We all want good things to happen in our lives, and there is nothing wrong with that. In fact, as humans we were created with wants and desires. Problem is, too often we want all of our good things to happen now, and when our expectations don’t show up how and when we think they should, we are tempted to ask, “When, God, when?” Waiting on God forces us to slow down, learn patience, and endure His process.

Wait for the LORD; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the LORD.

Psalm 27:14

So many of us are in a hurry when God is not. We create superficial timelines for our life, then pressure God to make it happen. He knows you better than you know yourself. If you don’t have it yet, it’s because you don’t need it yet.

So many of us are in a hurry and God is not.

I have an eight-year-old son, and he loves cars. He knows car types, brands, parts, and models. As impressive as his knowledge of cars is, he is not ready for a car of his own. Imagine if he asked me to purchase a car for him? Do you think I would agree to that? Of course not. Because although He thinks he is ready to own and drive a car, as his parent, I know he is not.

After I deny his eight-year-old request for a new car, do you think he would think I was a mean parent? Probably. But in my saying NO to his request, I am doing what is best for him and everyone around him. We are God’s children, so when He tells us to wait or answers with a not right now, we have to trust His sovereign judgment over our lives.

When God tells you to “wait”, that is not the same as God telling you NO. Have you heard the old school saying, “He may not come when you want Him to, but He is always on time?” As cliche as that Christian saying is, it is very true. God is eternally existent, meaning he doesn’t live in time as we do. Your timelines mean nothing to God because He knows what is ultimately best for you.

We create our own superficial timelines, then pressure God to make it happen.

Most of us need to grow in the area of trusting God instead of focusing on the “when”. If you are in a season of waiting, I can guarantee there is something in your life that God wants you to resolve as you wait.

• Are you waiting for a husband? Use this time to work on your relationship skills. Work on cultivating your relationship with God and finding yourself as you wait.
• Waiting for a new promotion at your job? Now is the time to prepare for the position you want. Master the current skills in the position you are in right now.
• Are you waiting for God to answer you concerning a pressing matter? Open the Bible and see what the scriptures have to say about your situation. Many times we are waiting for a verbal response from God, when He has already provided answers in His Word.

Do you need a blessing right now? What can you do to prepare yourself for what you are asking God for?

Show God that you are ready for what you are asking for.

If you are experiencing frustration, stress, anxiety, and worry while waiting, most likely you’re not fully trusting God in the process. Trusting Him includes having trust in His timing and His process. Many people want God to make a change for them, but they don’t want to go through the process that it takes to bring the change. If you want a miracle, God is going to be the one to provide it, so be OK with doing things His way.

No matter the season you are in right now, each one of us will eventually find ourselves waiting on God. The question is, what will our attitude be while we wait? Are we waiting on God the right way or the wrong way? Your waiting process matters too. How you arrive at your blessing will depend on the journey that got you there. Are you murmuring and complaining in your waiting season? If so, you will become miserable. If you decide to wait on God with hope and patience, you will become stronger because of the wait (Isaiah 40:31).

God will get you where He wants you, when He wants you there.

Trusting God and His timing takes practice, and it may not come easy. As you wait, remember who you are waiting on. God is faithful, and He keeps His promises. If He said He is going to do something, He is going to do it. When you start to feel upset about the waiting process, talk to God about it. Ask Him questions, and allow Him to answer you. In your personal prayer time, He may reveal to you the reason why you have to wait.

Just as waiting on God has its blessing and rewards, not waiting on God has its consequences. What do you think would happen if my eight-year-old took the keys to my car and tried to take it for a drive after I told him he wasn’t ready for a car? The outcome would be devastating. There is a reason God gives us boundaries and doesn’t allow us to do what we want to do when we want to do it. If you move outside of his timing, the consequences could delay your blessing – or worse – take you out of His Will.

When God delivered the Israelites from Egypt, God had a plan to take them to the Promised Land in 40 days. Because of their murmuring and complaining, they finally arrived at the Promised Land – 40 years later.

Not trusting God’s timing has its consequences.

Waiting on God helps you to develop patience, which is one of the most important Christian virtues. The Bible says that after you develop patience, you will finally feel completely satisfied and lacking nothing (James 1:4). God gives us hopes and dreams for certain things to happen in our lives, but He doesn’t always allow us to see the exact timeline of how its going to happen. Although frustrating, not knowing the exact timing is often what keeps us going. Learning to hope in God when you don’t see immediate results helps you to trust Him more.

Waiting on God is all about putting your confidence in Him. Even in our most discouraging times, if we can simply accept God’s timing, we can learn to live in hope. We know that God’s plan for our lives is good, and when we entrust ourselves to Him we can experience total peace as we wait.  

A Prayer for Today

Lord, I earnestly seek after You. I seek Your kingdom and Your will. I lay my plans before You. I give you the desires of my heart. Help me to rely on You in every area of my life. Thank you for the patience to wait on You and appreciate where I am right now. I trust You when You say that the plans you have for me are good. Sharpen my character and transform my heart this day and every day.

Amen

I hope this helps!