Waiting and praying

 

Genesis 25:19-28

Waiting is a major theme of Advent. We remember that God's people waited for the promise of Messiah. They prayed and waited and waited and prayed until Christ came into the world. Jesus' birth was the fulfillment of God's promise and the waiting came to an end. But after Jesus resurrected and ascended into heaven, a new waiting began. Now, God's people wait for the return of Christ. Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again. Have you ever been so saddened and burdened by what's happening in the world that you've prayed for Christ to come back soon? If so, you've had a taste of how God's people waited and prayed before. That's our faith's big-picture waiting. But we also have everyday life prayers we wait for. And learning to wait for Christ's return teaches us how to wait for those more personal promises. There's a particular detail about Isaac you might miss in Genesis 25. The text says Isaac married Rebekah when he was forty years old. You don't read any details about their marriage or family except for one thing. The text says, "Isaac prayed to the Lord on behalf of his wife, because she was childless" (25:21). Barrenness had multiple interpretations, none of them positive. So, Isaac prayed and God heard. Rebekah became pregnant and we get a first glimpse at the struggle her children will have later in life. But, notice, after we're told Isaac prayed, after Rebekah questioned her pregnancy and God answered her, the text tells us something else about Isaac. It's the detail we should pay attention to. "Isaac was sixty years old when Rebekah gave birth to them" (25:26). Potentially, then, Isaac prayed and waited and waited and prayed for twenty years for the answer to his prayer. Is that something you've had to do? Is that something you think you could do? You may have to. So, whatever you're praying for, waiting to hear from God on, learn to pray and wait with faith and patience. Stay blessed...john