By Kathy-Ann C. Hernandez, PhD
I did not plan to write this book, yet I now know that this is a book that I had to write. If the title captured your attention and you are in search of an in-depth study on the life of the prophet Elijah, please look elsewhere. This book is not primarily about Elijah. It is about waiting on God during uncertain times—during difficult times—during brook experiences, and the steps we can take to benefit the most from these relational encounters.
My intent in writing this book, Waiting by the Brook: Seven Steps to Deeper Intimacy with God, is to enter into a conversation with you about what it means to wait on God. Beginning with the experiences of the prophet Elijah, and drawing from my own experiences and the accounts of other Bible characters, I illustrate how waiting on God is critical to our deepening relationship with Him. In fact, the expression “waiting on God” is a term that best describes our positioning in relation to our Maker. We must learn to wait on and with Him.
In the book of 1 Kings in the Old Testament, we are introduced to the prophet Elijah, who God told to go and wait on Him beside the brook Cherith. Elijah waits there, hidden away during a time of famine, until God reveals his next assignment to him. The image of this man of God sitting beside a brook waiting on God fascinates me. I empathize with Elijah. For the last several years, as I have tried to deal with the uncertainty I felt in my own life personally and professionally, this image has become dear to me. In fact, whenever anyone who was interested in my honest response asked the question, “How are you doing?” I would answer simply, “I am waiting by the brook.”
Waiting by the Brook begins with a prologue and ends with an epilogue, and it is divided into four main parts. In Part 1, I discuss the challenge we have with waiting and what it means to wait on God. Using the brook Cherith as a metaphor for waiting periods in our developing relationship with God, I reflect on the experiences of Elijah as he waited on God and what these experiences reveal to us about our own brook moments. Part 2, is an account of my personal journey through past waiting periods, an examination of defining characteristics of such brook experiences, and the paradigm shifts that can come to us as we rely on God to make our way through difficulties in life. At the end of Part 2, I share the seven action steps in waiting. Then in Part 3, I elaborate on each action step that is needed for us to successfully navigate brook experiences. Finally, in Part 4, I discuss the most valuable gifts that God eagerly wants to give those who learn to wait patiently on and with Him.
I wrote this book during one of the most challenging waiting periods that the world has undergone in decades—a global pandemic. Even as I, like others, struggled to stay healthy, adjust to the new normal, and manage everything that was coming our way, I chose to make room to write by waking up early in the morning before my family was up. In the quiet of those morning hours, I spent time with God in prayer and Bible study. However, before I got up off my knees and sat at my desk to write, I prayed two simple prayers. The first was, “God let me be like a pen in Your hand.” The second prayer was for you. I prayed that one day this book would find you as you were waiting beside your brook, and that you would be encouraged to continue to wait on Him.
The Waiting by the Brook Journal was created to accompany your reading of the book. It can also be used as a standalone journal for anyone interested in a deeper study into what it means to wait on God during the dark chapters of our lives. Each chapter installment features—inspirational quotes, scriptural passages for meditation, thoughtful writing prompts, lots of room to write your own notes and prayers, and a blank page for doodling or creative journaling.
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