I’m a terrible “waiter.” I don’t mean waiting on tables, though I’m not very good at that either. I mean waiting on things to happen. Like a fun vacation. Or a visit from friends.
My most recent period of waiting was on the birth of our first granddaughter. After four grandsons we were so ready to buy some pink!
I get so impatient waiting on those fun, exciting events. But I find that waiting on God to do what only He can do is often the hardest kind of waiting. Maybe you can relate.
In the midst of trials and hardships, we call out to God and ask for His help, for His intervention. But His answer often feels delayed or derailed. We get impatient and discouraged waiting on God.
We know He can change our circumstances. We’ve experienced His help before. So why does He wait? Why doesn’t He fix things? Why doesn’t He show up now?
While our feelings in the midst of hardship are very real, they often distract us from remembering great truths about God, His character, and how He works in our lives. (See “Trusting God Over Our Emotions.”)
So, let us arm ourselves with God’s truth now, let’s hide it in our hearts today. Then, when difficulty comes tomorrow and the waiting begins, we will be better equipped to patiently and peacefully wait on God.
King David’s Experience with Waiting on God
David had lots of experience waiting on God. In Psalm 40, he gives us some great insight and important truths:
I waited patiently for the Lord to help me and he turned to me and heard my cry.
2 He lifted me out of the pit of despair out of the mud and the mire.
He set my feet on solid groundand steadied me as I walked along.
3 He has given me a new song to sing a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see what he has done and be amazed.They will put their trust in the Lord. 4 Oh, the joys of those who trust the Lord, who have no confidence in the proud or in those who worship idols. Psalm 40:1-4, NLT
4 Truths about Waiting
- God hears your cry for help(Psalm 40:1) – Although it may sometimes feel as though you’re talking to the ceiling, if you are God’s child, He hears. (It’s also good to double-check our hearts for any persistent, rebellious, unrepentant sin. See Isaiah 59:2, James 4:3).
- God never leaves you (Psalm 40:2, Isaiah 43:2) – God doesn’t protect our lives from the presence of difficulty, but He will always walk with us in it, and bring us to the other side. Sometimes His deliverance will be in this life and sometimes it will be all the way through to glory!
- God wants to build your faith (Psalm 40:3) – Relying on God during times of hard waiting builds our trust and fuels our praise. (See “6 Ways God Uses Trials in a Christian’s Life.”)
- God wants to use your life (Psalm 40:3) – When God works and brings us through, our lives become a testimony of God and His power to those watching.
If you are waiting on God today, keep waiting. Our great God is worthy of your trust and dependence. He will always deliver! Share with us something God has done in your life during a time of waiting!
Other articles you may find helpful:
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