Recently, there has been a movement against tipping. It started with the idea of leaving a tip after you drive through and collect your meal. People wondered what the tip was for, since they themselves drove up to collect the food. But when you sit down and receive service, then you believe a tip is in order. And when you serve God at a meal, waiting leads to a divine tip.
Abraham received a definite promise from God of a son, but had to wait twenty-five years before it manifested. You know the story very well. In Genesis 12, God spoke to Abraham about descendants. But it was not until Genesis 17, and beyond, that the promised son arrived, 25 years later. Preachers frequently use the story to teach on patience, but that is not our focus here.
Poor man, he had to wait and even lament that his servant might inherit all his stuff. God was adamant that the old man would have a son of promise. The activation of the promise finally came in his ninety-ninth year, and we see how waiting leads to a divine tip. It arrived as a subtle test, and unlike most of us, Abraham did not fail. Two men approached his desert tent in the cool of the evening, and the Bible does not record that they greeted him.
Abraham Did Not Know That Waiting Leads To A Divine Tip
They were minding their business, and Abraham could have gone on minding his own business. But not this man of God. He rushed to them and invited them in. Now, with all the multiplied evil in the world, we do not advocate such a replica of hospitality. God will help you to find your own strategy for demonstrating God’s love to your neighbors. He invited them in for dinner, putting his soul (himself), heart (his wife), and strength (his servant) to work in the preparation of the meal.
I have never stopped being impressed that the man did not simply provide a chicken, but an entire goat, for his two visitors. However, that is not the most impressive aspect of this meal. As the Bible encourages us in Hebrews 13.2, Abraham, with his generous and hospitable attitude, entertained angels unawares.
The most impressive aspect of the scene is the way he waited on his visitors. You can almost picture him standing by as they ate, much like waiters do in posh restaurants. If they needed more milk or water, he ran to fetch it. Was there not enough salt on the meat? Abaham was on it. He did not sit down as long as they were eating. When they were satisfied and prepared to leave, Abraham discovered that such waiting leads to a divine tip.
What Abraham Teaches Us About Waiting On The Lord
The angels activated the long-delayed promise for a son. By the way, the Bible does not record that Abraham prayed or fasted, the way some Pentecostals interpret “waiting on the Lord.” When Abraham served the visitors, he did not know what the outcome would be. He was not trying to earn a miracle, simply honoring God through hospitality. It was only later that he discovered that waiting leads to a divine tip.
This is a truth that many, if not most, believers miss. They fast and pray all day and all night, expecting a miracle, believing that that is what it means to wait on the Lord. Meanwhile, they refuse to obey the voice of God, and instead of a miracle, they receive a divine complaint, as in Isaiah 59.5: “Is it a fast that I have chosen, a day for a man to afflict his soul? Is it to bow down his head like a bulrush? And to spread out sackcloth and ashes? Would you call this a fast and an acceptable day to the Lord?
Year after year, they fail to understand that properly waiting leads to a divine tip. They end up complaining against God. ‘Why have we fasted,’ they say, ‘and You have not seen? Why have we afflicted our souls, and You take no notice?’ But now that you know that waiting leads to a divine tip, please educate your loved ones.
Serving God And Waiting Leads To A Divine Tip
When Abraham stood by the tree and watched the visitors eat, he was not preaching, leading a ceremony, or performing a miracle. He was present and attentive, and it was in that quiet moment of service that God spoke. Believers sometimes look for God only in dramatic spiritual experiences. Yet throughout Scripture, God frequently reveals Himself in simple moments of faithfulness.
Moses encountered God while tending sheep. King David was called while caring for livestock. The disciples were fishing when Jesus called them. And Abraham received confirmation of his greatest promise while serving a meal, discovering that waiting leads to a divine tip. The story of Abraham reminds us that waiting on the Lord involves more than patience; it involves obedient action.
Believers can apply several lessons from this story:
- Stay faithful in small acts of service. Even ordinary moments can become divine encounters.
- Trust God’s timing. Long seasons of waiting do not mean God has forgotten His promises to us.
- Remain attentive to God’s presence. He often speaks in simple moments rather than dramatic ones.
Like Abraham serving travelers at his tent, we never fully know when a moment of faithfulness will become a moment of revelation. It will be like when waiting leads to a divine tip
Maranatha