Prayer to trust God’s timing during the long seasons
By Keri Eichberger
Bible Reading: He made everything beautiful back then. He also set eternity in the human mind. But no one can guess what God did from start to finish. (Ecclesiastes 3:11)
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I’m waiting. It seems I’ve been forever. Because that’s true. We all wait for most of our lives constantly for answering prayers, repayment efforts, and struggles to resolve. We wipe out our weary souls for relief, rest, peace.
It was almost eight years ago that I remember truly delving into the famous biblical stories of Abraham and Sarah. I had said yes to God’s call to finally have another baby, but now I was eagerly waiting for him to do his part and bring about a blessed miracle. And when I analyzed Sarah’s story, I resonated for the first time with her consumed anxiety in the intense waiting period she was holding the baby she had been waiting for. But in her case, we have been waiting for years. In fact, decades.
What are you waiting for? I know there is something. The only thing I don’t know is what you are waiting for and how stiff and long it is. If I could guess, like most of the world, I wish you had been waiting a little. You probably want you to trust and rely on God a little more deeply. He offers a way, redeems a situation, recovers something or someone that appears to be broken, or moves you out of the rut of something that appears to be stagnant or full of struggle. I truly believe in it. You want to trust that he has it all and then want to live that way. I am sure he needs encouragement and confidence in his control and timing. And I will do that too.
But looking back at the first deep dive with Sarah and Abraham, I remember the encouragement I received when I read that God’s gaze was always above them. How his sovereignty plans always had them. And my goodness, did he really have a big and beautiful plan? And because it happened back in history, we have the privilege of seeing many of the ultimate paintings and purpose. How God promised a child, how he used the child to save him, and how he would one day bring the nation of Israel. Isaac also falls into the lineage of the blessed Messiah. What a story.
I hope we can peer into eternity and see all the prayers, promises, and all the blessings that come from the planted seeds scattered throughout our lives. But on this side of heaven, we don’t. What we have is a biblical story of purposeful waiting times and beautiful red. And the blessings, treasures and tokens that we personally award should serve as reminders of God’s goodness and glory throughout our entire being. They should. However, we tend to remain in a state of struggle, feeling encouraged while we wait. We are struggling with a god who truly trusts us as our patience has diminished and our attitudes and actions reflect our lack of confidence in his credibility. Because we can’t see it. We wait longer than we think we can endure, and we are not sure God will ever come in this lifetime.
And this is when we need to look back on what we are certain. What we know. That God had a plan before the beginning of time. A plan that includes you and me. A plan that includes every detail of our lives. Specifically, we plotted moments at very specific times. And it’s all forever. For your goodness. For the good and glory of God. and for the benefit of his whole kingdom. We saw it. He shared it. We can believe it. And we can rest today and trust it. Lord, our God of good is trustworthy. And at his timing, he will absolutely make everything we really beautiful.
Let’s pray:
Lord God, you are the author ever. There are best plots and plans for every detail of my day. Oh, I long to rest in the divine trust of your omnipotent goodness, but I confess that I tend to be anxious about the fast unfolding of this blessing of life. While I await the answer, I want to find peace and joy. And I know that when I lean against you, I can find these treasures. The ultimate answer while the whole world awaits Jesus, your son, as I remember your words and the fulfilling promises you revealed. Help us hold firmly in the truth of your perfect speed and the beauty that comes soon. In your time. Lord, I was not a little late. Your son’s glorious name, Amen.
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Keri Eichberger is a Kentucky girl who loves Jesus. She is married to her best friend Mike and has a full house with five children. After writing for years of online audiences, Keri was ordained through the Southeast Christian Church, bringing full-time ministry to life. She is the author who soars with those who conquered and overcome Win Over Forse: Conquer what You, and is passionate about sharing faith-filled encouragement through prayer writing. Connect with Keri on Keriechberger.com or on Instagram.
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