Can we all agree that seasons of waiting are uncomfortable? Whether it comes unexpectedly or you make a life-changing decision, trusting God when nothing seems to happen is never easy.
But what if this isn’t just another season of waiting? What if the Lord is trying to teach you something beyond what your eyes can see?
Key notes
- Our real struggle isn’t the waiting itself, but not having control of the outcome.
- God isn’t just making us wait. He is also revealing our sinful nature and our need to surrender to His care.
- Our unmet expectations and God’s promises are not mutually exclusive. In other words, human suffering and God’s faithfulness can coexist.
- Even if God does not answer your prayer the way you expect it, there is one eternal promise we can confidently wait for. His Son, Jesus Christ, will one day be revealed to all of us. This is a promise we don’t just hope for; we can be completely assured of it.
We’re Okay with Waiting; Until God’s Timing Doesn’t Match Ours.
As impatient as I can be, I don’t mind waiting a little extra for an answered prayer.
“Sure, God, I will wait as long as you give me exactly what I want. Also, don’t forget to follow my timeline, spare me from affliction, and speak constantly. Yes, speak! I don’t like it when you are silent.”
We may not say these words out loud, but isn’t this the checklist we tend to give God when life feels uncertain? The first lesson I learned in my season of waiting is that the real struggle isn’t the waiting itself. It’s not having control of the outcome.
Nearly a year ago, I entered into a long waiting process myself. I asked the Lord for answers; hoping for a quick resolution and for His hand to deliver me from difficulty.
Over time I have come to see that God’s purpose often goes beyond simply giving us what we ask for. He isn’t interested in fulfilling my timeline or promising a time free of suffering. I learned this the hard way.
As confident and optimistic as I started this process, the minute my life began slipping away and lost control of my timing, I became that toddler having a temper tantrum (or “berrinche” as my Costa Rican grandma would say) in the supermarket.
God Uses a Season of Waiting to Shape Your Heart and Surrender.
The second lesson I learned is that God isn’t just making us wait. He is also revealing our sinful nature and our need to surrender to His care.
If you are walking through a hidden season and are disappointed with your reality, come to the Lord. He can handle your frustration.
In my own despair, I wrestled with God, questioned Him, and cried out for help. Each time He met me with grace and compassion. Our tears and berrinches are not too much for our Father.
In fact, our God is willing to wrestle with us all night to bring us to the end of ourselves and to show us that we cannot survive on our own (Gen. 32:24-32). He will bring you to places where you can no longer trust your abilities, efforts, accomplishments, or strength. His presence alone is our hope during the wait.
When a Season of Waiting Tests Your Faith: Trusting God When Reality Feels Off.
Whenever we don’t get what we asked for and the Lord feels distant, our first instinct is to doubt. This is what the enemy wants. He drives people to question if God is who He says He is.
However, we must remember that faith is not a feeling, a choice, or human reasoning. It is the gift from our Father to strengthen us in this life.
The third lesson I learned is that our unmet expectations and God’s promises are not mutually exclusive. In other words, human suffering and God’s faithfulness can coexist. As uncomfortable as this reality might sound, one does not invalidate the other.
God cares for us deeply. We are His children. His chosen people. The sheep of His pasture. Because of this love, what feels like a hopeless wait, is nothing but the Lord saving us from ourselves, drawing us near Him and rooting us in the faith.
Faith is being able to say: None of this makes sense, but I know my life is in the hands of my Heavenly Father, and He will never leave me nor forsake me (Heb. 13:5). This is the greatest gift you can turn to during a season of waiting or any other time in your life.
Biblical Examples of Waiting: Truth from Those Who’ve Been There.
You are not the first person struggling to wait on God. I hope this is comforting news for you. If anything, we can find much Biblical truth in characters from Scripture whose faith was tested.
1. Abraham and Sarah wait for the promise of a child (Gen. 12–21).
The story of Abraham and Sarah is probably one of the most encouraging when it comes to waiting on God. They waited 25 years to witness the fulfillment of God’s promise. Scripture tells us that Abram was seventy-five years old when God first called him (Gen. 12:4).
