Between the Visitation and the Manifestation

“And the LORD visited Sarah as He had said, and the LORD did for Sarah as He had spoken.”— Genesis 21:1

The phrases “as He had said” and “as He had spoken” reveal something powerful about the character of God. God is a God of integrity. Whatever He says, He fulfills. Whatever He speaks, He brings to pass.

Scripture refers to the character of God, saying:

“God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?”— Numbers 23:19

When God speaks of doing something, you can be assured that He will bring it to pass. His promises are not empty words. His declarations are backed by His power, His faithfulness, and His unchanging nature.

The Waiting Period

However, there is one thing I want you to understand. It is like the “fine print” that many people are unaware of. Between the visitation and the manifestation, there is often a waiting period.For some, this period may be short. For others, it may be much longer.

When Sarah was going through her pregnancy, all sorts of thoughts must have tried to cloud her mind:

“I have waited so long for this child… what if I lose the baby?”
“What if something goes wrong?”
“What if this promise slips away from me?”

Her miracle had not yet fully manifested; she was still in the process. This is what is known as the waiting season.

No one likes to wait.Yet many of God’s greatest works are formed in the waiting.

During Seasons of Waiting?

“Wait patiently for the Lord. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the Lord.”

— Psalm 27:14 (NLT)

I believe this is exactly what Sarah had to do, and it is what we must do as well.

We all experience seasons of waiting. During those periods, we have a choice:

We can feel sorry for ourselves and allow fear and frustration to control us.
Or we can trust God and look for what He is doing in our lives while we wait.

Waiting does not mean God has forgotten you.

Sometimes God uses the waiting season to strengthen our faith, deepen our dependence on Him, and prepare us for the very thing He promised.

Hold On

Like Sarah, we must hold on to the Word of God during the waiting period.

Hebrews 11:11 says:

“And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she considered Him faithful who had made the promise.”

Notice that Sarah considered Him faithful.

Her faith was not in circumstances.
Her faith was not in feelings.
Her faith was not in human possibility.
Her faith was in the faithfulness of God.

Whenever Scripture speaks about faith, it is always connected to the Word of God. Faith comes by hearing what God has spoken (Romans 10:17).

Sarah held on to the word that the LORD had spoken. She must have reminded herself again and again of what the LORD said. This is exactly what we must do also.

During the waiting season, keep reminding yourself:

“God has spoken.”
“God is faithful.”
“What He promised, He will perform.”
“What He started, He will complete.”

The LORD said to Jeremiah:

“I am watching over My word to perform it.”— Jeremiah 1:12

God does not forget His promises.

Years may pass. Circumstances may change. People may fail. But the Word of God remains steadfast forever.Sarah eventually held Isaac in her hands because the LORD did exactly what He had said and exactly what He had spoken.And the same God still works that way today.

Bible Reading: 2 kings 17-18

Between the Visitation and the Manifestation

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