SpiriseBible
"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." - Isaiah 40:31 (KJV)
In our instant-everything culture—instant messaging, instant coffee, instant downloads—waiting feels like punishment. We tap our feet at traffic lights, refresh our emails obsessively, and grow impatient when prayers aren't answered by sundown. But what if waiting isn't God's way of withholding but His way of preparing?
The Waiting Room of Faith
Scripture is filled with divine delays. Abraham waited 25 years for Isaac. Joseph waited 13 years from pit to palace. Moses waited 40 years in the wilderness before leading Israel. David waited years between anointing and throne. Even Jesus waited 30 years before beginning public ministry.
If God's choicest servants spent significant time in waiting rooms, why do we expect to bypass this spiritual discipline?
What Waiting Isn't
Biblical waiting isn't passive resignation or aimless wandering. It's not:
- Sitting idle while life passes by
- Spiritual procrastination disguised as patience
- Bitter resignation to disappointment
- Mindless hoping without active faith
- An excuse for inaction
True waiting on God is active, purposeful, and transformative.
The Purpose in the Pause
Why does God make us wait? His delays serve divine purposes:
- Character Development: Patience is a fruit that only grows in the soil of waiting
- Dependency Deepening: Quick answers can create shallow faith
- Timing Perfection: God's "not yet" protects us from our "right now"
- Greater Glory: Lazarus had to die for resurrection power to be displayed
- Others' Readiness: Sometimes we wait because others aren't ready for our destiny
Active Waiting
How do we wait well? Consider these practices:
Worship While You Wait: Paul and Silas sang in prison. Your worship in the waiting room moves heaven.
Prepare in the Pause: David tended sheep faithfully before tending a nation. Use waiting seasons to develop skills for coming seasons.
Seek Him, Not Just His Gifts: Often we're so focused on what we're waiting for that we miss Who we're waiting with.
Stay in the Word: Use tools like SpiriseBible to find promises for your waiting season. God's Word sustains when circumstances drain.
The Waiting Muscle
Waiting is like a spiritual muscle—it strengthens with use. Each time we wait well, trusting God's timing over our own, our capacity for patience grows. We learn that:
• God's delays are not denials
• His timing is perfect, even when painful
• What He's doing in us while we wait is often more important than what we're waiting for
• His presence in the waiting is better than quick answers without Him
When Waiting Gets Weary
Some seasons of waiting feel endless. When hope defers and hearts grow sick (Proverbs 13:12), remember:
God hasn't forgotten you. He's not ignoring your prayers. He's not punishing you with delays. Sometimes the longest waits precede the greatest blessings. Your breakthrough may be one day away—don't give up in the final hour.
The Ultimate Wait
As believers, we're all in a cosmic waiting room, anticipating Christ's return. This blessed hope teaches us that all earthly waiting is temporary. One day, faith will become sight, hope will become reality, and waiting will become rejoicing.
Until then, we wait with purpose, worship, and unwavering trust in the One who makes all things beautiful in His time.
Reflection Questions
- What are you currently waiting on God for?
- How might God be using this waiting season to prepare you?
- What would change if you viewed waiting as preparation rather than punishment?
Prayer
Patient Father, forgive our demands for microwave answers to lifelong prayers. Help us trust Your timing even when it tests our faith. Teach us to wait actively, worship expectantly, and prepare diligently. Show us what You're doing in us while we wait for what You're doing for us. Strengthen our waiting muscles and deepen our trust. We believe Your delays serve divine purposes. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Today's Challenge
Identify one area where you're waiting on God. Instead of focusing on what you're waiting for, ask God, "What are You wanting to do in me during this wait?" Journal His response. Then take one active step of preparation for what you're believing for—study, serve, practice, or prepare in some way. Transform your waiting room into a training room.
