Everybody has had times when life seems to be on hold. You could be waiting for a job, the realization of a dream, healing, or clarity on your next phase of life. Particularly in a society that values rapid outcomes, waiting can be aggravating. As believers, however, we are meant to rely on God’s timing even if it seems as though events are not following our calendar.
Stories in the Bible abound when God urges His people to wait. God sees waiting as not wasted time. Usually, this season is one of development, sophistication, and getting ready. Trusting God at these times will help us to know that He is working behind the scenes in ways we cannot now see. Isaiah 40:31 reminds us. Those who hope in the Lord will, nevertheless, regain their strength. They will run and not become tired, walk and not feel weak; they will fly on wings like eagles.
Why One Should Wait on God
One often recurring motif in Scripture is waiting. Though it hardly fits human expectations, God’s timing is consistently perfect throughout the Bible. For decades Abraham and Sarah waited for God’s promise for a son to be fulfilled. Before he witnessed God’s dream for his life come to pass, Joseph spent years behind bars. David, appointed king even as a young shepherd, had to wait years before ascending the throne.
These waiting seasons serve more often than only getting us ready for the desired result. Their goals are often deeper. God increases our faith, shapes our character, and shows us to rely totally on Him in the waiting. When we wait on God, we realize His plan is always better than ours and His methods are higher than ours.
Relining with God’s Timing
Learning to trust God’s time is among the toughest things a believer must do. Though God often has different—and better—plans for how we should live, we may have ideas and timetables for that. Psalm 27:14 urges us, “Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.”** This chapter reminds us that waiting calls for trust and patience, thus it tells us to be strong and take heart rather than merely to wait.
Here are some important strategies for depending on God’s timing throughout waiting seasons:
1. Acknowledge God’s Sovereignty
Realizing God is sovereign starts one on trusting His timing. He sees the whole picture—that which we cannot. God is arranging events for our good and His glory while we can be preoccupied with instant results. “Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails,” Proverbs 19:21 reminds us.{** Understanding that God is in charge enables us to trust His flawless plan instead of depending on quick answers.
2. Discover Strength in the Word of God
In waiting seasons, one is easily tired or demoralized. But God’s Word gives us hope and power. The promises of Scripture serve as reminders that God will not abandon us in our waiting; He is faithful. Our strength comes back when we consider lines like Isaiah 40:31. God prepares us to bear the waiting and offers hope that His plan will come to pass in due course.
3. Pray and Remain Linked to God
Waiting on God means active seeking Him in prayer, not passive. Prayer helps us hear God’s voice and get His serenity, therefore maintaining our relationship to Him. Praying grounds us in God’s presence when we are nervous or agitated. Knowing He hears us and will guide us in His perfect timing, we can convey our worries, needs, and disappointments to Him.
4. Be patient and let God operate
Trusting God’s timing depends critically on patience, a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22–23). Usually, the waiting period is a time of invisible labor. God might be working on our hearts, aligning events, getting other people ready, or guiding situations. We have to believe God is working even if we might not see it. Romans 8:28 guarantees us that “in all things God works for the good of those who love him.”
5. Pay Attention to Development During the Wait
Although waiting can be annoying, it can also be a quite successful season of development. God frequently used these moments to help us grow in faith, develop our character, and learn patience. Waiting lets us grow in humility, tenacity, and a closer reliance on God. “What is God teaching me in this season?” we can ask instead of considering the wait as lost time.
Activities to Engage You While You Wait
There are doable actions we can take to develop spiritually and remain involved even as we wait for God’s timing to show itself:
- Keep Faithful in What God Has Made Available Allow the waiting to inspire you not to become still. Honor the jobs, relationships, and obligations God has already assigned you faithfully. Your loyalty during the wait gets you ready for the next phase, much as Joseph was faithful in every season—from the pit to the palace.
- Develop Thankfulness Rather of concentrating on what hasn’t yet happened, learn to be thankful for what God has already done. Thanks lets us view God’s kindness even amid the waiting from a different angle.
- Trust That God’s Timing Is Perfect says Ecclesiastes 3:11, “He has made everything beautiful in its time.”* Though it does not fit our expectations, God’s time is always perfect. You may be sure His timing is always exact on time; it is never early or late.
- Help Others Take advantage of your waiting season to inspire those maybe in seasons of uncertainty. Sharing your path of following God’s timing will help others to follow the same manner.
Conclusion: Waiting as a Period of Renewal
Though it is not easy, waiting on God is among the most spiritually enlightening events we may go through. Isaiah 40:31 promises people who wait on the Lord not only endurance but also a renewal in strength. Having faith in the One who owns all things in His hands, they will “soar on wings like eagles.”
Know that God is working in ways you cannot yet perceive even if life seems unclear or delayed. Your patience is not in useless; God is preparing you for something more out of this season. Lean on His promises, believe in His timing, and let Him to deepen your heart as you wait.
God’s time is always exact; ultimately, the wait will be well worth it. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord (Psalm 27:14).
