Does anyone out there like to wait? I’m guessing that a majority would say, “not so much…”.
Remember when you were young and a long trip seemed to take FOREVER! “Daddy, are we there yet?” would be repeated over and over again. How about birthdays and Christmas, which seemed to take so long until the big day was finally here.
Fast forward to getting older, where the weeks, months, and years fly by! This might be the only time we don’t mind waiting so we can soak up every moment.
Then there is the hard waiting. Those seasons that are uncomfortable or unhappy. The waiting in trials and hardships, whether sickness, financial difficulties, or life not turning out the way you had hoped…
There are many stories in the Bible about waiting seasons that lasted a very long time. Yet there is a common thread of behavior connecting the characters. Instead of wallowing in the wait, they did not allow themselves to become idle or paralyzed, but moved forward “doing the next right thing”.
Let’s take a look at some of those stories and learn from the characters' examples how to turn our waiting into action for God’s glory.
Fast and Pray
"She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. Luke 2:37
Anna, the Prophetess, was the daughter of Phanuel from the tribe of Asher. Anna was married for 7 years and then lived as a widow until age 84. A devout woman who spent her life worshiping in the Temple with fasting and prayer. She recognized the infant Jesus as the Messiah when Mary and Joseph brought him to the Temple, and she subsequently praised God and shared the news of redemption with many.
Anna waited for the Messiah for 84 years through fasting and prayer. Yet she never left the temple and never stopped praying. She could’ve given up. Anna might’ve thought, I must have this wrong. The Messiah isn’t coming. Instead, she did not give up, but continued praying. Anna is considered an example of faithful waiting, prayer, and devotion, and is rewarded for her patience in old age, after which she testified, sharing the story of God’s redemption… Praising her Savior.
We’ve all experienced, and may still be experiencing, a long-awaited answer to prayer. It’s easy sometimes to give up thinking to yourself, “It just isn’t going to happen. It’s not
meant to be.” Yet how sincere was our initial prayer if we give up so easily? The Lord doesn’t work on our timeline; he works behind the scenes. The timing of the answer is up to God’s Sovereign will and His perfect timing, but that doesn’t mean we should stop praying about it. The Lord desires to hear from us. Our prayers show that we trust Him and His timing. Not only that, it shows that we are believing Him, the goodness of His will, and the perfect way He will answer. Continued prayer is the next right thing to do.
If it’s not a matter of prayer you are waiting in, but something else in general, prayer would definitely be the first right thing you would do. Seek the Lord in the wait. Ask Him to show you what He would have you do. In this way, you are not sitting idle, but doing through prayer. This very act alone is powerful because it invites God into your waiting, bringing peace and endurance in that season.
If you are in a season of sickness, grief, loneliness, or depression, He may want you to spend much time in the Word, drawing close to Him and reminding yourself of His promises and faithfulness.
When you turn your waiting into fasting, praying, and spending time in God’s Word, you can’t possibly wallow in the wait because you are in the presence of the Lord.
Work with Diligence and Excellence
"The LORD was with Joseph, and he was a successful man… Genesis 39:2
The story of Joseph highlights a long season of waiting—through slavery and unjust imprisonment—that ultimately ends in victory, vindication, and the fulfillment of God’s purpose. Yet Joseph showed true faithfulness during these trials by working diligently and with excellence, even in captivity.
As an enslaved person in Egypt, Joseph was so successful that Potiphar put him in charge of his entire household. He managed the house, the fields, and all of Potiphar's possessions. Even after being falsely imprisoned, Joseph found favor with the prison warden. He was put in charge of all other prisoners and was responsible for everything that happened in the prison. While in prison, he used his spiritual gift to help others by interpreting the dreams of Pharaoh’s cupbearer and baker. After his release, Joseph spent the seven years of abundance building infrastructure, managing massive grain storehouses, and overseeing agricultural policy to prepare Egypt for the coming famine.
Joseph’s life shows that delay is not denial; God uses times of waiting to develop character before granting influence or our heart’s desire.
Whether you are waiting for a particular job, a promotion, to see your business take off, to be married one day, to become a mother, whatever you are waiting for, that is a desire of your heart. “Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your
heart." Psalm 37:4. How do we delight in the Lord? By doing the next right thing. Which means we do not allow ourselves thoughts of “I’m never going to amount to anything,” or “I’m never going to meet the right guy and get married.” Instead, we work on ourselves. We present the best version of ourselves in whatever place God has us. Even if you are at home alone, you work diligently and with excellence, cleaning your house and taking care of yourself. Or if you have a low-level job, you present yourself as someone with a high-level job. "Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established." Proverbs 16:3
No matter what you are waiting for, turning your waiting into diligent, excellent work allows the Lord to shape and build your character. View your waiting season as a time of doing the work you need to do so that the Lord can bless you with the desires of your heart.
Hoping Against Hope
And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about a hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah's womb: He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; And being fully persuaded that what he had promised, he was able also to perform. Romans 4:19-21
The story of Abraham showcases God's amazing promises: to make Abraham a great nation, to give his descendants the land of Canaan, and to bless all families on earth through his lineage. A lineage that was promised to begin in their old age through the birth of Issac, their very first child. Abraham was 75 when he received this promise and waited 25 years until that son was born.
While waiting, Abraham continued to hope against hope. Rather than weakening in unbelief, Abraham grew strong in faith, giving glory to God and staying fully convinced that God would do what He promised.
Abraham lived a lot of life before the promised son was born. Yet he never stopped hoping that the Lord would do what He said He would.
Friends and family have heard me say that I feel hopeful to a fault because I end up getting disappointed. The difference being, I am hoping in people and their plans. How does the saying go, “People will disappoint you, but God never does.”
When we put our hope in the Lord, He CANNOT disappoint us, especially if, as cited earlier, when we are at the start of a season of waiting, the first two right things we do are seek the Lord in prayer and then seek Him in the Word. The more time we spend in the Word overall, even before we endure a time of waiting, the more the Word of God will penetrate our hearts, and the more our desires will align with God’s will, because we will know Him so well.
When we are hoping against hope, our season of waiting will feel easier because, like Abraham, our faith won’t falter. Putting our hope in the Lord is a behavior that will reap great dividends. Even if years go by, we can continue in the hope that the Lord will bring a resolution to the waiting in a manner that far exceeds what we even hoped for. "Now to Him who can do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us." Ephesians 3:20
In closing, I can testify that I prayed for seven years that my son and daughter-in-law could conceive a child naturally, even though the doctors said it was not physically possible. I prayed that the Lord would glorify Himself by showing what HE could do. Not only did they conceive and give birth to my grandson, BUT last year my daughter-in-law gave birth to my granddaughter! Medically, there wasn’t supposed to be even one child, let alone two! I never gave up hope of what God could do, and HE blessed us all abundantly!
When you turn your waiting into hoping, you will be blessed.
Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you, Lord, for waiting seasons that grow us and ultimately bless us. Help us to turn our waiting into doing to bring you glory.
What is the hardest part of waiting for you?
What is the next right thing you can do while you are in a season of waiting?
Photo credit: Getty Images/Inside Creative House
