The Promise We Wait For

Pastor Dan Walker, PhD, MDiv

Introduction: Learning to Trust God While We Wait

Waiting is one of the hardest parts of the Christian life. Families pray for healing, for reconciliation, for breakthroughs that seem slow to come. Silence can feel like distance.

But today we’re going to look at how God’s Word reveals a God who works in perfect timing. Even when His people waited centuries for the Messiah, His promise never wavered. In Christ, God proved that His Word is certain, His presence is sure, even when the waiting seems long.

Waiting is part of Christmas, especially for the children. Every December, wrapped gifts begin appearing under Christmas trees. Children notice them immediately. They shake the boxes gently, imagining what could be inside.

And every day they ask the same questions, is it time yet? Can I open it now? Waiting is part of Christmas, but waiting is also part of life.
Some are waiting for God to heal relationships. Some are waiting for peace in their homes. Some are waiting for God to answer prayers that feel long overdue. Waiting is not easy, especially when you cannot see what God is doing.

But waiting does not mean God has forgotten. God’s people were once waiting hundreds of years for the promised Mesiah. And then one day, an old man named Simeon saw the promise fulfilled with his own eyes.

Galatians 4:4 (ESV) But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son.

At the right time, in the fullness of time, after thousands of years, God sent His Son into the world. The fullness of time means the exactly right time, God fulfilled His promise to send His Messiah to save us. Jesus came into our world as a baby, not too early, not too late, but right on time, in the fullness of time.

Isaiah 9:2 (ESV) The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light, those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone.

Isaiah prophesied that a time was coming in the future where a great light, the light of Jesus was coming to the deep darkness of the world. God knew that exact time, the exact date when the promise of the coming Messiah, the great light would begin to shine.

Psalm 27:14 (ESV) Wait for the Lord, be strong, and let your heart take courage, wait for the Lord.

We don’t set the timetable for answers to our prayers, God does. David wrote in Psalm 27 that we need to wait for the Lord. We are to be strong when we wait, to take courage.

To not be discouraged because the answer is taking longer than we want. To be strong, believing that God’s timing of the answer is perfect. To wait in anticipation of God’s answer coming in great power. God’s promises may feel delayed, but they are never denied.

God always keeps His promises and fulfills them for those who keep asking in faith.

Receive God’s Promise with Hope

Isaiah 9:6–7 (ESV) For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

The prophet Isaiah spoke in a season filled with fear and uncertainty. God’s people felt surrounded, overwhelmed and unsure of their future. Yet, into the darkness, God declared hope.

He promised that a child would be born who would bring peace, justice and an everlasting kingdom. This promise became an anchor for generations, reminding them God had not forgotten.

Psalm 119:114 (ESV) You are my hiding place and my shield, I hope in your word.

God is a place of refuge and protection for those who place their hope in the promises of His Word. Circumstances change all the time, but our hope must be rooted in the promises of God’s Word which do not change. Scripture becomes our shelter when life feels unstable.

Even when God’s answer seems to be delayed, our hope is in the promises of God’s Word which are timeless.

Hebrews 10:23 (ESV) Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.

A confession is the words of our mouth, spoken to God, to ourselves and to others. A confession is spoken in faith, we don’t waver but hold fast to our hope. Our hope is not anchored in wishful thinking or our own dreams.

Our hope is anchored in the promises of God, for God is always faithful to keep His promises Holding fast means refusing to let go, even when time stretches on without the answer coming yet God’s faithfulness is the reason we can endure. Promises are fulfilled in our lives through unwavering faith.

Romans 15:12–13 (ESV) “The root of Jesse will come, even he who arises to rule the Gentiles, in him will the Gentiles hope.” May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.

The root of Jesse is Jesus, who came not just for the Jews, but also for Gentiles, like most of us. We place our hope in Jesus and His promises for us in His Word. When our lives are filled with hope, we also have joy and peace in believing.

Hope is only possible when we believe God’s promises. It is the Holy Spirit that empowers is to overflow with hope, for ourselves, our families, our church family and indeed this world. Receive God’s promises with hope.

Application: Ground Your Hope in God’s Promises, Not Your Desires

In this section, we’re talking about receiving God’s promise with hope. Oftentimes, people just want something, so that ask God for it. God has never promised to give you everything you may want.

Our hope cannot be based on our own feelings and desires. Our hope, our faith must be based on the promises of God. Then we can have confidence and hope that the answer will come in God’s timing.

Speak hope to yourself, to your family, to your friends and those around you. If someone near you is depressed or downcast, speak hope into their lives through Jesus. Remind your heart daily that God’s promise is stronger than your waiting.
There are times when our hope may not be fulfilled in our lifetime, but will come to pass in the next generation. Receive and hold onto God’s promise with hope.

Wait for God’s Timing with Trust

Luke 2:25–26 (ESV) Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.

We are now introduced to a man in Jerusalem named Simeon. Simeon was righteous and devout, he lived a life consecrated to God. Next we learn that he was waiting for the Messiah to come.

