“Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!” Luke 1:45 (NIV)

Year after year, my dream opportunity kept passing me by. I did everything I knew to do. I worked hard and prayed. I trusted God, but I was beginning to grow weary.

In Luke 1, we read about a godly couple named Zechariah and Elizabeth. They knew what it was like to be dreaming and praying for something too.

Luke 1:6-7 tells us, “They were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord. But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were advanced in years” (ESV).

In my mind, that’s not how those verses should end, especially not for a couple who seemed to do everything right.

But for a long time, that was their story. Then Zechariah got a little visit from an angel with some big news: “Your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John” (Luke 1:13b, ESV).

We’re all happy for Zechariah and Elizabeth, but I wonder if they were thinking, Why now? It would have been nice if this had happened a little sooner. At this point in their lives, they probably pictured themselves pushing a walker, not a stroller.

Elizabeth didn’t ask questions. She simply said, “The Lord has done this for me … In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people” (Luke 1:25, NIV).

If she were anything like me, Elizabeth may have traced back her steps to figure out why God chose to do this now. Had she been a little nicer to Zechariah that week? Was it because she spent less time chatting with the other ladies at the local coffee shop and more time at the temple?

But the birth of John the Baptist was bigger than Zechariah and Elizabeth. In fact, it was bigger than John the Baptist himself.

“But when the right time came, God sent his Son …” (Galatians 4:4, NLT). The timing of Jesus’ arrival was a factor in God’s plan. That means so was the birth of John. After all, Isaiah 40:3 had prophesied that John would prepare the way of the Messiah.

Maybe you are a Christ follower who is doing everything right that you know to do, but like Elizabeth before she had her son, you feel like there is a “but” in your story.

Faithful but … diagnosed. Unemployed. Bankrupt. Waiting for a spouse. Waiting for a child. Carrying unfulfilled dreams.

Elizabeth’s story reminds us that God’s will for us may not be fulfilled how or when we expect, but we should remain submitted to God and His plan.

That was my story. That dream opportunity I had been waiting for finally became a reality. However, as life goes on, I may have different dreams that require waiting … again. It won’t be easy, but I know I can trust God every time. Even if He doesn't always give us what we hope for on earth, He has given us eternal hope in Jesus.

“Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!” (Luke 1:45, NIV).

We pray. We wait. We hope. We believe. And in His perfect time, we see His faithful plan unfold.

Dear Father, help me to keep trusting in You, even in long seasons of waiting. I know Your timing is perfect. I ask that You would fill my heart with faith, peace and joy. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

OUR FAVORITE THINGS

When you feel like everything you’ve tried to hold on to has crumbled in your hands and you’re reaching out for something — anything — sturdy and reliable, it can be hard to know what page to turn to in your Bible. Maybe you’ve heard about the promises of God, but have you ever wondered what they actually are? With so many uncertainties in life, there are still some things you can be sure of. Get our new study guide, Keep Holding On: 30 Promises From God You Can Cling to Right Now.

ENGAGE

Connect more with Anitha Abraham on Facebook and Instagram.

FOR DEEPER STUDY

Ecclesiastes 3:11, “Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end” (NLT).

What have you learned from previous waiting seasons in your life?

We’d love to hear from you! Share your thoughts in the comments.

© 2023 by Anitha Abraham. All rights reserved.