“So Sarai said to Abram, ‘The Lord has kept me from having children. Go, sleep with my slave; perhaps I can build a family through her.’” – Genesis 16:2
Hindsight is truly 20/20, and it’s often in looking back that we recognize how our doubt, restlessness, or fear led us away from God’s plans. Words spoken hastily that cannot be taken back. Behaviors born from strong emotions that ended friendships or relationships. Impulsive actions that altered the trajectory of our lives. Getting ahead of God’s timing. Falling behind God’s timing.
The man whom God chose to be the father of all nations wrestled with impatience, too.
God desired to set the people of Israel apart, a nation through whom He would reveal Himself to the world and ultimately bring salvation through Christ Jesus. The Lord chose Abraham, a man who was faithful and obedient to Him, to be the pioneer of God’s people across the earth. (Genesis 12:3.) The Lord and Abraham entered into a covenant relationship together, and in Genesis 15, God promised Abraham that a biological son would be his heir.
Years went by and Abraham and his wife, Sarah, remained childless. Since they were both advanced in age, Sarah devised a plan for Abraham to take her slave, Hagar, as a wife and impregnate her, so that God’s promise of a son and heir could come to pass. Hagar gave birth to Ishmael, who would grow up to be “…A wild donkey of a man; his hand will be against everyone and everyone’s hand against him, and he will live in hostility toward all his brothers.” (Genesis 16:12.)
In the years that followed, what initially presented as a promising solution deteriorated. Hostility and resentment simmered between Abraham, Sarah, and Hagar. Finally, in Genesis 21, the son prophesied to be Abraham’s heir for the nation of Israel was born through Sarah, although she was of a mature age. Due to continued discord between all parties, Sarah demanded that Abraham banish Hagar and Ishmael from their community. Abraham was reluctant to do so initially, but God said to him, “Do not be so distressed about the boy and your slave woman. Listen to whatever Sarah tells you, because it is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned. I will make the son of the slave into a nation also, because he is your offspring.” (Genesis 21:12-13.)
Ishmael became the father of twelve rulers, fulfilling God’s promise to make him fruitful, even though he was not the child of the covenant. Ishmael’s descendants settled into Arabic regions, where cultural and religious divisions with Israel persist to this day.
Waiting is hard, even for the most faithful of God’s people. When God plants a promise in our hearts, we often long for instant fulfillment, even though our spirit still requires time to grow and be prepared. A deferred longing can cause the flesh to forgo prayer, neglect meditating on Scripture, avoid wise counsel, or forget God’s character – that He never goes back on His Word, and that He is always on time.
When we take matters into our own hands because we believe God is moving too slowly, we risk creating outcomes far more painful than the waiting ever would have been. For Abraham and Sarah, what began as an attempt to force God’s promise into a preferred timeline became a catalyst for strife that has endured for centuries.
What unintended consequences might also unfold for us when we doubt God’s timing? Our efforts to control outcomes may lead to hurt, broken relationships, or spiritual setbacks that could have been avoided had we simply waited on the Lord. Impatience not only undermines our faith but can invite chaos and conflict into our lives and the lives of those around us.
Yet even in the face of our missteps, God’s faithfulness remains. He did not abandon Abraham, nor does He abandon us when we falter. But His desire is for us to learn from stories like Abraham’s—to cultivate patience, deepen our trust, and choose obedience over urgency. God’s Word reminds us that, “The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him.” (Lamentations 3:25).
God’s promises are sure, but they come to fruition in His perfect timing – not ours.
As we navigate our own seasons of uncertainty, let us remember that God sees the end from the beginning. He knows what we cannot know and is always working for our good. Waiting on Him isn’t passive; it is an active choice to trust, to surrender, and to believe that His plans, carried out in His time, will bring blessings greater than anything we could manufacture on our own.