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Written by Johnathan Armstrong
Some of the most important things we need to learn in the Christian life can be the hardest. God wants us to fully trust Him even when we have to wait—patiently.
We live in a society of “right now.” If we have to wait for anything, our lives are ruined. One of the qualities of God’s existence that He wants to see in us is patience. It is a fruit, an outcome, of His Spirit working in our lives. We have to be patient in every aspect of our lives, but one of the hardest is patience waiting for God.
All too often, we go through trials, and we become discouraged and depressed. And we do what we are supposed to and cry out to God. And we seemingly hear nothing back. “I sink in deep mire, where there is no standing; I have come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me. I am weary with my crying; my throat is dry; my eyes fail while I wait for my God” (Psalm 69:2-3).
Sometimes we feel this way: “God, what are You waiting for? Are You even listening? Don’t You care?”
Renewing our strength
It is so easy for us to get into a mind-set that the universe revolves around us. Our lives have to revolve around Him. We need to remember that God does things in His time, not ours. He knows what is best for us. He knows what we need, and He knows the best time to answer our need.
God is righteous. He is a God of justice. He can do no wrong. God does care! He is listening. He will strengthen us to get through the trials we face. By waiting on God, we are learning to trust in Him. We have to be able to rely on His deliverance. “But those who wait on 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” (Isaiah 40:31).
Examining ourselves
And if the trial we are in is because of our sins and God is correcting us, then we need to repent. We need to examine ourselves and see where we messed up and change. God will be merciful and still deliver us. He most certainly loves us. “For the Lord will not cast off forever. Though He causes grief, yet He will show compassion according to the multitude of His mercies” (Lamentations 3:31-32).
Maybe we are waiting on God to fulfill a promise or a blessing. Abraham was promised a child, and how long did he have to wait? What about Joseph, who was given dreams of being in authority? He had to wait years in slavery and prison.
God is faithful and just. He will do what He says He will do. “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but when the desire comes, it is a tree of life” (Proverbs 13:12). Our waiting will eventually bear wonderful fruit if we trust our loving God.
What are we doing while waiting?
What are we doing while we wait? Are we grumbling? Are we continually praising God? We cannot lose hope. Continue to ask, seek and knock. Wait in patience and reliance on God. Do not become weary in waiting.
One thing we all must wait on God for is the return of Jesus Christ. He will bring the restoration of all things and the establishment of the Kingdom of God on this earth. (See The Mystery of the Kingdom for more on this.) We cannot give up. He will do what He says He will do. It’s going to happen. But He will bring it about when He is ready! We have to wait and be ready!
Focus on God and do right
We have to maintain our focus on Him and not slip. No matter what is happening around us, we have to be totally committed to God. We always have to do the right thing because it is the right thing, not because it benefits us. That was the accusation Satan made against Job. “Does Job fear God for nothing?” (Job 1:9).
Will we sacrifice our faith and beliefs for something we want or want to do? We don’t even have to be seeking after something that is wrong, but if we put it before God, then it becomes wrong. We have to maintain our focus on the Kingdom of God and building godly, righteous character. God knows what we need and promises to take care of us. This should give us hope and confidence in the great God we serve.
Be patient in prayer
When we bow down before God’s great throne in prayer and ask Him for something, sometimes we get an answer right away. But more often than not, we have to wait for His answer. Continue to ask, but be patient—it will come. “But know that the LORD has set apart for Himself him who is godly; the LORD will hear when I call to Him. … Put your trust in the LORD” (Psalm 4:3, 5).
God loves us and will take care of us. But we have to wait for Him. It may not seem that way, but He knows the best way. “For since the beginning of the world men have not heard nor perceived by the ear, nor has the eye seen any God besides You, who acts for the one who waits for Him” (Isaiah 64:4).
Johnathan Armstrong attends the Little Rock, Arkansas, congregation of the Church of God, a Worldwide Association, and is a graduate student working on his doctorate in physics.
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