However, Isaac (the promised child) wasn’t born until Abraham was a hundred years old. (Gen. 21:5). Moses does not ignore Abraham’s age, and I believe it’s to remind readers just how long He and Sarah had to wait.
During those years, Abraham lied (Gen. (12:13, 20:2), and Sarah tried to fulfill the promise herself (Gen. 16:4). However, the Lord remained faithful to them despite their faults and reminded them of who He was.
It was only after Abraham and Sarah gave up trying to fulfill God’s promise in their own way, and after it became physically and naturally impossible for Sarah to have children, that the Lord accomplished what He said.
2. Joseph was betrayed by his brothers, sold into slavery, and imprisoned for 13 years (Gen. 37–50)
Joseph had every single reason to question God. However, after a long time of suffering and hardship, he stands before his brothers and has only one thing to declare:
“As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today” (Gen. 50:20).
This story is not about how godly Joseph was, but about God showing up for Joseph time after time. Since the beginning of the story, the Lord was with Joseph.
He gives Joseph a promise in the form of a dream (Gen. 37:5), gives him favor and success before Potiphar (Gen. 39:2), and makes him the right hand of Pharaoh (Gen. 41:38). A reminder that your reality may not reflect God’s promises for now but He is right there with you to show you His purpose at the proper time.
3. Jesus Himself, being the Son of God, waited 30 years before starting his ministry (Luke. 3–4).
Christ Himself waited 30 years not to accomplish what He wanted, but to fulfill the will of the Father. The Gospel of Luke tells us that the first thing Jesus does before going in public is to get baptized. Right after that, He is led by the Spirit to the wilderness where he is tempted (Luke 4:1).
He could have shown His power and performed great miracles right away. After all, it had been 30 years of silence. Instead, His ministry starts by meeting the Father in baptism to find strength for the upcoming temptation.
After seasons of waiting, it can be tempting to go out into the world, shine, and accomplish. However, we must pray that the Lord help us treasure what we learned in anonymity.
Let the Lord show you that this hidden season isn’t just about waiting for an answer, but about what He is doing in you as you wait.
Resting in Christ During a Season of Waiting: 5 Truths to Anchor Your Heart.
I cannot explain why your prayer hasn’t been answered or give you a deadline for your wait. I don’t fully understand why the Lord allows us to go through seasons of waiting. However, as you continually wait on the Lord, here are a few truths to anchor your heart:
- Remember who God is and what He has already done for you. He does not change, and if He has cared for you before, He will do it again.
- Expose yourself to the preaching of the Word. Faith, strength, and hope come from the Word of God.
- Do not ignore your reality. Waiting is challenging, embrace the in-between. But also remember that your suffering does not mean Christ is absent. He sees your affliction and is present in your uncertainty.
- Pray that the Lord would open your eyes to see the many miracles happening as you wait. Look around and give thanks to God for what you have today. There is much to be thankful for as you wait.
- Turn to faithful friends to confess your shortcomings, pray together, and grow in the grace and love of Christ.
- Finally, remember that even if God does not answer your prayer the way you expect it, there is one eternal promise we can confidently wait for. His Son, Jesus Christ, will one day be revealed to all of us. This is a promise we don’t just hope for; we can be completely assured of it.
My Prayer for You
“Dear Father, I pray for the woman walking through a season of waiting. She is struggling to trust you, and her reality is discouraging. I pray you embrace her in your love and grace. Remind her that her life is in your hands, that you hear her prayers, and that you know what is best for her. Help her to rest in your Son Jesus, to surrender her worries and anxieties to Him, and to believe that your promises are always true. Give her patience in this time of waiting and surround her with loving people who support and care for her. Show her that there is much beauty in this season and that you have something already planned for her. In your Name I pray. Amen.”
For Reflection
Read Psalm 62.
- In your current season of waiting, where are you seeking rest? Is your soul resting in God or restlessly reaching for answers?
- What truth about God do you need to hold onto and repeat when the wait feels long or uncertain?
- When you think about God’s timing, does it feel powerful or painful? How can believing in both His power and His love reshape how you view the wait?
- What are you tempted to put your hope in to end this waiting season? How would your heart shift if your deepest hope was anchored in God instead of outcomes?
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