There are times in our lives when waiting can be difficult. We pray. Hope. Believe. And keep going. But nothing seems to happen. We watch as others get answers to the very things we are trusting God for. Quietly, we start to think about each other, "Lord, have You forgot me?" Rachel knew how hard it could be. She wanted a baby for many years. Many others were having babies, while she waited. The hurtful part of all of this was she felt like she had to carry the sadness in secret. As every year went by, maybe she wondered if there would be a future for her. Maybe she questioned if God had even heard her prayers.
However, Genesis 30:22 shows something amazing: "Then God remembered Rachel." This doesn't mean that God had forgotten Rachel at all. It means that at just the right moment, God came into her life and changed everything for her. Her waiting season didn't end until it was supposed to. Her delay wasn't a refusal from God. Her tears hadn't gone unnoticed.
That's such a great reminder for someone who feels invisible right now. God remembers you. He remembers the quiet prayers you've whispered when nobody else was watching. He remembers the dreams you hid because they got too expensive to hold onto. He remembers the tears you silently wiped away. He remembers the promises He put in your heart.
You might be waiting for a job to come through. Or maybe you're waiting for healing to take place in your body or your relationships. Perhaps you're waiting for peace in your heart or for some type of financial breakthrough. You could be waiting for marriage, guidance, or simply an answer to a prayer that you've held in your heart for so many years. Right now, life probably isn't looking exactly as you had hoped it would by now. You might feel frustrated, overlooked, or exhausted emotionally.
Even though your current situation is far from over, it is NOT the last chapter of your story.
Philippians 1:6 tells us that God who begins a good work in us will continue to do so until it is finished. God completes what He starts. Even though your faith may feel weak, His faithfulness is stronger than yours.
Think about getting out of bed every day and doing your best while still feeling stuck. You see people celebrating milestone events like weddings, birthdays, new jobs, answered prayers, growing families, open doors, and new opportunities. At the same time, you're still waiting. In public, you wear a happy face. Privately however, you ask yourself, "God, why hasn't it been my turn yet?"
At those times, remember Rachel. Remember Hannah. Remember Joseph. Remember David. All of these people experienced a waiting period before their breakthrough happened. Their waiting season didn't mean God rejected them. It simply meant that God was working behind the scenes.
Some days God gives you the strength back before He opens the door to better circumstances. Some days He heals your brokenness before opening a door that leads to greater blessings.
Don't allow the time that passes to convince you that God has abandoned you. Don't allow doubt to tell you that your prayers are pointless. Don't let silence lead you to believe that God is nowhere near.
God sees you. God hears you. God remembers you.
Your tears aren't hidden from Him. Your future is still in His control. What He started in your life He will complete. Continue praying. Continue trusting. Take one step at a time.
The same God who remembered Rachel is remembering you today.