Waiting It Out

For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,

so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it. 

Isaiah 55:10-11, ESV

This is a popular scripture, particularly verse 11, but many of us are missing the big picture that God wants us to grasp from His comparison in verse 10. Believing God's word, doing God's word, praying God's word, confessing/declaring God's word, waiting on God's word are all critical. Yet these do not change the fact that, sometimes, seeing God's word come to pass in a particular situation entails a season of seeing nothing visibly happening, or of seeing what seems to be stops and starts, and really slow growth.

I recall viewing an interview with Germaine Copeland, the author of the popular Prayers That Avail Much series of books (they are good aids to effectual prayer because the prayers are paraphrased from Scripture and therefore based upon God's will). When asked how the books began to be written, Germaine Copeland shared how she started to write these prayers when her son began the downward slide into drugs and crime at the age of 15. She started to write these prayers out as a mother desperately seeking God's deliverance for him. She spoke of times of emotional distress but testified that her faith grew increasingly stronger as the years passed. It was 28 years before her son finally got off drugs, and this year marks 12 years that he has been sober, saved, and growing in Christ. During those 'praying years' she learned to let go and let God - by continuing to pray and wait for Him. Many of her prayer books were written within that time which also transformed her life, and produced a ministry of global prayer and intercession.

Verse 10, "For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater," shows a process that God's word undergoes. The process over an extended period of time means that:

•     something is being watered
•     something is being brought forth
•     something is budding
•     something is being brought to fullness so that it goes on to provide 'bread' for the NOW
•     something is growing to the point of maturity to enable it to produce 'seed' for the FUTURE

We thank God for the instant and quick manifestations of promises, help, and deliverance - but not all will come in that way. We can be encouraged though. Don't give up. Don't stop. Don't let what has already been accomplished in the earth, under the cover of soil and moonlight be aborted now. Keep on watering it with the word of God. Mix the seed with faith. To faith, add patient endurance. Faith and patient endurance will inherit what God has promised. Continue to trust and obey Him. Cultivate a heart of praise and thanksgiving.

When we are in agreement with God's will on a matter about which He has spoken, God says to us that His word will never return to Him without accomplishing His purpose. That settles it.

Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, who has fulfilled with His hands what He spoke with His mouth

2 Chronicles 6:4

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