Waiting

Posted on December 13, 2017 by Graeme Wilson in Victory Call

In God’s awesome timing, my pastor started a new series in November going through the book of Luke. We just finished up chapter 1 and will be heading into the Christmas story – right in time for Christmas!  Such a familiar story; we hear it every year, and yet so much to reflect on.
Did you ever stop to think that before Gabriel appeared to Zechariah, it had been 400 years since the people of Israel had heard from God?  Four hundred years!  If you have children, I’m sure right now the wait until Christmas morning is just killing them.
God had been silent for so long, and yet there were still some in the land of Israel who held to the hope of Messiah, who waited, prayed, and continued to look for Him.
Mary, in most ways, was a very ordinary, unremarkable young woman.  Just for God to choose her to carry His Son, she had to have been one of the few who still looked for, longed for and believed God for the coming Messiah.
Maybe right now, you’re just waiting for Christmas. But maybe you’re waiting for something bigger – the salvation of a loved one, healing from an illness, deliverance from addiction for a family member or friend.  Whatever it is you’re waiting for, are you willing to wait for God’s timing, however long that may be?  Will you still trust Him even if you don’t see His hand at work?
May we be counted as faithful as we wait on Him this joyous, hopeful season of the year.
Ruth Schmidt has worked at America’s Keswick since 1985. She currently serves as Administrative Assistant to Bill Welte.