Avoiding the Pucker-Face

13 I remain confident of this:
I will see the goodness of the Lord
in the land of the living.
14 Wait for the Lord;
be strong and take heart
and wait for the Lord. Psalm 27: 13-14

I’ve been walking on my gravel road a lot the last few months. One day I noticed in a certain spot that there was some kind of fruit or nut in the road. I didn’t slow down enough to really examine it. I just made sure not to step on it as I walked!

As more of these began to appear in the road, I finally took a minute to really look at this fruit. Do you recognize it?

It’s a persimmon!

Have you ever eaten a persimmon? I’ll be honest: I have never been brave enough to try one. I’ve heard too many stories from people who have tried to eat a persimmon before it was completely ripe. My husband tells me that they are not too bad if they’re completely ripe, but if not, they are horribly, bitterly sour. So sour that people get a really good laugh at the expense of the one they’ve tricked into taking a bite!

In order to be able to enjoy a persimmon at all, you absolutely must wait until it is ripe. I’m told that the only way to be sure is to pick one up off the ground - not off the tree. You have to be patient and not rush the process.

Hm. Think there’s a lesson there? So many times in my life I have tried to rush the process instead of waiting for God’s perfect timing. I’m reminded of the story of Abram and Sarai in Genesis. God had promised them an heir, but they were well beyond child-bearing years. Genesis 12 says that Abram was 75 years old when God promised to make him into a great nation. (That would mean Sarai was 65, if you read ahead a bit.)

They waited 10 years for God to fulfill His promise, and then Sarai and Abram began to doubt. They began to think that God’s promise to Abram must have been to give him an heir through someone else, so Sarai gave her servant Hagar to Abram, and Hagar did indeed become pregnant and bore Abram a son, Ishmael. But this was not God’s promised heir, and it created many problems in their household. Sarai rushed ahead of God, and Abram went right along with her. The result was division and resentment in their household. (And later, much war and animosity between the descendants of Isaac and the descendants of Ishmael, the two sons of Abraham.)

Abraham (God’s new name for Abram) was 100 years old when Sarah (God’s new name for Sarai) gave birth to Isaac, Abraham’s promised heir. Did you do that math? God’s plan was for them to wait 25 years for this miracle. Twenty-five years is a very long time for us, but to God, it was just the right amount of time. Over those 25 years, God did many things in and through Abraham and Sarah. They learned God’s character and experienced His ways for 25 years before His promise was fulfilled.

It seems like we’re all waiting for something - no matter what stage of life we’re in. Someone is waiting to meet the one that will be their spouse. Someone is waiting for a full-time job. Someone is waiting for a baby. Someone is waiting for a promotion or a raise. Someone is waiting for healing. Someone is waiting for retirement. Someone is waiting for an opportunity to share a gift or talent. The list is endless, really.

I think there is a lesson to learn from the persimmon. Waiting is important. Yes, it’s hard. But I am completely convinced that God’s perfect timing, in His perfect wisdom, is worth the wait. I don’t want to get ahead of God and end up with a face puckered up from the extremely sour taste of my mistakes. I don’t want to do what Sarai did and create problems for myself and for those close to me. I want to trust God’s timing and His all-knowing goodness. I know that He has a plan that He will bring to pass. And if the time is not right for me to have that thing that I am waiting for, then I don’t want it yet. Not until it’s ripe and sweet so that I can enjoy it.

Father God, Help me to trust you completely. Guide me as I wait on Your timing. And while I wait, teach me more about who You are. Grant me Your wisdom to prevent me from rushing ahead of You. Remind me to look back and see how faithful You have always been.

For Small Groups:
Is there something you are waiting for that you would like others to pray about?
Do you have a personal experience to share about waiting on God’s timing? Someone else may really need to hear it!