After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, “Do not be afraid, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.” But Abram said, “O Lord God, what will You give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” And Abram said, “You have given me no offspring, and so a slave born in my house is to be my heir.” But the word of the Lord came to him, “This man shall not be your heir; no one but your very own issue shall be your heir.” He brought him outside and said, “Look toward heaven and count the stars, if you are able to count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your descendants be.” And he believed the Lord; and the Lord reckoned it to him as righteousness.

As the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram, and a deep and terrifying darkness descended upon him. Then the Lord said to Abram, “Know this for certain, that your offspring shall be aliens in a land that is not theirs, and shall be slaves there, and they shall be oppressed for four hundred years; but I will bring judgment on the nation that they serve, and afterward they shall come out with great possessions. As for yourself, you shall go to your ancestors in peace; you shall be buried in a good old age. And they shall come back here in the fourth generation; for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.”
Genesis 15:1-6, 12-15 NRSV

I am not a very patient person. I have driven an hour or more on one day to pick up something that would have been delivered for free the next day. And I rejoice that the microwave oven was invented, and think that microwave washed potatoes are a modern miracle. (So good and so fast.) But I also know that some things are worth the wait.

When I read the story of Abram and how long he was made to wait for the blessings to come to him in life, I have to sit back and take it all in. Abram wanted what I think many of us want – family, happiness, contentment. God promised Abram that he would get what he hoped for, but it would take time.

“And Abram believed the Lord; and the Lord reckoned it to him as righteousness.” Genesis 15:6

What did this righteous Abram do? He waited.

He waited for the child that would begin the avalanche of descendants. And he eventually understood that the people who came after him would also have to wait (400 years) until all of the promises of God came fully to them.

Abram waited, and he saw blessings come in their time. Maybe I can become content with getting what I want now, and also waiting for some of the blessings that aren’t quite ready yet. They may come when they come.

Prayer

Help me God to trust that You wish the best for me, one of Your beloved children. And help me to be content even while I wait. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.