Habakkuk 2:3 "Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay."
Sometimes it would appear as though God has forgotten all about us. The promises he made that we have been holding onto are becoming increasingly difficult to believe. Somehow, someway, we have this yearning to see God do something. And yet, he continues to remain silent to our pleas, our cries, our heartfelt prayers and petitions.
Proverbs 13:12 "Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is the tree of life."
Hope is not to disappoint us. Hope is supposed to carry us through. Sometimes hope is all we have. But what happens when our hope is deferred? What happens when every last effort and hope has been depleted and we're left with nothing? We feel the sudden pang of heart sickness. Pain. Sorrow. Disappointment. There is no masking the deep sadness that accompanies lost hope.
What do we do when we've reached the end of our rope? When we've prayed so much that our cheeks are soggy from tears and our eyes are swollen and red? How do we proceed?
We wait.
When we've prayed all that we can pray. When words fail us, and we don't even see the end of the tunnel, and the clock is ticking, and we're tired and weary...we wait.
"Though it linger..."
Though the promise is slow in coming...though the explanation has yet to be clear...though the darkness is heavy all around...
"...wait for it!"
Hold on...don't waver in unbelief and doubt. Trust. Look heavenward to where your hope is secure...and wait.
"It will certainly come and will not delay."
God is faithful to his promises, and though in our finite world it would appear as though God is slow, he is working every detail out for our benefit. The answer will come. The longing will certainly be fulfilled. And hope will be renewed.
The same God who holds the world in his hands...holds my world in his hands...and he holds your world in his hands. The very things that are precious to us are precious to him. He cares deeply about those things that concern us. He knows. He empathizes, and he is working on our behalf.
Don't give up. Keep on trusting. Lean into the Father. Saturate your mind in the Word. And wait.
Romans 4:18-21
Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, "So shall your offspring be." Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead - since he was about a hundred years old - and that Sarah's womb was also dead. Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had the power to do what he had promised.