While You’re Waiting on God

By Grant Gaines

Abraham Lincoln is widely regarded as one of the best presidents in US history. He carefully held a crumbling nation together all while addressing one of the most divisive issues in our country’s young history – slavery and racism.

And while Lincoln certainly had a decorated background of successes when it came to the political realm, he tasted his fair share of defeats before Abraham Lincoln became the famous “Abraham Lincoln”. In fact, it’s worth noting the following list of defeats in Lincoln’s life before he took his seat in the Oval Office:

• 1831 – Lost his job
• 1832 – Defeated in run for Illinois State Legislature
• 1833 – Failed in business
• 1835 – Sweetheart died
• 1836 – Had nervous breakdown
• 1838 – Defeated in run for Illinois House Speaker
• 1843 – Defeated in run for nomination for U.S. Congress
• 1848 – Lost re-nomination
• 1849 – Rejected for land officer position
• 1854 – Defeated in run for U.S. Senate
• 1856 – Defeated in run for nomination for Vice President
• 1858 – Again defeated in run for U.S. Senate

Finally in 1860, this man who had lost over and over again won the presidential election. Lincoln was so great because he didn’t let defeat define him. He was so great because as he waited to accomplish his end goal of being president, he was faithful to preserve his hope, dreams, and character. A similar story could be told about the patriarch of the Israelite nation and the Father of Faith, Abraham, in Genesis 15.

In this passage, the LORD was elaborating and confirming what we now call the “Abrahamic Covenant” in which God promised Abraham the geographical land of Israel, that the promised Messiah would come through his lineage, and that all the nations of the world would be blessed through his offspring. Pretty awesome promise, huh?

In order to guarantee this incredible oath, the Lord had Abraham collect and prepare all of the traditional pieces required to confirm a covenant – “…a heifer, a goat, and a ram, each three years old, along with a dove and a young pigeon” (Genesis 15:9, NIV). Culturally, what would happen next is that one party would cut the animals in half and both parties would walk between the severed caucuses stating that if they were to break the oath they made that day, the same thing that happened to these dismembered animals should be done to them. Needless to say, they weren’t wasting time with little pinky promises back in the day!

After Abraham cut the animals in half, Genesis 15:11 (NLT) tells us that, “Some vultures swooped down to eat the carcasses, but [Abraham] chased them away.”

What’s interesting about this verse is the timing of the vultures that tried to interrupt Abraham’s preparations. Unlike most birds of prey that only eat prey they have recently killed, vultures come late to the party and typically only eat animals that have been dead for quite some time.

My point? Abraham found himself in a similar position as so many of us where he had to wait for God to show up to do His part. Maybe you’re waiting for God to bring about a new job, a new relationship, or simply just a new opportunity. Whatever it may be, when you’re waiting for God, you need to learn from Abraham’s example.

Though Abraham was waiting for God to show up and complete the covenant ceremony, he certainly wasn’t idle. During however long of a stretch it was between when Abraham cut open the animals to when the Lord finally showed up, Abraham was busy protecting the integrity of his role – to preserve the sliced and diced animals, just as the Lord asked him.

We too must be faithful when we are waiting for the Lord. We cannot let the “vultures” of doubt or impatience distort what God is trying to accomplish in our lives. We can’t let the vultures of sexual immorality creep in when we are waiting for the Lord to bring us a spouse, we can’t let the vultures of laziness swoop into our lives as we wait for the Lord to take us to a different job, and we can’t let the vultures of complaining or ungratefulness swarm our lives as we wait for the next opportunity. Like Abraham, we must chase those vultures away as we wait for the Lord.

Satan would love to do nothing more than to derail the plans God has for you by attacking you with impatience and false solutions. He wants to tear apart the groundwork of faith you have laid and to fill you with a wild-eyed panic as you wait for the Lord.

The Lord, however, as He did so often to the Israelites when He fought for them as they escaped Egypt, longs for us to simply be faithful to hold our ground while He does the legwork.

What “vultures” do you need to chase away from the dreams God has given you?