Oceans in the Desert

By Kathi Pelton

The past two days I have been writing about “in the waiting.” It is that time in between the receiving of a promise and the fulfillment of that promise. This time period can be anywhere from months to decades. Yet, the promise is not deluted or the giver of the promise unfaithful amid the waiting— but rather, the receiver of the promise is being prepared and transformed.

Often, the bigger the promise and the more significance that the promise is to His Kingdom— the longer the wait (remember Abraham and Sarah— the father of nations). This does not mean that waits that are shorter are less significant but may not require as much faith and preparation. Our measuring tools are not God’s measuring tools at all— so bigger does not always look like we think bigger (or more significant looks).

Yet, depending on what you are waiting for— the waiting may be accompanied by pain and suffering. Such as those who are waiting for a spouse or a child or a prodigal to return. It can even be the promise of a ministry that you will be anointed to carry and steward. These long waits can easily become very painful.

So what do you do with that pain and what is happening as you exercise faith in the midst of waiting— and the suffering?

Let’s look at Romans 5 again,

”Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.“
‭‭Romans‬ ‭5‬:‭3‬-‭5‬ ‭

Many of our promises will be enjoyed and appreciated far more as we receive them after we learn how to endure (and not lose faith). These promises fulfilled become a far greater blessing to us and others when our character is built to reflect more of Christ. And…we know that true endurance and character has been established when in the midst of hope deferred or years of waiting we suddenly have unwavering hope that it will happen! The areas that were weak and easily shaken when we received the promise are now strong foundations of unwavering faith.

Hope is the amazing result of endurance and character being produced in our lives. And hope does not disappoint or put us to shame when our hope is in Him!

So, this is how it works:

• A promise is received
• Faith is activated
• Faith creates an altar of grace for the promise to rest upon— grace to wait and to grow
• The waiting begins
• Pain and suffering begin to be felt
• Endurance begins to be formed
• Character is being developed
• More endurance and more character as you wait
• Hope is formed within the suffering, endurance, and new character
• Faith is strengthened
• The promise is fulfilled

This is not a formula or a plan for “works.”
It is merely a blueprint of how often the process of promises often work. It is all built upon the faith and grace that was formed in your initial response.

You will make it and Christ will be formed in you which will increase the blessing found within the promise when it is fulfilled.

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