Maybe you feel you received a promise by God a while ago and that you are

still waiting for something to happen? Maybe you have seen this promise

fulfilled in part but along the way have made mistakes and now you fear that

God will not deliver on the rest of the promise? If so, then I hope you will

find this book helpful. I have chosen well known Biblical characters and I

study the events which show how they had to learn to wait for God's timing -

and how they and the people round them, responded to that challenge. Some of

them saw only a partial fulfilment of God's promise to them, some never saw

their promise fulfilled at all during their life-time, while others saw it

completed. Maybe you will find help in your present situation by relating to

one of the Bible characters who has gone through a similar 'waiting game' to

you? Maybe you will learn something from their mistakes and successes? Above

all I hope that you will be encouraged in your time of waiting and be open

to learning the lessons God may have in store for you.

Isaiah 40 v 31 'But they that wait on the Lord will renew their strength.

They shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary;

they shall walk and not faint.'

As Christians, we are ill prepared for a roller coaster experience of life.

We are content for the 'highs' to happen and maybe one low point, but not

for the continuing difficulties that can characterise much of our Christian

lives. We view events like miscarriages, cancer and losing a job as terrible

surprises, as God failing us. Most of us-unconsciously or otherwise- expect

that when we become Christians our lives will improve somehow, assuming that

only good things happen to God's people. We so often see the 'lows' as a

sign of failure, rather than part of a steady progression towards the goal

God has for each of our lives.

'But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.'

Luke 2:19.

Mary the mother of Jesus tends to be considered an unsettling biblical

character in some churches. People either feel she is awarded too much or

too little status for her position as a pivotal character in the life of

Jesus. When we look at Mary as somebody who received a promise from God, and

then had to wait for its fulfilment, she can teach us much, however much

regard we may have for her otherwise. The unique promise given her: to bear

the son of God, the Messiah, was one that she saw fulfilled in part quite

quickly. But she had to wait around thirty years to see the promise

completed, from the arrival of Jesus to the coming of the Holy Spirit. She

learned to live with the expectancy and the disappointment that result from

prolonged waiting.

It is easy for us to believe that God is with us in the good times but not

the bad. Waiting is easy if everything is going well with our lives. It is

much harder if everything seems a struggle, and we may be tempted to think

that God has let us down. We fail to look back and see his encouragement in

the past, encouragement that can help us through the present. I love sitting

at the top of a mountain on a clear day and taking in the view, especially

on family trips to New Zealand, my husband's home country. Often there are

two ways to reach the top of the mountain: by cable car or by walking. Most

of us would probably take the easy option! If the cable car breaks down, and

everyone has to walk, you can spot the people who are used to vigorous

exercise and those who struggle because they are unfit. If as Christians we

only experience good times and encouraging moments, we would be ill-prepared

and unfit to cope when the hard times come. Walking up the mountain may be

harder, but in the longer term it is better for us and we may appreciate the

view from the top even more when we get there! And sometimes we in the west

need to put our 'difficulties' in perspective. It is rare for us to endure

much persecution for being Christians but in some countries people risk

their lives by believing in Jesus.