Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 (ESV)
1 For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:
2 a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
3 a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
4 a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
5 a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
6 a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
7 a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
8 a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace.
There are seasons of abundant blessings. There are tumultuous seasons of trials. There are somber seasons of suffering as well as joyful jubilant seasons. God is sovereign over all of them.
One of the least enjoyable seasons for me is the waiting seasons. Joseph had to wait to get out of slavery and prison but God was right on time in His plan. Israel waited in bondage for four centuries before God raised a deliverer. Moses waited in the wilderness with the children of Israel but God proved faithful. David had to wait before He became king. He had to wait to build the Temple. Abraham and Sarah had to wait on God's promised heir. A promised son. They waited until hope faded like the sun setting at dusk.
God made an imposible promise to them both in Genesis 18. Genesis 18:1 (ESV)
1 And the LORD appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat at the door of his tent in the heat of the day.
Genesis 18:9-15 (ESV)
9 They said to him, “Where is Sarah your wife?” And he said, “She is in the tent.”
10 The LORD said, “I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife shall have a son.” And Sarah was listening at the tent door behind him.
11 Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in years. The way of women had ceased to be with Sarah.
12 So Sarah laughed to herself, saying, “After I am worn out, and my lord is old, shall I have pleasure?”
13 The LORD said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Shall I indeed bear a child, now that I am old?’
14 Is anything too hard for the LORD? At the appointed time I will return to you, about this time next year, and Sarah shall have a son.”
15 But Sarah denied it, saying, “I did not laugh,” for she was afraid. He said, “No, but you did laugh.”
God's promise tested the limits of Abraham's and Sarah's faith. The natural order of things indicated Sarah was too old to bear a child. Sarah's disbelief manifested itself in laughter. Then Jehovah spoke these all powerful words, "Is anything too hard for Jehovah?"
God left and two bewildered senior adults had no choice but to wait. They waited. For another solid year they waited. How often during that year did they replay the above encounter they had with the LORD? Still nothing changed. Everything went along just as it had for the past two plus decades. That is until Genesis 21.
Genesis 21:1-7 (ESV)
1 The LORD visited Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did to Sarah as he had promised.
2 And Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age at the time of which God had spoken to him.
3 Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him, whom Sarah bore him, Isaac.
4 And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old, as God had commanded him.
5 Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him.
6 And Sarah said, “God has made laughter for me; everyone who hears will laugh over me.”
7 And she said, “Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age.”
There are three phrases I would like to highlight for the consideration of all forced to wait on God for something. First, "As He had promised." God visited Sarah and she conceived just like He told her would happen. How often do we doubt God and judge Him too early because we get impatient? God does what He says He will do. He keeps His word. He fulfills His promises.
"At a time which God had spoken." God gave Abraham and Sarah a timeline. That is unusual. God does not always do that. He often just requires us to wait on Him in faith. God has an appointed time. Remember the Ecclesiastes passage. We can't hurry God or slow Him down from His appointed time to work. His timing is perfect. Every time whether we believe that or not. Perfect. He knows our circumstances, dire straights, and deep desires. In His time. At the appointed time God will do what He wills is best.
"Who would have said?" God does impossible things. He can do whatever He pleases and often does it just to leave a watching world bewildered by His omnipotent power. It must have been a site when people saw Sarah nursing with wrinkled and sagging skin. She had a few miles on her but I bet she radiated that same glow young new mothers shine. Who would have thought? Who would have thought God could part the Red Sea? Who would have thought God could rain bread out of heaven? Who would have thought God could turn a rock into a water fountain? Who would have thought the crippled would walk, the blind see and the demon possessed cease to be tormented. Who would have thought a crucified Christ would become the resurrected Redeemer. Who would have thought an older woman in her twilight years would give birth in her old age. It happened. At the appointed time. Who would have thought.
All of these things happened in His appointed time. You may be tired of waiting. You may feel like your breakthrough will never come. You may have lost hope and not have a prayer left to say. At the appointed time you, like Sarah, may say, "Who would have said God could do __________?" You fill in the blank. Nothing is too hard for Him. Not at the appointed time.
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