"Even when there was no reason for hope, Abraham kept hoping--believing that he would become the father of many nations. For God had said to him, 'That's how many descendents you will have!' And Abraham's faith did not weaken, even though, at about 100 years of age, he figured his body was as good as dead--and so was Sarah's womb.
"Abraham never wavered in believing God's promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger and in this he brought glory to God. He was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever he promises. And because of Abraham's faith, God counted him as righteous." --Genesis 4:18-22
I've thought before about this kind of faith. Each time I think about it, I get this feeling of fear deep in the pit of my stomach. It's not terror, but more a kind of "Biblical" fear. Awe, amazement, longing to be similar.
I remember listening to a sermon at church. The pastor briefly mentioned Abraham and Sarah waiting so long to receive the promised son. The waiting Abraham did. The unwavering faith he held onto while he waited. The strength of his belief as the years passed by, one by one, promising only decay and death.
I am struck by this because I see in myself and in the Christians around me a distinct lack of patience for God's timing and God's ability to work miracles. I assume this has a lot to do with our culture, which prides itself on instantaneous results and knowledge; rewarding little work, time and effort with big dividends. I will speak for myself and not others: I get really impatient when things take too long. And by take too long I usually mean, hmmm, a day. Maybe a week. Possible a month if I'm really trying hard to be disciplined and patient. But in all seriousness, I know I've given up on many prayers because they weren't answered soon enough.
There's a common Christian slogan about prayer that goes like this: God answers every prayer one of the three ways: yes, no, and wait.
It's a truth boiled down to be soft enough for an infant, but it's still hard to swallow no matter how much I grow in Christ. Sometimes the answer is WAIT. Wait. Wait like Abraham and Sarah; never wavering, never weakening. Have faith that grows stronger with time, not weaker.
That's the part that blows me away. As the years when by and Abraham got older and Sarah got older and continued to be barren, he didn't look to God and say, "It hasn't happened yet God, so I'm done with this whole 'faith' thing. See you later." His faith grew stronger. He believed more and more in God's promise.
I am so impatient in God's promises. I don't take to waiting well. I fuss and fidget and throw tantrums, acting like my one-year-old when she has to wait a minute for me to fill her sippy cup. It's coming. It will be there soon. Just wait.
And what does this say about my prayers? If I don't have enough faith to be fully convinced that God will hear my prayers, answer them, and that his timing in all this will be just right, what good is praying anyway?
My baby is awake from her nap. But I'll be thinking about this today. Thinking about how I can have unwavering faith that grows stronger over time, even if my prayers have not yet been answered. Thank God for the Holy Spirit.
