Waiting on God is good but can be tough in the society we live in. Sometimes we need to ask: are we waiting on God or is God waiting on us?
At times, we pray for things expecting God to move. When in reality, God is honestly waiting for us to walk through a door He has already opened.
I was in a conversation with a friend, and we were evaluating the importance of prayer. We realized that as Christians, most times when we pray, we are expecting God to answer with a “yes” automatically. We have to realize that when praying, we could receive one of three answers: “yes,” “no,” or “wait.”
You would think that hearing “no” is tougher than hearing “wait.” However, that is incorrect. Hearing “wait” is tough especially when everything around us seems to be moving quickly.
While waiting, we are all indeed being tested to see if our strength to be "still" is being exercised - this is the time where we must allow God to work in our lives.
God works in our lives while we wait. As Christians, we try to get ahead of what God already has planned for our lives. We must never forget that God knows us before we were born into our mother’s womb.
What do you think we are saying to God when we decide to go ahead of Him and find ways to bring forth what we want to happen in our lives? We are saying that we don’t trust him and what he has for us.
We don’t realize that we are creating a distance within our relationship with God.
I’m going to ask my initial question once again to have you think about it for your own life. Are you waiting on God, or is God waiting on you?
As I mentioned earlier, it is tough to hear “wait” instead of hearing “no” when we really desire something. Our automatic response at times either becomes impatience, doubt, frustration or even anger. We tend to let our emotions lead instead of allowing the Holy Spirit to move us. We may also take matters into our own hands to get the results we believe we should have.
It is essential that we wait on God instead of trying to run with our plan instead. While He is waiting on us, we have to allow God to be God.
All throughout the Bible, there were a lot of famous people that had to wait for the promises of God to be fulfilled in their lives. In the time of waiting, they allowed God to utilize them accordingly.
We need to recognize why God makes us wait in certain seasons of our lives. He does it to make us more like his son Jesus. Jesus is the perfect example of a faithful waiter. The essence of Jesus’ waiting speaks to us to be patient and trust in the Lord for the plans He has for us.
Let me emphasize why it is important to wait on God before moving ahead:
- Waiting on God brings confirmation and peace that is necessary for our lives when things around us are not lining up with His will.
- Waiting on God allows us as His children to be in tune with His voice and promises spoken over our lives.
- It helps us increase our faith and gives hope for the future.
For in Isaiah 40:31, it states - But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.”
- There is a strength that comes from waiting on the Lord in various aspects of our lives. It gives us the grace to keep moving forward in life.
- Waiting on God increases our trust in Him and loosens our apparent control.
- Waiting on God executes our idols and humbles us in the process.
If we don’t wait, how do we expect to know what plans He has for us? How are we supposed to know what lessons are vital for our future?
God knows what we need, and if he wants us to wait, it’s because He knows the plans and lessons that He has for us. If we trust in Him, we know that He will direct our steps towards purpose and destiny.
I can proudly say that I am waiting, trusting, and becoming more like Jesus every day throughout this process. Where are you currently at in your season of life? Are you waiting on God? Or is God waiting on you?
