Trusting God When We Wait
Month 2: The God Who Keeps Promises · Heart Matters
Today's Scripture
Read together: Genesis 21:5-7 & Psalm 27:14
5 Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him. 6 Then Sarah said, “God has made me laugh, and everyone who hears of this will laugh with me.” 7 She added, “Who would have told Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age.” — Genesis 21:5-7
14 Wait patiently for the LORD; be strong and courageous. Wait patiently for the LORD! — Psalm 27:14
Memory Verse
“Is anything too difficult for the LORD? At the appointed time I will return to you—in about a year—and Sarah will have a son.””— Genesis 18:14 (BSB)
📖 Bible-in-a-Year (optional)
Today's reading: Exodus 33–35
Reading the whole Bible in a year — do this when you have extra time. (Around Day 41 of 365 — Moses asks to see God's glory, and the LORD shows His goodness.)The Heart of It
Abraham was one hundred years old when Isaac was born (). Think about that number. One hundred. That is a long, long time to hold onto a promise without seeing it come true. Waiting is one of the hardest things God ever asks of our hearts. While we wait, we are tempted to grumble. We are tempted to doubt. We are tempted to grab the promise our own way instead of trusting His timing. But look at Sarah's joy at the end: "God has made me laugh, and all who hear will laugh with me" (). The wait was never wasted. God was working the whole time.
So what does our heart do while we wait? gives the answer: "Wait on the LORD; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the LORD." Waiting on God is not sitting around doing nothing. It is active, courageous trust. We choose to believe He is good and at work, even when nothing seems to be changing. Waiting is one of the main places our faith grows strong. A muscle only gets stronger by being stretched. In the same way, our trust gets deeper every time we wait on the Lord instead of taking matters into our own hands.
Around the Table
Waiting is hard! But God helps our hearts be strong and brave while we wait.
Let's do it: Practice your "waiting muscles." Sit very still and count to ten. Then say, "I trust You, God!"
Sarah's long wait ended in laughter and joy. Waiting on God is never wasted time.
Let's talk: When you have to wait, what does your heart do? Do you grumble, or do you trust?
says God strengthens our heart while we wait. Waiting isn't passive. It is brave, active trust.
Let's go deeper: When we don't want to wait on God, we are often tempted to "help" Him our own way. Why can that backfire?
💬 Conversation Starter
What is the hardest thing for you to wait for? A birthday? A trip? Your turn? How could you wait with a happy heart?
🛡️ Defending the Faith
How do we know God is actually worth waiting on? Because every long wait in Scripture ended in His faithfulness. Abraham got his son. Israel got its rescue. The world got its Savior. A God with a perfect record of keeping promises is a God we can trust in the in-between.
For Dad · Go Deeper
Waiting exposes the heart like little else. In the gap between the promise and the fulfillment, Abraham once tried to manufacture an heir his own way (). The result was pain that echoed for generations. The warning for us is real. Impatience tempts us to "help God" through control, anger, or shortcuts. This is especially true in parenting, where the fruit is so slow. But the heart that learns to "wait on the LORD" is being strengthened, not stalled. Your children are watching how you handle the slow seasons. The unanswered prayer. The wayward stretch. The job that hasn't come. Let them see a father who waits with courage and laughs at the end, like Sarah, because he trusted the One who keeps every word.
Draws on: Paul Tripp, Parenting: 14 Gospel Principles That Can Radically Change Your Family.
Let's Pray Together
"Father, waiting is hard for us. Strengthen our hearts to wait on You with courage. Keep us from grumbling or rushing ahead. Help us trust that Your timing is always good. In Jesus' name, amen."
Waiting on God is never wasted. He strengthens my heart while I trust Him.