Devotion 23 October 2026

And so after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised. 

Hebrews 6: 15

READING: Hebrews 6: 13-20

The first part of this passage is about the promises that God made to Abraham in Genesis 22:15-18, saying “I will … make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore”. God made similar promises to Abraham on several occasions. When God originally made these promises, Abraham had no family (Genesis 12:2-3; Genesis 12:7; Genesis 13:14-17). God made these promises again when Abraham and his wife seemed too old to have children (Genesis 17:17-21). Abraham had to wait.

Through the ups and downs of Abraham’s life he learnt to completely trust God and obey Him even when he could not understand His demands. The author of Hebrews explains that Christians, like Abraham, need to become mature in their relationship with God (Hebrews 5:11 to 6:3).

As Nicky Gumbel, the founder of the Alpha course, puts it: Abraham waited for 25 years. Joseph waited 13 years. Moses waited 25 years. Jesus waited 30 years. If God makes you wait you are in good company.

Waiting, biblical waiting, is not a passive sitting around for something to happen that will allow us to escape our troubles. Those who wait on God are those who work, because they know their work is not in vain; they go about their assigned tasks, confident that God will provide the meaning and conclusions to their lives and the harvest to their toil. Waiting is the confident, disciplined, expectant, active, and sometimes painful clinging to God. It knows that He is in control. Much as we wish to get on and fix things, sometimes we have to be reminded that we are not God. Our job is to be a watchman, and we need to have a watchman's attitude: a confident and alert expectation that God will do what He said He will do, in His time.

And while we wait, the writer of Hebrews assures us that we are anchored firmly in the love of God; “…we who have fled to God to take hold of the hope set before us may be greatly encouraged. We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.” (Hebrews 6: 18-19).

Prayer

Almighty God, I bring my longings to You. And I wait in confidence that You are in control, while I am safely anchored to the lifeline of Your love. I praise Your Holy Name. Amen