Waiting with Anticipation
Isaiah 35:1-2
“The desert and the parched land will be glad;
the wilderness will rejoice and blossom.
Like the crocus, it will burst into bloom;
it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy.
The glory of Lebanon will be given to it,
the splendor of Carmel and Sharon;
they will see the glory of the Lord,
the splendor of our God.”
My husband and I have entered a season of waiting, eagerly expecting the arrival of our first child. We wait for the next appointment, the first flutter of movement, the day we finally meet this little one. There always seems to be something ahead, and though the waiting isn’t always easy, it’s filled with joy and expectation, because something beautiful is coming.
Recently, I spent time in Isaiah 35 – a chapter about the restoration of God’s people. Exiled in a land not their own, Israel received a glimmer of hope in the midst of their dark circumstances through Isaiah’s words. As I read, I was reminded of how much of our life with God is marked by waiting. We wait for prayers to be answered, for His promises to be fulfilled, for the day when sorrow and sighing will flee and joy and gladness will overtake us (Isaiah 35:10).
Consider how often the word “will” appears in this chapter. Over and over, Isaiah declares what God will do. He points out that God is not only able to redeem and restore, He promises He will. Whether we experience it in this life or in eternity, good things are ahead because we serve a good and faithful God, and everything He promises is true. God’s people have always been waiting. Israel waited for deliverance, and we now wait for Christ’s return, the day He will bring complete redemption.
So if I can be eager and intentional in waiting for my child, dreaming of the day to come, how much more should I wait this way for the return of Jesus Christ?
Anticipation is simply looking ahead with certainty. For believers, that certainty is called faith. Hebrews 11:1 reminds us, “Faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” This kind of faith doesn’t ignore the tension of waiting – joy mixed with fear, hope mixed with uncertainty – but carries us through it. And Romans 8 tells us we’re not alone in this waiting. Creation itself groans in anticipation of God’s redemption, and we groan along with it (Romans 8:22-25).
Right now, we live in the tension of a world that is broken by sin and suffering. It is marked by pain, sadness, and loss. Yet it is also filled with beauty, goodness, hope, and joy. When the brokenness feels overwhelming, anticipation of what is ours in Christ Jesus anchors us. Just as my child will come in God’s perfect timing, so will Christ. And when He does, every longing will be fulfilled, every broken thing restored, and every tear wiped away.
Waiting is hard. But one day, all our waiting will end in joy.