THE JOY OF WAITING

GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS

365 DEVOTIONS FROM OUR DAILY BREAD

THE JOY OF WAITING

READ:  1 Samuel 1:19-28

For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted

me my petition.  1 Samuel 1:27

Nine months can seem like forever for a mother-to-be.  In the first trimester, hormonal changes sometimes cause lingering morning sickness.  Emotions rise to the surface, prolonging afternoon blues.  Then a changing appetite stretches out evening hours with late-night cravings for pizza, chocolate, and dill pickles.

During the next three months, the expectant mother outgrows her clothes and spends long hours looking for a new wardrobe.  The last trimester turns normal activity into a chore as the final watch begins.

Then, suddenly the endless waiting is over.  Nine months become like yesterday’s newspaper.  They are gone.  They become insignificant, a faint memory-overcome by joy.  Ask the new mother if she regrets enduring her pregnancy.  Never!

Hannah’s wait began even more slowly.  For years she was unable to have a child.  She felt so unfulfilled, so dishonored (1 Samuel 1).  But the Lord remembered her, and she conceived.  Her joy was complete.

Hanna waited patiently and saw the Lord turn her sorrow into overflowing joy.  Her song (2:1-10) is a reminder that disappointment and the most bitter distress can lead to fulfillment and delight.  For those who wait on the Lord, long hours of enduring will one day give way to rejoicing.   MD

Let patience have her perfect work;

Let God refine your gold;

For in His time he’ll show you why,

And blessings great unfold. -Bosch

God’s gift of joy is with the wait.