How God Used One Man's Waiting Season to Change the Course of Human History
Seventy-five years old, childless, and told to leave everything he had ever known, Abraham set out on a journey of waiting for a promise He would never actually see with his own eyes.
On an episode of The Call with Nancy Sabato, Nancy sits down with senior manager of the ministry study team at Proverbs 31 Ministries, Kendra LeGrand, to discover how one man’s wait helped usher in the greatest hope the world would ever know.
More often than not, wilderness seasons of waiting feel hopeless, exhausting, and pointless; but that’s exactly what the Enemy wants Christians to believe.
As Sabato and LeGrand walk through the stages of Abraham’s waiting period after God promised him descendants as numerous as the stars in Genesis 15:5, they highlight the necessity of waiting as a gateway to experiencing God’s good plan and promises.
Although the wait can be long and lonely, LeGrand reminds discouraged hearts “the Lord holds up His end of the deal … even if we don’t see it.”
Just like Abraham was faithful to trust God through the process, even when God told Him to sacrifice the key to the fulfillment of the promise, his son Isaac, believers in waiting seasons can declare along with Abraham, “The Lord will provide” (Genesis 22:14, ESV).
Drawing from Abraham’s story, Sabato and LeGrand pinpoint the blessings believers can expect through the wait, which include the Lord’s gentle guidance and His compassionate closeness to those in desperate need of strength in the desert.
And when human nature causes doubt to spring up when God’s promises aren’t fulfilled right away, LeGrand encourages viewers to write down what the Lord is speaking in those moments that remind them “He is a good God that has good things coming.”
Abraham’s wait, though tedious and imperfect, points to the glorious promise of Jesus believers today get to bask in and enjoy.
Abraham was faithful and obeyed God’s voice as he waited, ultimately dying “not having received the things promised” because “he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God” (Hebrews 11:10 & 13, ESV).
You don’t want to miss the rich truth from Sabato and LeGrand’s conversation that emphasizes no one is ever too old or too young to be used by God and that waiting seasons don’t put a pause on the life of someone’s dreams; rather, they are necessary steps in the more abundant life found in Jesus.
