Are You Patiently or Impatiently Waiting on God?

Are You Patiently or Impatiently Waiting on God?

Wait on the LORD; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the LORD!” (Psalm 27:14 NKJV).

According to the website Brainboost.com, the average person will spend 10 years standing in line over their lifetime.  I wonder how much time will be added on if they factored in waiting on the phone, waiting for a movie to start, or one of my favorite past times – waiting on God.

The Bible is full of stories of those who waited on God to move.  Joseph waited over 13 years before his prophetic promise was fulfilled.  Moses waited 40 years before he had his divine encounter with the flaming voice of God.  David waited in a cave as an exile until he eventually became King. Jesus waited 30 years before He was commissioned for public ministry.  Jesus made Mary and Martha wait for four days on His return to heal Lazarus.

Waiting can seem like such a waste of time.  I now try to take advantage of time waiting to spend on time reading.  Ironically, I like to read books on waiting and patience as I am waiting, not so patiently, for the doctor, dentist, etc.

Waiting can be good if the time is used wisely.  Parents use the months of pregnancy to prepare for the new baby.  As Christians, we can embrace waiting with the knowledge that God is preparing us for glory.  The Hebrew word for “wait” is literally “to entwine” — like strands of a rope twisted into one.  If God acted immediately every time we cried to Him, we would be in control and not Him.   I am glad that God is God and I am not.

Having to wait causes us to either grow anxious or learn to trust Him, to trust His timing.  Waiting on God is not easy. Often it seems that He isn’t answering our prayers or doesn’t understand the urgency of our situation. Often God uses times of waiting to refresh, renew, and teach us. Make good use of your waiting times by discovering through prayer, Scripture, and talking with your pastor what God may be trying to teach you.

I love the peace that comes from Isaiah 40:30-31.“Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for 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.”  This is a promise from God of the blessing that comes from waiting – renewed strength.  My strength is limited, but “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:13).

Prayer:  Dear God:  As we wait on your Hand to move, please continue to draw us closer to you.  Help us to seek first your righteousness and always embrace your love, peace, and joy.  Amen.

Meet the Author

Todd Shupe is a Men’s Ministry Specialist through the General Commission of United Methodist Men and is in training to be a Certified Lay Minister through the Louisiana Conference of the United Methodist Church. He currently serves as the President of the Baton Rouge District of United Methodist Men and is a Board Member for Gulf South Men and serves on the Action Team for The Kingdom Group. He is a volunteer for the Walk to Emmaus, Grace Camp, and Iron Sharpens Iron. Todd resides in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

We welcome your comments below.

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Thank you for visiting. We trust that you have enjoyed reading our articles.

Liked this post?

Read more below or search for more topics...

  • Thank God for THE False Accusation

    Thank God for THE False Accusation "Having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame"   (1 Peter 3:16 ESV). Have you ever falsely accused somebody of something and later discovered that your accusation was false?  Perhaps you accused your spouse of eating the last slice of pie only later to find out that it was one of the kids?  I think we all have both made and received false accusations.  It is part of the human condition. Rarely do we give thanks for false accusations.  The more serious the...
  • What Motivates You?

    What Motivates You? “All a person’s ways seem pure to them, but motives are weighed by the Lord”  (Proverbs 16:2 NIV). We typically won’t do anything unless we are motivated to do so.  We take action based on a variety of motivations.  Our motivations can be positive or negative.  Some of the common negative motivators include pride, anger, revenge, entitlement, or the desire for approval or to impress others. These motivations are clearly negative and come from a sinful flesh and do not honor God (Romans 8:8). Nothing is hidden from our Lord.  He even evaluates the motivation of our hearts when we give offerings to...
  • Children of Incarcerated Parents Need Caring Volunteers To Improve Quality Of Life

    Children of Incarcerated Parents Need Caring Volunteers To Improve Quality Of Life "Continue to remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering" (Hebrews 13:3 NIV). The errors that parents occasionally make all too often end up on the shoulders of their children. Failing to secure a well-paying job before having kids, not having a home fit to raise children in or having kids while the relationship between you and your partner is failing are just some signs of a rough road ahead. While the ramifications of...