Are you struggling with waiting for what God has for you? You are not alone. Many godly people in the Bible had to wait for God’s promises under challenging circumstances.
Abraham and Sarah are revered as heroes of faith in the Bible, and Sarah is considered a role model for godly women (1 Peter 3:5-6 / Hebrews 11:11). However, their lives were marked not only by encounters with God, but also by challenges, everyday hardships, and long waiting seasons.
It is easy to be blinded by the heroic stories in the Bible and forget that there were also many unspectacular days and years in which the heroes of faith waited for God’s promises.
Many Christians want to do great things for God, but who wants to wait for decades and stay faithful in small things?
Abraham and Sarah waited 25 years for the birth of Isaac.
Joseph waited 13 years for the fulfillment of his vision.
Noah spent many years building the ark.
David was confronted with difficulties for years before he became king.
Even Jesus waited 30 years before he ministered publicly.
Sarah was 65 years old and still, no child was in sight. For many years she lived with the pain of her unfulfilled longing. Despite the promise, her womb remained empty.
Living with unfulfilled desires in your heart is not easy, especially when these longings relate to major areas of life such as family, job, living situation, health, etc.
These waiting periods, when you do not know whether you should wait or take steps and are unsure if it is God’s will for your life, can be really exhausting and difficult.
Isn’t it much easier to rush out and just take matters into your own hands?
Wait and trust in God. One of the most difficult things of all.
That is what Abraham and Sarah thought too. Instead of waiting for God, they tried to fulfill the promise themselves, and the result was Ishmael (Genesis 16), not the promised son. Years later, God repeated the promise that Sarah would give birth to a son. Her laughter in response to God’s promise (Genesis 18:10-14) showed that she had already lost all hope.
When I read the biblical stories, I realize that it was almost always God who initiated the next step in the lives of the great heroes of faith:
Abraham and Sarah; God determined the timing of the child.
Noah; God made it rain.
And so on…
Even when I look back on great breakthroughs in my life, it was always God who opened the doors. My part was to put the situation entirely in His hands, seek Him in my daily life, and allow Him to work on my heart.
Waiting times are part of life. James shows us why it is important to learn patience:
Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. James 1:2-4
How could our character be formed without adversity? By waiting, we learn to be patient.
Patience is the companion of wisdom. Augustine
Waiting, whether for great promises or unfulfilled desires, can shape our character. If we focus on Jesus during waiting times and strive to become more like Him, wonderful things can be set in motion that we would not have dared to dream of.
The nation of Israel, descendants of the promised son Isaac, is the origin of the Messiah, Jesus Christ, who became the Savior of the world. Abraham’s descendants would not only be numerous, but the salvation of all mankind would emanate from his lineage.
How amazing!
Moreover, while we wait, we have the chance to grow in faith:
1.Letting go of our plans and trusting in God’s plans for our lives, realizing our dependence on Him (Jeremiah 29:11).
2.Learning to be patient and accepting that many things in life move more slowly than we would like. (James 1:1-4)
3.Supporting others in their waiting seasons, looking for those who are struggling with unfulfilled longings (Philippians 2:4).
4.Reordering our priorities and putting God above all else, not allowing our desires to become stronger than our love for God (Exodus 20:3).
5.Working on a good attitude, being grateful for what we have now. If we have not learned to be content with what we have now, we won’t be content when God gives us more. (Philippians 4:11-12)
6.Using the waiting season well by strengthening our relationship with God through Bible reading and prayer, getting involved in a church and building friendships with other Christians, serving God in the community, and more (Psalm 90:12).
I am convinced that it is worth waiting for what God has in store for us. He has good intentions for our lives, and the time of waiting will produce patience in us and prepare us for the next stage in our lives.
Read more:
About waiting and being content
The Illusion of the Perfect Life: Why We Shouldn’t Be Deceived by Social Media
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3 replies on “Waiting on God: Dealing with Waiting Seasons”
This was so timely for me— thank you! The Scriptures listed for how we can grow and what we can do was really helpful.
Guten Morgäähn 🤗ich danke dir Madeleine für deine wertvollen Zeilen! Es ist schön zu lesen wie du wächst und ich daran teilhaben darf.. b blessed und herzliche Grüße aus Niederösterreich Susie
I’m blessed thank you for sharing 🙏
Pray for the gospel PREACHING in India villages 🙏