Does God Struggle With Waiting? - Wrestling with Waiting

“But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship.” (Galatians 4:4-5, NIV)

Have you ever wondered if God struggles with waiting? Recently that thought crossed my mind. It is easy to assume that because God is perfect, He would never struggle with patience or waiting. But doesn’t love often motivate us to action, as well as cause to be impatient? And consider how great God’s love is!

Isn’t it love that births our prayers for a loved one to get married, be healed, or find salvation in Jesus? How we ache for ourselves and others to escape heartache and find joy. How much more did God long to rescue us from sin and restore us to Him forever? As I pondered this question, I couldn’t help but wonder aloud to God:

Did you ever want to send your Son sooner than you did? Were there ever moments you wanted to intervene and speed up the process? Was your heart not bursting at times to defeat death and rescue us?

I suspect yes.

If God loved us so much He sent His Son to die for us, then it must have pained Him to wait as long as He did. But He didn’t act on His feelings, as we so often do. He didn’t let His passion for us influence His very intentional rescue mission. The apostle Paul tells us in Galatians 4:4-5 that Jesus came “when the set time had fully come.”

First the time was set. Then it had to come. Fully come.

God put the date on the calendar and then had to wait for that day to arrive. In His ache to restore us to Himself, He didn’t succumb to emotions, impulse, or our depravity.

He knew we would doubt His Son. He knew we would need proof. So He painstakingly foretold the coming of the Messiah through the prophets. His rescue mission was never careless or reckless.

It was deliberate and controlled. Nothing was left to chance, happenstance, or coincidence.

This verse is a picture of God’s sovereignty. He knew the precise moment Jesus would utter His first cry and allowed the angels to burst forth in announcing Him.

Did God want to rescue us sooner? I bet He did. But wisdom prevailed. He knew the best timing and waited until “the set time had fully come.”

What a nugget for us to hold on to as we struggle to wait. Oh, to rest in the truth of His sovereignty. His absolute control over our lives is what gives us peace when the ache is agonizing and we question His delay. It also allows us to wait with hope. Our days have been planned, and God will bring them to fruition not a moment too early.

Nor a moment too late.

Be Intentional

Set a timer for one minute. Pour your longing out to God and then sit with Him, acknowledging that He knows your situation, yet can also see beyond it. Choose to trust His sovereignty (and behind-the-scenes work) today.