Sometimes, God's people have had to wait what seems like a long time to see God's promises come true. Here are some examples from the Bible:
God first promised Abraham and Sarah he would make them a great nation. Yet, they had to wait twenty-five years from the time God first promised to make them a great nation until their son Isaac was born.
God promised David the kingship. Yet, David encountered many challenges during King Saul's rule before God finally made him king.
God promised to bring a remnant of people back to the promised land after the exile to Babylon. Yet, the Jewish captives waited seventy years to return. But, in each case, God fulfilled his promises.
Zechariah prophesied while the people rebuilt the temple after the exile. During the reconstruction, God told Zechariah not to despise "the day of small things" (Zechariah 4:10). God had acted in the past for the ultimate good of his people, even during the exile to Babylon (see 7:12–14). God would achieve his plans for Israel's well-being in his own time and way. The people of Israel could find courage in the present and hope for the future. This was because God keeps his word and fulfills his promises (4:9).
God wants patience and faith from his people, not loud demands. He kept his promises by guaranteeing his people would return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple.
About five hundred years after Zechariah, God fulfilled his promise of bringing salvation to all nations by sending Jesus the Messiah. Similarly, we can trust Jesus' promise that he will return to fully establish his kingdom (see Matthew 24:27, 30; see also Acts 1:6–11).
Passages for Further Study
1 Samuel 15:29; 2 Samuel 7:28–29; 2 Chronicles 36:21; Isaiah 42:1–9; 49:15; Zechariah 2:13; 4:9–10; 14:3; John 14:1–4; 17:17; Acts 1:6–11; Titus 1:2; Revelation 21:5