Waiting for Blessings and Change

I was reading in Genesis today how God kept telling Abraham he was going to make him the father of many nations. Abraham starts to sound frustrated because God is telling him this over the span of many years. He's getting older and older. Sarah gives him Hagar because they don't believe that God can do the impossible. When Abraham is 86, Ishmael is born. Thirteen years later, again God tells Abraham he will be the father of many nations and Abraham laughs, saying that Sarah is 90 years old. God tells him to circumcise all his men and makes a covenant with him. Later, He visits Abraham in person and tells him again that Sarah will have child, at which Sarah laughs in disbelief. Abraham was 100 years old when Isaac was born. Abraham had to wait at least 14 years to see the promise fulfilled. Who knows how old he was when God first promised that to him. I think this waiting was in part because of their disbelief.

God promises to bless us for our faithfulness, but I'm seeing with the way God works, faithfulness doesn't just mean obedience but also absolute trust that God will keep His word, even when it seems nothing is happening. We will have to wait even longer, I believe, if we wait impatiently, complain, or worse, start trying to force His blessings to happen in the wrong time and place. He doesn't want anyone saying, "we did this, and God blessed us." He wants it to be like, "the situation was impossible, we could do nothing, and God did this and blessed us." This doesn't mean just sit around doing nothing, waiting for things to happen - do keep living. But I do believe, when things seem impossible, that's your sign to think, okay, either God is saying "no, I don't want you to have this," or He is saying, "I want you to have this, but in my perfect timing. I'm going to make a way where there seems to be no way so that I will be glorified." It's our job to just let go of striving against God and give Him the reigns. Endure.

Genesis 21:5-7 And Abraham was a son of a hundred years when his son Isaac was born to him. And Sarah said, God has made laughter for me; all who hear will laugh with me. And she said, Who would have said to Abraham, Will Sarah suckle sons? For I have borne a son to his old age.

Hebrews 11:6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.