Faith While Waiting

Warren Wiersbe -- “True faith is able to wait for the fulfillment of God’s purposes in God’s time.”

But while we are waiting, we must also be obeying.

Obey when you don’t see the way.

(vv.8-10)

Abraham obeyed when he did not know where he was going.

Abraham received a call to follow God which he accepted without question. He left Haran by faith (Gen. 11:31-12:4) and let God lead the way. He did not receive his inheritance at the time of his call, nor did he know the location of the Promised Land.

Faith rarely knows the end at the beginning. Faith always trusts in the promises of God, even when it looks as if they won’t be fulfilled. We must cast ourselves entirely on God and believe he will give us what He promises.

11:9 -- When Abraham arrived in the land, he didn’t take immediate possession. You might be tempted to think God’s promise wasn’t true. He lived in the land as a sojourner and exile.

This was the same for Isaac and Jacob. They didn’t possess the land during their lifetimes either. Like their father, they lived as exiles traveling from place to place in the land (Gen 26:3; 37:1; 47:9). Even though the promise was not realized in their lifetime, they clung to the promise. 

How could Abraham keep trusting God when the promise of land wasn’t immediately realized? 

11:10 -- He anticipated something in the future, something greater than the earthly promised land.

He looked forward to the coming of a city with “foundations” (unshakable). 

Abraham realized that the promised land pointed to something greater, something more profound and lasting than any location on earth.

**It points to the city of God. Abraham began to realize that there was something greater than Canaan awaiting him, that he would inherit the city of God (The Kingdom of God).

The secret of Abraham's patient waiting was that he could step out in faith even when he didn’t know where he was going.

No one questions the faithfulness of Abraham today, but it’s likely his contemporaries laughed at him when he left his home. 

God accomplishes wonderful results in his followers who walk with him in obedience.

Obey when you don’t know God’s Will.

(vv.11-12)

Abraham obeyed when he did not know how God’s will would be accomplished.

11:11 -- Abraham's greatest demonstration of faith came when he showed faith in God's promise that he would have an heir. At the time, he was 100 years old (Gen. 17:17; 21:5).

Sarah (at 90...Gen. 17:17) embraced a promise which first caused her to laugh (Gen. 18:12-15).

**Yet, both Abraham and Sarah shared the conviction that God was faithful to his promises.

From two very old faithful individuals, God brought a nation teeming with life as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.

11:12 -- We should not grow weary in our faith.

As we see in the story of Abraham, we are reminded that God always fulfills His promises, but He often does so at a time and in a place that we don't expect.

Abraham thought Ishmael was the fulfillment of the promise (Gen 17:15–21), but God fulfilled his promise by giving Isaac to Abraham and Sarah.

The fulfillment came when they least expected it.

Still, at the end of the day, they believed God could and would do what he had pledged.

How does your faith help you obey when you don’t see the way?

How does your faith help you obey when you don’t know God’s will?