When the Wait Gets too Long

Devotional 

Saturday, January 25, 2025

When the wait gets too long 

Prov.13.12 - Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but when the desire is fulfilled, it is a tree of life.

Most of us get tired of waiting upon God after a few minutes or hours of prayers. Honestly, no one is immune to frustration when answers to prayers are delayed beyond usual. The ten Virgins all slept off because of the weariness of their long waiting for the bridegroom. The fact that five of them were tagged wise and other five tagged foolish had nothing to do with their strength to stay up late for the Lord. But because they had extra oil which was more about divine grace and strength. Humanly speaking, when hope defers, the heart gets sick.

No one knows how long God's time could take, but God expects men to travail and wait before Him until they prevail. If it takes days, months or years, keep waiting until you receive answers. The time frame between Ascension and Pentecost was about 10 days, which means the Apostles spent 10 days and nights in the upper room before the Spirit of Pentecost came. Elisha journeyed many miles, from one city to another, across the rivers, mountains and valleys until he caught double portions of power. Because it's in Him that we receive grace upon grace. It takes great grace to wait in some cases. 

How do you handle the waiting experience of a couple married for years and sometimes decades without a child? Being tempted and tried in various degrees, pressures and ridiculous comments from family, friends and foes. It would have been frustrating and depressing. They would have been given several alternatives and even considered giving up on God. It would be natural and normal for such to consider other options at a point. But God’s grace is required to overcome the worries, cast it all on Him and wait until desires are fulfilled. 

Further Readings: 1 Sam. 1:1-28; 1 Cor. 2:1-16; Phil. 4:4-9; Matt. 25:1-14

Prayers:

May we obtain that sufficient grace to wait patiently through the tempting, rough and crooked seasons of expectations and weariness, until God’s designed season of praise and fulfillment of promises. In Jesus’ name I ask. Amen