SAINT AUGUSTINE ZHAO RONG, PRIEST, AND COMPANIONS, MARTYRS (OPTIONAL MEMORIAL)

I am God. . . . Do not be afraid.

It must not have been easy for Jacob. Long before he had any children, he had heard God promise, “In you and your descendants all the families of the earth will find blessing” (Genesis 28:14). But Jacob’s children didn’t always live up to the promise embedded in these words. Read their story, and you’ll find instances of deceit, incest, murder, and violence (34–46). There must have been times when Jacob worried that his children would never become the source of blessing for “all the families of the earth” (28:14).

But finally, after thirty years of waiting, Jacob saw his sons repent and reconcile with their brother Joseph, whom they had kidnapped and sold into slavery. Now, it seemed, God’s promise could be fulfilled.

If you have waited and waited—seemingly for your whole life—for God to answer a prayer, remember this: the facts of our faith are not augmented or diminished, enlightened or dimmed by our experience. And these are the facts: God is good. God is almighty. God is faithful. He hears our cries and fulfills the desires of all who fear him (Psalm 145:19). And God cares about you.

It’s natural to focus on loss, or want, or what you believe is the answer to your prayer. It’s also natural, especially after you have waited for a long time, to be resigned to more of the same: silence from God. But just as God foresaw the famine coming to Israel when Jacob did not, he always sees a bigger picture. God had a plan to provide for Jacob’s family and to heal them. God sees the bigger picture for your life too, and he will fulfill it, regardless of how things look today.

Are you waiting for an answer to a prayer? Start by affirming who God is. Name as many of his attributes as you can. When you read Scripture, look for his attributes, and make a running list of them. Praise and thank him for them. Ask the Holy Spirit to plant faith deep in your heart. Ask him to open your eyes to see for yourself how the Lord is watching over your life and doing good for you.

“God, you know my heart and my needs. Today I ask that you help me see your goodness and your care for my life.”

Psalm 37:3-4, 18-19, 27-28, 39-40
Matthew 10:16-23
Genesis 46:1-7, 28-30

WORD AMONG US