Even though it was hundreds of years after the prophets had stopped prophesying, Simeon was waiting for the promised one. What else was special about Simeon? The Holy Spirit who gives hope was upon him. Since he had a close relationship with the Spirit, it had been revealed to him that he would see the Messiah before he died.

So Simeon had two promises he was holding onto. The first was the promise in God’s Word that the Messiah was coming. The second was a personal promise the Holy Spirit had spoken to him, that he would see the Messiah with his own eyes.
Simeon’s waiting was not passive, he walked and talked with God. He listened to the Holy Spirit and trusted that God would keep His word. Years passed, decades passed, but Simeon keep coming to the temple, expected God to be faithful to keep his promises.

Isaiah 40:31 (ESV) But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength.

This is a promise from God for a number of people here today I believe. Some of you have been waiting for something to happen and you are feeling discouraged and depleted because it has not yet happened. Isaiah tells us to wait for the Lord, He is the one who will bring the promise to pass.

And when you wait for the Lord, the Lord will renew your strength and fill you with hope.

Lamentations 3:25 (ESV) The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him.

What a wonderful promise, the Lord is good to those who wait on Him. The Lord blesses those who wait for Him. This verse reminds us again that waiting on the Lord is not passive, waiting is actively seeking God.

Seeking to live righteously, seeking to be obedient, seeking to hear Him speak to you. Thanking the Lord for His goodness in your life.

Application: Hold Onto a Specific Promise While You Wait

Where do you get a promise to hold onto in your waiting? Every message preached here at Life Church is full of promises. And they’re all written out for you in the message outline in your bulletin.

Take the message outline home and pray about which promise God wants you to hold onto in your waiting. Just a tip, on our church website blog, each message has the video, the message written out and a link to the message outline and study guide.

Use that promise to trust God’s timing even when the wait feels long. Let the waiting push you toward worship and the presence of God rather than worry. Teach your family what it looks like to wait faithfully, prayerfully and full of hope.
Your attitude in the waiting can transform other people’s lives. Wait for God’s timing with trust..

See God’s Faithfulness With Joy

Luke 2:27–28 (ESV) And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law, he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said,

The Holy Spirit led Simeon to the temple on that day and at that hour. On that very day, Joseph and Mary were bringing baby Jesus to the temple. Simeon knew that this would be his day to see God’s promise fulfilled. He picked up baby Jesus and began to bless and worship God.

He knew that this baby was the promised and long awaited Messiah, God Himself, the creator of the universe.

Luke 2:29–32 (ESV) “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word, for my eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.”

The promise that Simeon had received from the Holy Spirit had come to pass. He had seen the one who would provide salvation not just for the Jews, but for the Gentiles, for all peoples. This was the most joyful day of Simeon’s life, God had been faithful to keep His promise.

2 Corinthians 1:20 (ESV) For all the promises of God find their Yes in him.

Every promise God has made is fulfilled in Jesus. He is the Yes in God’s faithfulness. God has never given a command that you can’t obey. And God has never given a promise that you can’t believe and see come to pass.

1 Peter 1:8–9 (ESV) Though you have not seen him, you love him... obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

Faith is laying hold of a promise before we see it happen. Becoming a believer is believing Jesus’ promise of forgiveness and eternal life even though we have never seen Jesus with our eyes. Yet in faith we receive Him, believe in Him and love him.

The outcome of our faith in Jesus is the salvation of our souls. The outcome of our faith in God to fulfill His promises is the fulfillment of the promise God has given us.

Application: Build Faith by Filling Your Life With God’s Word

Faith is the key in seeing God’s promises fulfilled in your life. Faith comes from hearing God’s Word and believing it. Saturate you life with God’s Word. Read it every day.

Don’t miss Sunday services or Life group. Celebrate the ways God has already been faithful in your life. Use the past to give you hope and build your faith for the future.

Share your God stories with your children and with our church family. Give evidence from your life that God keeps His promises. As you share your story of God’s faithfulness, you will be blessed and will help the faith of others to grow as well.

Let joy fill your home this week, knowing Jesus is God’s fulfilled promise.

Conclusion: The Gift Is Coming, and God Will Keep His Word

That wrapped gift under the Christmas tree is a daily reminder that something good is coming even if you cannot open it yet. The waiting does not diminish the gift. It builds longing, anticipation, and joy as you look forward to the blessing.

Simeon waiting a lifetime, but God kept His Word. Isaiah spoke centuries earlier, and God fulfilled every detail. The same God who kept His promises then will keep His promises now.

This Christmas remember and praise God that the coming of Jesus was God keeping His promise to come and bring salvation to all people. Receive God’s promises with hope. Wait for God’s perfect timing with trust. See God’s faithfulness with joy.

God’s promises may feel delayed, but they are never denied. God is still working. The promise is still true. And His timing is always perfect.

📘 Continue the Journey

Reflect deeper and apply this week’s message with the Message Study Guide — perfect for personal devotions, family discussion, or your Life Group.

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