Wait . . . What?
Waiting matters.
Waiting matters to God.
You’ve probably heard it said, “God answers prayers in three ways: Yes, No, or Not yet.”
If you’re anything like me, the “Not yet” can be the hardest answer at times. As I write this, I find myself in a season of waiting once again. And while I know God is working, the waiting can feel frustrating, daunting, and at times deeply discouraging. It’s a battle of the mind and a fight to keep believing. Honestly, some days feel like I’m walking through a thick fog that requires me to seek the Lord minute by minute, hour by hour.
Over time, I’ve come to believe something important. How we wait can affect how long we wait and even the outcome of the wait. In these seasons, I’ve learned to cling to one verse that anchors my heart against the lies trying to take root. I fill my days with worship songs that speak truth to my spirit. I remember holding tightly to Philippians 1:6 “Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”
I prayed that verse for years, believing for a wayward child to return fully to Christ. I can still remember belting out, “This is how I fight my battles” in church and in the car letting these words “He’s never let me down, He’s faithful in every season, So why would He fail now” speak louder than my worry. I have my warfare music playlist and I go to work.
(Here’s just a few of on my “Warfare” playlist: Surrounded by Bethel Music, Way Maker by Kari Jobe, Rattle by Elevation, Firm Foundation by Cody Carnes)
(Fun Fact: for all my movie lovers out there. Wonder Woman movie soundtrack “No Man’s Land” by Rupert Gregson-Williams is one of several movie soundtracks that are great music to pray with to go to work and wage warfare to as well.)
Sometimes God places a promise so deep within your spirit, yet nothing seems to be happening. Still, I choose to trust. I choose to believe God’s Word over what I see. I strive to believe well. I am resolved to keep hope alive. Because I know this - God doesn’t toy with our emotions. He is not a God who frustrates. His promises come to pass in His perfect timing. And when I’m ready to receive them, they will come.
Scripture refers to waiting often, but not as a passive wait. Waiting isn’t idle and doing nothing. It’s contending. It’s actively seeking God in prayer, worship, and the Word. I once heard waiting described like a three-stranded cord: prayer, worship, and Scripture braided together to help you stand firm on His promises.
Waiting is woven into the pattern of God’s plan. I may not understand fully why He gives us glimpses of a promise years before it comes to pass, but I see it all through Scripture:
Noah waited over 75 years while building the ark before the flood came.
Abraham and Sarah waited 25 years for their promised child.
Joseph waited 13 years before rising to power in Egypt.
David waited 15 years to become king.
Psalm 27:14
“Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.”
Isaiah 40:31
“But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”
Lamentations 3:25-26
“The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.”
God sees what we can’t. So I surrender my desire and understanding to His ways. His timing refines us. Waiting purifies our motives. It humbles us. It reminds us that while God doesn’t need us, He still chooses us. WOW!
Eventually, hindsight brings clarity. We look back and say, “The wait was worth it.” We testify to His goodness because of the wait.
Right now, I’m still in the wait but it no longer feels heavy. I wait with peace and expectation. I’m maturing in the wait daily. I know God is working behind the scenes, orchestrating something beautiful. He’s always been faithful, and He’s not about to stop now. As I am currently dependent on God and in need of Him, I’m currently clinging to Isaiah 48:17 “I am the LORD your God, who teaches you to profit, who leads you by the way you should go.” I’ve got the OG song “Oceans” by Hillsong United and “Mighty God” by Champion & Life Church Worship on repeat.
If you’re in a waiting season, waiting for healing, waiting to conceive a child, waiting for a financial breakthrough, whatever the wait is, I want to encourage you there is purpose in it. God sees you and He sees me. He knows what we’re carrying. He honors what we’re doing to stay faithful. Keep standing. Keep worshipping. Keep believing. I pray that you will be reminded of God’s goodness in the wait. I pray that today you feel His loving presence wash over you. I pray this encourages you to stay strong and courageous while we wait…together.