Waiting Expectantly

How can I continue having hope in the middle of the waiting? Waiting is a pain. It begins to feel hopeless, and I wonder if God really cares. As we wait for Christmas, I think back to the Israelites as they awaited the promised Messiah.

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

Isaiah 7:14 NIV

This vivid prophesy in Isaiah gives us a more precise picture of who the Messiah would be. He was to be conceived miraculously by a virgin, and he would be called Immanuel, which means God with us. But hundreds of years passed, and there was still no sign of this awaited King.

Imagine being in the shoes of the Israelites. This was before Pentecost, when all believers were filled with the Holy Spirit. I often feel like God is silent in my life, but in the days leading up to the birth of John the Baptist, and then Jesus, God was truly silent. It reminds me of the words of David:

How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?

Psalm 13:1 ESV

God was not on the timeline of His people, but working on His own, perfect timeline. And when that time came, Mary did conceive. The circumstances of Jesus' coming to Earth were messy. Joseph was shook! He didn't want to shame Mary, but he was faithful to the law and according to human wisdom, he seemingly had grounds for divorce.

But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel”

Matthew 1:20-23 ESV

That verse 23 was a reference to Isaiah 7:14! Hundreds of years later, God fulfilled his promises to send us Jesus. And even then, they had to wait 9 months and then Jesus grew up "in wisdom and in stature" (Luke 2:52) just like any other human child.

We live in the period of waiting for Christ's return. So may we wait expectantly. Let us prepare our hearts and minds this advent season as we prepare our homes for Christmas. Jesus is coming back. God promised that to us then and He will always fulfill His promises. We can rest assured in His perfect timing and wait for the Lord.

Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.

Psalm 27:14 NIV