, even in the middle of difficult circumstances. That is also not only right but it is the key to the best possible life. As we close out this year and move into next, let's plan to simply walk whole heartedly in what God has given us today and trust Him for the fulfillment of His plan for us, in His time.
Recent Meditations
Giving Hope
Partners in Hope is supported wholly by our friends and community. We are thankful to everyone who partners with us to help bring hope to the discouraged, hurting, and hopeless.