Have you ever noticed that most of our lives can be broken down into small seasons of waiting? 

Waiting to be able to drive; waiting to graduate high school or college; waiting to meet “our person;” waiting for engagement, marriage, or until the day you can purchase your first house;  waiting on the day you get to be “Mom” (or “Dad.”)  It seems we are always waiting: for a season to come or pass, for the Lord to reveal His plan, or simply waiting for Him to answer a prayer. Some seasons of waiting can be more frustrating than others, and even more painful. So why does God make us wait?

All throughout scripture you can see “waiting” woven into God’s plan:

• From Genesis, we see Abraham and Sarah waiting faithfully for a son. (Genesis 12:2–3), (Hebrews 6:15)
• Joseph waited for 13 years for the Lord to fulfill what he had prophesied in his dreams. (Genesis 37:5–11) He was sold into slavery, imprisoned for years, and eventually rose to power in Egypt as Pharaoh’s second in command.
• Moses waited in the wilderness for 40 years before his people reached the promised land. (Numbers 14:34)
• Job endured more affliction and suffering than one can imagine. (Job 42:10-17)
• We see Ruth redeemed from a poor widow who remained faithful to her mother in law to the great grandmother of King David. (Ruth 4:13-17)
• Then, David waited for years as the Lord prepared him to be appointed as King and become the most prolific kings of Israel. (1 Samuel 13:14)

Over and over again the Lord requires his people to wait in preparation for his faithfulness to be revealed. This could also be true for you too. God wants to give us good things, but that oftentimes requires faith through waiting.

For since the world began, no ear has heard and no eye has seen a God like you, who acts on behalf of those who wait for him! -Isaiah 64:4

This has been a verse that I have clung to in one of the most enduring seasons of waiting that I have yet to experience in my faith journey. Everyday it postures my heart and reminds me that we have a good God who is faithful. He can be trusted with my heart’s aches and longings.

I used to think of waiting as the absence of “doing,” but over the past two years I’ve learned it is the opposite. Waiting often requires patience, trust, and obedience. The Lord uses this to draw us near, to grow our faith, and to allow us to walk more intimately with him.

Wait on the LORD; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the LORD! – Psalm 27:14

What are you doing in your season of waiting? Are you allowing God to refine you? I encourage you to reflect back on ways that the Lord has revealed his faithfulness already in your life. Personally, I know that when I do this, I always find myself humbled and it prompts my heart to worship him fully.

How you worship the Lord can look different for every person. As for me, the song “Give Me Jesus,” by VOUS Worship has been the anthem of my heart in this season of waiting. It is a precious reminder of the mighty God we serve, how constant He is, that he is worthy of our praise, and that He is to be our greatest desire above any earthly longing. My prayer for you friend is that you will know that you can Him through every season of your life- especially in the waiting.