God made two promises to Abraham. One was that his descendants would outnumber the stars in the sky. The other was that he would be given the land of the Canaanites to possess. Both promises were clear. Both were weighty. And both required waiting.
Abraham and Sarah wanted a son so badly they could almost taste it. The promise of descendants wasn’t abstract to them; it was painfully personal. Every year that passed without a child sharpened the ache. So when God promised them a son, hope surged—but patience wore thin.
At some point, waiting started to feel irresponsible. If God had spoken, surely He wouldn’t mind a little assistance. So they stepped in to “help” God accomplish what He had promised. What followed was not progress, but fracture. Their attempt to force fulfillment brought strain into their marriage, tension into their household, and consequences that would echo through generations. Ishmael was born, and with him a conflict that did not simply resolve with time.
What’s striking is that no such shortcut was attempted with the land. Abraham never tried to seize Canaan ahead of time. He didn’t gather an army, stake a claim, or rush the promise. That promise was allowed to unfold in God’s timing. It was the promise that aligned most closely with their deepest desire—the son—that tempted them to interfere.
That pattern should feel familiar.
When we believe God is leading us toward something we already want, the temptation to make it happen can be overwhelming. We convince ourselves we’re being faithful, proactive, or responsible. But often we’re just impatient. We don’t mean to replace God; we just want to speed Him up. We say “I trust You,” and then quietly add, “but I’ll take it from here.”
Scripture keeps pressing us back to a harder truth. We don’t generate God’s gifts; we receive them. Paul asks, “What do you have that you did not receive?” The answer, if we’re honest, is nothing. Every good thing comes from God’s hand, not our cleverness or control.
Waiting is not passivity. It is trust expressed over time. And when we rush what God intends to give, we often end up carrying burdens He never asked us to bear.
So here’s the simple encouragement, without dressing it up. Don’t do God’s job. You’ll be bad at it. Let God work in His way and in His time. What He gives, He gives well.
God,
You are faithful to keep Your promises, even when we grow tired of waiting.
Forgive us for the ways we rush ahead of You, for the moments we try to force what You have only asked us to trust.
Teach us to wait with faith, to release control, and to receive what You give rather than grasping for it ourselves.
We place our hopes back in Your hands today. Help us to trust Your timing and Your work, knowing that what comes from You is always enough.
Amen.