- Ragan W
- 4 days ago
Waiting is hard.
Most of us do not mind praying. We do not mind believing God. We do not even mind stepping out in faith.
What we struggle with is waiting.
We pray, trust God with the situation, and then start looking for Him to answer by the end of the business day. When the answer does not come as quickly as we hoped, frustration can begin to creep in.
And if someone tells you waiting is easy, they are probably not telling you the whole truth.
Waiting is not easy.
At least it isn't for me.
One of the things I have learned about myself is that when I get tired of waiting, I start trying to fix things myself. I start looking for solutions, opening doors, making plans, and trying to help God out. The problem is that most of the time it turns into a mess.
God does not need our help.
When I think about Scripture, I see this pattern over and over again. God makes a promise, but the fulfillment rarely happens immediately.
Look at Abraham and Sarah. God promised they would have a son, but when the promise did not happen in their timing, they tried to speed things up. Sarah came up with her own plan, and the result was confusion, heartache, and conflict (Genesis 16). God fulfilled His promise, but He did it in His way and in His timing.
Look at Joseph. God gave him dreams as a young man, but there were years of betrayal, slavery, and imprisonment before those dreams became reality (Genesis 37–41).
Look at David. He was anointed king while he was still a shepherd boy, yet years passed before he ever sat on the throne (1 Samuel 16; 2 Samuel 5).
What stands out to me is that none of these promises were instant.
God was working during the waiting.
Sometimes we think waiting means nothing is happening, but Scripture shows us that God often does His deepest work in the waiting seasons. He prepares us, strengthens our faith, and teaches us to trust Him.
And honestly, when I look back over my own life, things usually turn out much better when I wait on God than when I try to make things happen myself.
Isaiah 40:31 reminds us:
"But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint."
Waiting is not easy, but it is often where God does some of His greatest work.