11 For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. 12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. 13 You will seek me and find me; when you seek me with all your heart, 14 I will be found by you, says the LORD… (Jeremiah 29:11-14 “RSVCE”)
It is our human nature to get frustrated when things don’t work out on our time table. It is our tendency to get upset to the point of even losing our faith in God when things don’t happen when we want it to happen.
Very often, because of our lack of patience and trust in God, and most of all, our lack of humility, we tend to make our own decisions, prescinding God’s guidance in our lives, “even though it is Holy and full of wisdom.”
As a result, undesired events start happening around us that we are not able to fix.
But it doesn’t have to be that way. It doesn’t have to end in that manner; because our God is a loving Father.
In Jeremiah 29:11 God tells us to trust in Him with all our hearts - to trust Him even with our own lives. For He knows the plans He has for us, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give us a future and hope.
God promises us to be there with us if we seek Him wholeheartedly. He promises to hear our prayers when we call upon Him and pray to Him with humility and a sincere heart.
Remember how the Scripture tells us about Abraham, in Genesis 12:2-4
Abram was 75 years old when he was first promised by God to become a "father of many nations."
But that promise did not happen the following day, it was after 25 years later that He saw God’s promise happening. Abraham was a 100 years old when his son Isaac was born to him. Genesis 21:5
Amazing right?
And why did God take so long to allow Sarah to conceive? Was He out of resources?
He could make it happen right then, right? After all, He is God right?
Well, God is never out of resources. His ways are not our ways. They are better than our ways, and His understanding is beyond our comprehension.
God’s plan for the salvation of mankind was not a random thing. It was strategically and wisely planned in advance. It was a set time. It had to be according to the way He intended it to be.
And this is when Rebekah comes into play.
She was an Aramean virgin girl who later became the wife of Isaac and the mother of Jacob; and Jacob was the one who later became the father of the twelve patriarchs, from which our Messiah was born.
Rebekah was the daughter of Bethuel, who was the son of Abraham's brother Nahor. (Genesis 24: 24-28).
So according to God’s plan, Rebekah had to be included in it and old enough to get married; and Isaac had to be 40 years old to marry her. Not younger or older.
The number 40 has a special meaning in the Bible, even though some people or even scholars may say otherwise.
The number 40 generally symbolizes a period of testing, trial, probation or it may also represent the start of a new generation. Additionally, 40 weeks is the standard period of gestation, meaning the time that it takes for a baby to be fully formed in the womb in order to be born.
So here we see how God, by His infinite knowledge and understanding, full of wisdom, causes things to work together and in harmony, achieving the end for which He desired it to be..
But here is an amazing event;
Even though Rebekah was included in God’s plan for the salvation of mankind, He made her barren.
And how is that? Many may ask!
In the book of Jeremiah 29:12-14 God tells us that He will be found by us if we seek Him with all our hearts. He will hear our prayers if we, with a humble heart, call upon Him and pray devotedly.
This is to illustrate how importante prayer is in our lives. It tells us that even Isaac, the son of God’s own direct promise, also had to pray. He had to plead to God so his wife, who was barren, may conceive. (Genesis 25:21)
It also tells us that it doesn't matter in what situation you may be living now in life, a sincere prayer to God can change the course of our lives.
The New Testament also tells us how Jesus Himself prayed to God the Father, being He the very incarnation of God Himself. That's why He said, "When you pray, go into a room by yourself. After you have shut the door, pray to your Father Who is in secret. Then your Father Who sees in secret will reward you." Matthew 6:6 New Life Version (NLV) Take special note that He says "when you pray" and not "if you pray."
Recommendation to all of us:
Instead of saying, well God, you didn’t come / or help me when I most needed you, then fine, I don’t need you anymore, I will do it by myself kind of attitude; we should instead humble ourselves and patiently wait on God’s time, because God’s time is always the right time.
Yes, many may say “easy said than done,” especially when you are going through tough times and in whatever situation you are in, seems forever.
Then we should pray that with His mercy, He may give us the grace of patience so we may be able to wait for when He sees fit. After all, He is an all-knowing God.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, all knowing and merciful God.
We thank you for guiding our steps in the way only You know how.
We know that your time is always the right time. With your mercy, grant us the grace to patiently wait on you, and in the meantime, show us the way out, every time we encounter difficulties in our lives. In Jesus Name we pray, Amen.
