Devotionals for the Heart: When you struggle with waiting on God

Waiting on God
A devotional by Tessa Huckstep

“Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised.” –Hebrews 11:11 (KJV) 

Waiting on God is something I have been struggling with lately.

Usually, I am worried that I will miss something that God has for me or that He will refuse to give me what He promised in His Word because I did not react fast enough.

I think there is an inner desire in every human being to take control of our lives and the situations that dictate our daily living. We fear being subject to someone else. We want to work hard and make it happen. But our timing is not God’s timing.

I love Sara’s story because her doubt is very human, but her faith is something to be admired. Sara knew that God had promised her husband, Abraham, a son. But after years of her own barrenness, Sara assumed that God did not intend to give Abraham a son through her. I cannot imagine how discouraged and disappointed she must have felt. Did she feel like God had cast her aside? Did she feel like God had rejected her and would never use her?

Sara, like most of us, decided it was too difficult to daily face her shortcomings and she decided she wanted the shame to end. So, Sara gave her Egyptian handmaid, Hagar, to her husband, hoping that Abraham will have a seed through Hagar. You can read this portion of the story in Genesis 16. Sara was impatient and tired of feeling inadequate, so she tried to find the quickest and easiest solution to her problems.

Sometimes, God gives us instructions, but we misinterpret what we think God is trying to tell us.

Naturally, we take what God has given us and we try to rationalize what He is saying and try to plan our next step. But God always intended to use Sara to give Abraham a son. You can open a Bible and read Genesis 18:9-15 where God told Sara that she would have a child, but she still did not believe him! In the book of Genesis, we do not see a major turning point in Sara’s spiritual journey where she decided to believe God. But we know from the book of Hebrews that it was because of her faith that she conceived and bore a son. In Chapter 21 of Genesis, we can read that Sara gives birth to her son in her old age because of her faith.

Waiting on God is hard. We want to make things happen and bring about His will in our own way, but our efforts will only bring confusion and destruction in the end. Sara had to let go of her control of her situation and have faith that God was going to do what He said He would do.

What situation are you trying to control right now? What would it look like to let go of the situation and just trust that God will take care of it? Do you need to step back and revaluate what it would look like for you to leave your life in the hands of the God who cares so infinitely for you?

Let’s Pray: Dear Lord, thank You for Your Word and the examples of the great men and women of faith in the Bible. Please grant us the courage to let go of the control we claim on our own lives. Help us to leave our future and plans in Your loving hands. You are the Lord of our lives, and we surrender our hearts and lives to You. In Jesus’s Name I pray, Amen.

Song of Reflection: “Wait on the Lord” by Donnie McClurkin and Karen Clark Sheard. Listen to it here.

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Author Bio:

Tessa Huckstep grew up in rural Illinois. She was born to Christian parents and has known Jesus Christ personally since the age of five. 

Currently, Tessa is attending community college and majoring in elementary education. In the future, she plans to teach in the public school system, hoping to bring the love of God with her.

Tessa enjoys being active in her local church. She serves as a co-teacher for the two-to-five year old class where there is never a dull moment.

It is Tessa’s passion to be a girl after God’s own heart and through her studying of God’s Word, Tessa longs to draw closer to her Savior. Through her writing, she longs to take others with her on this journey of faith.

Tessa loves all things Regency, needlework, and dainty teacups of every size.

When she isn’t writing or studying for exams, she can be found in the kitchen with more flour in her hair and on the floor than in the bowl, though the mess is always half the fun!

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Connect with Tessa:
Blog: https://beautifulbeloved937002841.wordpress.com/