God’s Promise is Worth the Wait
Years ago, a sweet sister in Christ gifted me a book called, “Singled Out in a Couples World” by Christa Smith. At the time, I was in a season of deep faith, believing God for a marriage promise He had spoken over my life. I didn’t know then how much this book would minister to me years later.
This week, I picked it up again and landed on a chapter about Abraham, Sarah, and Isaac. It revisited the moment when Abraham and Sarah grew tired of waiting for God’s promise of a child. Instead of trusting His timing, they went outside of His will and decided to take matters into their own hands — Abraham slept with Hagar, Sarah’s maidservant, to produce a son.
But that wasn’t the son God had promised.
Even so, God remained faithful. In His timing, He still gave them Isaac — the true promise. The author highlights that Isaac’s-whose very name means laughter- becomes the embodiment of that promise, not just in fulfillment but in the joyful surprise of it. She highlights it can be seen as God’s “sense of humor” that He would fulfill His promise in their old age, even after they hadn’t been perfectly patient.
This morning, I was reflecting on the story of Sarah and Abraham and how tempting it can be to “help God out” when the wait feels too long. Later this same morning, I pulled over with my coffee and decided to pray. I asked the Lord for a word — and He led me straight to Genesis 21, which mentioned the story of Abraham, Isaac, and Sarah again. I had no clue the same story I read last night in this book would be brought up to me in prayer in scripture! I had no clue where this story was located in the bible. It felt like a divine nudge, a gentle reminder: “Don’t get distracted. Don’t get desperate. Stay the course with Me. My promise still stands”
For me, this meant God was reminding me of His promise — it was about trusting God to fulfill His word without me stepping outside of His will. That means not entertaining distractions that might pull me away from His best, and not settling for counterfeits that look like the promise but aren’t. It’s not becoming desperate and trying to make things happen on my own.
Maybe you’re in your own waiting season — for a spouse, for a breakthrough, for a God-sized dream to come to life. The story of Abraham and Sarah shows us that:
God’s promises don’t require our own control.
Distractions and desperation can delay our peace, but they can’t cancel God’s word.
Even when we’re imperfect in our patience, God is faithful.
When God fulfills your promise, it won’t just be a moment of joy — it will be a testimony of His timing, His ways, and His glory. And just like Abraham and Sarah, you might even laugh at how God made it happen — in a way and time you never could have imagined.
Stay in His will. Guard your heart. Trust His timing.
Because your “Isaac” will be worth the wait.
