Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord. Psalms 27:14
KJV
We’ve all heard it before: patience is a virtue and good things come to those who wait, but let’s be honest, no one likes waiting. Let me just speak for myself and say, patience has not been my strong suit, although I am learning constantly and trying to be better.
Waiting can be difficult, frustrating and downright discouraging. Waiting on God is a whole other matter entirely. Sometimes when we’re in God’s waiting room, it can feel as though God isn’t hearing us especially when we’ve been praying ceaselessly but aren’t seeing any changes in our situations.
Almost a year ago my younger sister, who had been waiting on the Lord for a breakthrough, told me that she felt like God had forgotten about her. I did my best to encourage her and when she asked me what she should pray for in order to stop feeling so anxious, the words of the Psalmist in Psalm 94:19 came to me “In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soul,” so I encouraged her to pray for the peace of the Lord to quell her anxious mind and heart as well as for faith to trust in and wait on the Lord.
A few weeks after telling me that she felt forgotten by God, my sister told me that she was no longer feeling anxious about her situation and that she was in fact feeling excited. When I asked her what changed she said that she had started praying more. Let me caution you here though because waiting on God is not just about praying without ceasing until he grants the desires of your heart. Yes, praying is extremely important but do you believe that he is able to do what you ask, do you trust him with your whole heart and are listening to what is trying to say to you even as you wait? Let’s examine these further.
Do you believe?
“Do you believe that I am able to do this?” Matthew 9:28
ESV
This may seem like a simple question and you might say, “well of course I believe,” but do you really?
When you search your heart, do you believe viscerally that he is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think? (Ephesians 3:20) or are you just hoping that maybe it will work out if you pray enough?
If you don’t truly believe that he can do it then you’re wasting your time. He can’t do anything with unbelief. Our God is limitless and there is nothing that he cannot do, but when we allow unbelief to creep in and take root it causes us to limit him in our lives. If you’re waiting on God, there can’t be any room for unbelief. It doesn’t take great faith either; Jesus in Matthew 17:20 said “for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place, and it shall remove, and nothing shall be impossible unto you.” Now consider this, a mustard seed is very tiny. Therefore, he can work with a little faith but he cannot work with unbelief.
Do you trust Him?
“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28
KJV
If we believe that he can do what we ask, then we have to trust him to do it in his own time. Admittedly, sometimes this is easier said than done but remember that he is not constrained by time as we are. His perspective is eternal; he sees the past, present and the future. Think of it like this, if our lives are a giant puzzle and we only get a few pieces at a time but he has the complete picture, then it makes sense that he would know exactly where each piece fits at exactly the right time.
You can trust that he has a plan for you and that that plan is better than any plan you have for yourself. Even though it may be difficult to let go of our own plans and trust his plan, remember that his plans are plans to prosper us and not to harm us (Jeremiah 29:11).
You may not be able to see past your current situation but he already sees you overcoming as a victor not a victim. If he is asking you to wait, trust that there is purpose in the wait. Don’t obsess over what you’re waiting for to the point where you miss out on what he is trying to do in you while you wait. Maybe he’s calling you to wait in order to stretch your faith a little or maybe he wants you to wait until you’re fully ready to receive what he is about to pour out. Whatever the reason you’ve found yourself in his waiting room, trust His plan.
Are you listening?
“And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard his word.” Luke 10:39
KJV
One of my favourite passages of scripture recounts Jesus visiting the home of Martha. Martha’s sister Mary, who was also at the home, decided to sit at the feet of Jesus while he was teaching. Like Mary, I would love nothing more than to sit at his feet and take in every word but sometimes the noise of the world can drown out what he is speaking in our lives.
God desires for us to be in a relationship with him and relationships require communication. Just as we speak to him, I believe he wants to speak to us too. When you’re waiting on God, it’s important to spend time in his presence, not just to speak to him but to ask him to speak to us and to actually listen.
How can we know when God is speaking to us? I promise to go into this in more detail at another time, otherwise, this blog post would never end!
Finally, I know no one really wants to hear this but sometimes the thing we’re waiting on God for, isn’t in line with his will or plan for our lives, which is one of the reasons why it is important for us to listen and discern his will. Author and blogger, Matt Smethurst sums this point up perfectly, “If God closes a door in your life, there’s no guarantee he’ll open a window. He may not open anything. He may want you to realize you have the wrong address.”
“If God closes a door in your life, there’s no guarantee he’ll open a window. He may not open anything. He may want you to realize you have the wrong address.”
Matt Smethurst, Author
Are you waiting in vain?
You never wait in vain when you wait on God. Isaiah: 40:31 tells us, “But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary, and they shall walk, and not faint.” He remains faithful even in our wait and he gives us what we need to get through.
Let’s recap
Whenever you find yourself in God’s waiting room remember to remain in prayer, believing that he is able to do what you are asking and trusting that he will come through for you in his own time, even if it’s not how you are expecting it. Ensure also to listen and pay attention to what he is saying to you.
Lastly, while you wait, you might as well worship.
