If you desire to be married, and it hasn't happened yet, here's hope that it's never too late. Of course, not everyone will marry, but many will. In this guest post, CBN anchor and author Wendy Griffith shares her story of waiting and praying for a husband. Wendy, who married for the first time at age 54, will inspire you to trust God with your love life and not settle for anything less than His best.
"Waiting! Yes, waiting! Still waiting!
The Master will not be late:
Since He knows that I am waiting
For Him to unlatch the gate."
— J. Danson Smith
I'm not an expert on marriage, having only been married for several years. However, I am an expert on waiting. And I'm here to testify that God is faithful in the waiting. He fulfills His promises to those who believe.
Every year, I re-read my beloved devotional, "Streams in the Desert." But in May of 2016, about a year before I met my future husband, when I read the line in the poem listed above, I wrote this underneath those words: Yes, Lord! You will do this for me!
And He did. In His perfect timing, God unlatched the gate of years and years of waiting. I found an incredible relationship with someone who was the best fit for me.
And God will be faithful to you in your season of waiting as well.
If you're in a time of waiting on God for something or someone like I was, know that God has not forgotten you. He hears your prayers, He listens to the cry of your heart, and He will answer you.
In Psalm 98:3 God says, "He has remembered His mercy and His faithfulness to the house of Israel." (Insert your own name here; He will be faithful to you.)
The Bible says, "Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart." (Psalm 37:4)
It also says, "Wait patiently for the Lord! Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait for the Lord!" Psalm 27:14, (NLT)
Why is it so important to wait?
Because there's purpose in the waiting. Waiting, although not pleasant, has many benefits according to the Bible, including:
• Those who wait on the Lord will renew their strength. Isaiah 40:31
• Those who wait on the Lord, will not be ashamed. Psalm 25:3
• And those who wait on the Lord will not be disappointed. Isaiah 49:23
God's Timing Is Perfect
God is never late. He's rarely early, but He's always right on time! In fact, God has appointed times and seasons for us. Thankfully, He often lets us know when we're getting close.
For example, it was a long wait for aging Abraham and Sarah who had been promised a son. When the time was getting close, God sent three travelers to deliver a message to Abraham, a message that must have been very sweet to his ears:
Then one of them said, "I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife will have a son." Now Sarah was listening at the entrance to the tent, which was behind him. Abraham and Sarah were already very old, and Sarah was past the age of childbearing. So, Sarah laughed to herself as she thought, "After I am worn out and my lord is old, will I now have this pleasure?"
Then the Lord said to Abraham, "Why did Sarah laugh and say, 'Will I really have a child, now that I am old?' Is anything too hard for the Lord? I will return to you at the appointed time next year, and Sarah will have a son."
Genesis 18:10-14 (NIV)
God is merciful in that He doesn't tell us how long we'll have to wait, but He will sometimes clue us in when the time of fulfillment is near.
God did this for me.
He sent a stranger, someone I had never met, and through a series of letters and a special gift (an empty wedding frame where he said my picture would soon go), God let me know that He was about to bring the one I had been praying for.
I was a bit skeptical at first, just like Sarah. But as time passed, I knew that the person who gave me the gift was sent from God to let me know that the time was near.
Often, it's when we're almost at the finish line that it's the hardest to keep going. But we gain strength from those who are cheering us on and from others who have gone on similar journeys before us saying, "You're so close! Hang in there! The wait is almost over!"
When You're Ready
I remember praying on my knees one day in my prayer loft asking once again, "Lord, where is my husband?" And I heard the Holy Spirit whisper, "When you're ready, there he will be."
I was astonished at what I had just heard. I'd already had my 50th birthday and the Lord was telling me that I wasn't quite ready yet!
I was tempted to argue with the Lord, and actually, I'm pretty sure I did, but God is always right because He knows us better than we know ourselves. However, with this priceless bit of information, I could be confident in knowing that God was at work—and apparently, I still had some work to do as well to get ready for the blessing of marriage.
The Wait Is Over
On February 9, 2019, to be exact, my wait was finally over. God answered what had been the predominant and constant prayer of my life.
And at the age of 54, I became a bride.
It was the fulfillment of years of waiting, watching, and wondering: Who would God bring into my life? When would He do it? And, how would He do it?
I had a lot of questions and the only thing I kept hearing over and over from the Lord was, "Wait."
The good news is due season does come! Psalm 102:13 says, "You will arise and have mercy on Zion; (insert your name) for the time to favor her, yes, the set time, the appointed time, has come."
I believe there was an appointed time for me to meet Bill, my husband. Yes, the wait was long and hard. But I can testify now that my husband was worth the wait. And, I can honestly say God has erased the pain of those lonely years of waiting. Joel 2:25-26 reminds us that God will restore the years that the locusts have eaten. He has a way of making up for lost time.
You're Closer Than You Think
The enemy of our souls would love for you to give up and settle for less than God has for you. Don't do it! You may be closer than you think to your answered prayer.
God hears every precious prayer you're praying and saves all of your salty tears in a bottle (Ps. 56:8).
Your faith and your courage to keep waiting for God's best is not always easy. But God is faithful, and He will not disappoint you if you don't give up. Hebrews 10:23 says, "Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess for He who promised is faithful."
God is faithful and fulfills His promises.
Right now, He's working behind the scenes, lining things up and preparing you for your blessing.
Be patient. Have faith.
God, who placed the sun, moon, and stars in their perfect place in the heavens and even calls the stars by name (Psalm 147:4), runs the entire universe. How much more can He order the circumstances in your life to bring you into the place and time for you to meet your future spouse?
Keep believing, keep praying, keep hoping, because in His perfect time, your prayers will be answered. Your story may not be the same as mine. But we can trust that God knows best.
Your love story is still being written.
You didn't miss it!
Wendy Griffith is a 700 Club co-host and News Anchor/Reporter for the Christian Broadcasting Network. She is also the author of the book, You Didn't Miss It! God's Best is Worth the Wait. Connect with Wendy at: WendyGriffithAuthor.com.