In case you missed it, this is tax season—ok, it was tax season. Depending on when you filed, if you’re getting a refund, chances are you’re still waiting for it. Daily you go through your mail looking for that brown envelope from the United States government with your computer-generated check peeking through the cellophane window. You anticipate it. You’re confident it’s coming—you just don’t know when. If you’re like me, that refund has been mentally spent a dozen different ways on all the fun stuff. In reality, it won’t be spent on fun because, well, responsibilities. But I digress.

Waiting for a tax refund is minor in comparison to waiting for other things. Sometimes a season of waiting is harder because what we’re waiting for is bigger. Perhaps, like me, you’re waiting for a prayer to be answered. You’ve prayed and now you’re (not so patiently) waiting, but it’s just.not.happening. You can’t even guess when it will happen. You trust God. But your heart just aches. It’s that thing that keeps you up at night. It invades your thoughts first thing in the morning. It’s that thing that weighs you down.

That thing can be so many things.

 

Maybe you’ve raised them in the way of the Lord but they aren’t choosing to walk with Him.

Maybe you’ve lived a healthy life, yet you have a diagnosis.

Maybe you work hard and give it your all, but things aren’t as you expected at work.

Maybe after years of marriage, your spouse has decided to call it quits.

Maybe that close friendship has been severed.

Maybe life continuously feels like three steps forward and two steps back.

Maybe the hard has hit.

Maybe the unthinkable has happened.

Maybe life just doesn’t make sense.

 

Whatever your maybe is, you’re living in the gap the Bible talks about in Philippians 1:6. That verse promises that He who began a good work will be faithful to complete it. Right now, you’re in the gap between He who began a good work—and—will be faithful to complete it. You’re waiting.

You might be in the gap season of parenting. The Bible says, “Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:9). You’re in the gap season between train up a child in the way he should go—and—when he is old he won’t depart from it. You’re waiting.

You might be in the gap season of Matthew 7:7, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.”  You’re asking. You’re seeking. You’re knocking. But it hasn’t yet been given. The door hasn’t yet been opened. You’re waiting.

Gap seasons are hard. Waiting for the promise to be fulfilled can feel like for-ever.

I’m reminded of the ultimate gap season. It took place between Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday. To those who loved Jesus, Saturday was so unbelievably hard and sad. Just the day before, Jesus was crucified before their eyes. Death. The grave. Saturday sent them reeling with grief. Jesus said He would rise again after three days…but they didn’t see how. Would He? They were waiting. Hoping. For a promise made.

And on the third day, we read in Matthew 28:6, “He is not here; for He is risen, as He said.”

He is risen, as He said!

Sunday came—the promise was fulfilled.

Friend, don’t stop praying. Don’t stop pleading. Don’t stop believing and hoping and trusting and anticipating. Yes, the gap season is long. It’s hard. It doesn’t always make sense. But believe that He who gave us the promises will fulfill that which He has said. He who began a good work will be faithful to complete it. 

Meantime, walk in hope: Hold On in Patient Expectation.  

If you can count on the government to mail you a measly tax refund, how much more can you count on God who loves us enough to send His own Son? He will do all that He has promised.