Is waiting hard for you too?

Waiting is hardest when it’s needed most

 Good, bad, or even an unknown outcome… waiting IS hard…it’s neither easy nor fun. I think Tom Petty got it right when he penned the lyrics “the waiting is the hardest part.” As tough as this may be to hear…it’s important to remember that even though we might begin to think God has left us high and dry...it’s simply not true. God is still on the throne, He’s very much in control of our situation, and is most assuredly working to accomplish His larger plan.

There are so many examples in the Bible of people having to wait a really long time for “something to happen.” 

Noah was patient while he and his family were on the Ark and waited for God’s perfect timing.  (Genesis 8:6-16)

Sarah wasn't so patient. She took matters into her own hands when she felt she was too old to bear a child. She decided to “help God” by giving her husband another woman. By reading the story Genesis 16) and the events as they unfold, I wonder if Sarah regrets the day she tried to interfere with God’s timetable.

Throughout the Psalms, we read about David crying out to God during his times of wait. There are three Psalms I want to draw your attention to: Psalm 13:5 – 6; 27:14; and 40:1-4. In these Psalms we see examples of David waiting patiently for God to act. In chapter 13, David encourages us to hold onto our faith. In chapter 27, he encourages us to be strong and courageous during the “wait.” Lastly in chapter 40, we draw on four benefits while waiting:

1. God lifts us out of our despair
2. God will set our feet on solid ground
3. God will secure our steps
4. God will give us a new song

I think sometimes if we didn’t have to “wait on God” we would think we could handle things in our own strength. When this happens God doesn't always get the glory for the things He's doing in our lives. When we wait, God shows up and does what only He can do...the miraculous. God is at work on the Plan A He has for our lives. In His Kingdom…there is no Plan B.

Isaiah 40:31 (GW) Yet, the strength of those who wait with hope in the Lord will be renewed. They will soar on wings like eagles. They will run and won’t become weary. They will walk and won’t grow tired.

Waiting...but not so patiently

This is a repost...but I think I needed to re-read it today...  I am presently waiting on God to act in a mighty way in a situation that has become "uncomfortable."  An answered prayer right now would make my comfort level a lot better...but it's not about me and my comfort level is it?  God is up to something...  so I must wait on Him.


Psalm 40: 1 – 3 (AMP) “I WAITED patiently and expectantly for the Lord; and He inclined to me and heard my cry. He drew me up out of a horrible pit [a pit of tumult and of destruction], out of the miry clay (froth and slime), and set my feet upon a rock, steadying my steps and establishing my goings. And He has put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many shall see and fear (revere and worship) and put their trust and confident reliance in the Lord.”

There are several thoughts that come to mind when I think about waiting…especially waiting patiently. To some “waiting patiently” is unfathomable. We have instant access to everything. From a piping hot bowl of soup fresh from the microwave to the type of information we can access over the internet. When we “want” something, we can typically “get it” in a matter of minutes with minimal waiting involved.

But what about waiting on the Lord? You have ever prayed and prayed and prayed about something and felt like absolutely nothing was happening? I sure have. One thing I have to remember is God is always working. We may not be able to see what He is doing…but He is continuously weaving the tapestry of our lives by His design – not ours. Ouch! Did that last statement sting a little or what? I mean after all we want what we want, right?

If I am to understand why things don’t happen, I have to look at it through the lens of the Bible. Jesus taught us how to pray in Matthew 6: 9 – 13, the prayer we commonly refer to as the Lord’s Prayer. Part of that prayer was “your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” That means we have to give God our “kingdom” and our “will” so they can be replaced with His. We can’t just tell God the way we want our lives to turn out and then expect Him to deliver the blessings. We have to wait on His timing and give up our own agendas.

If you look back at Psalm 40:1 we see David waited patiently and expectantly and he received blessings from God. David waited “expectantly”. I had to look that word up in the dictionary to make sure I knew what it meant. According to Webster’s dictionary the word expectant means:

One who expects; one who waits in expectation; one held in dependence by his belief or hope of receiving some good

David was waiting in expectation of something good. He didn’t cry out to God and then doubt that God heard him. Nor did he give God the solution to His problem and wait for God to miraculously fix the situation. David knew that God heard his cry and would deliver him in HIS timing, not David’s.

Are you tired of waiting? Trust God to deliver you and set your feet upon a steady rock. While you wait worship Him, praise Him, pray and tell Him exactly how you’re feeling, love Him, serve Him, and trust Him. I know if I focus on Him and His character, I don’t doubt when I think things are taking longer than they should. I count the blessings He has already given me and believe the good that will come while I wait for His perfect timing.

Related Scripture

Isaiah 30:18; 1 Peter 5:6-7; Proverbs 3:5-6; Luke 12:35 – 40