Waiting, Purpose and Calling

Waiting is difficult because we live in a world that teaches us to expect quick answers.

We want to know what is happening, when it will happen and what we should do next.

But Scripture contains many seasons of waiting.

Abraham waited for God's promise.

Joseph waited through years of circumstances he could not understand.

David waited before becoming king.

The Israelites waited for deliverance.

And throughout Scripture, God's people are repeatedly encouraged to wait on the Lord.

So what does that actually mean?

Waiting on God is not doing nothing

Psalm 27:14 says:

“Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.”

Biblical waiting is not passive resignation.

It is active trust.

You continue praying.

You continue obeying.

You continue doing what God has already given you to do.

And you resist the temptation to force an outcome simply because you are tired of waiting.

That can be difficult.

Sometimes we would rather make something happen than remain in uncertainty.

But waiting can teach us something that rushing cannot.

Waiting requires trust

Proverbs 3:5-6 tells us to trust in the Lord with all our heart and not lean entirely on our own understanding.

Waiting often exposes how much we want to understand everything before we trust God.

But faith sometimes means saying:

“I do not understand this, but I trust You.”

That is not weakness.

It is dependence.

You may not know why the door has not opened.

You may not know why the answer has not come.

You may not understand why something you prayed about remains unresolved.

God does not always explain His timing.

But He remains faithful.

God's timing is not the same as our timing

Isaiah 40:31 says:

“Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.”

The verse does not say that those who hope in the Lord will receive everything immediately.

It says their strength will be renewed.

That is significant.

Sometimes the first thing God changes during a waiting season is not the situation.

It is us.

Waiting can develop patience.

It can deepen prayer.

It can expose misplaced priorities.

It can teach us to recognise God's faithfulness.

It can strengthen our dependence upon Him.

What should you do while waiting?

First, keep praying.

Do not assume that silence means God is absent.

Second, stay in Scripture.

When you do not know what God is doing, return to what you already know about who God is.

Third, obey what He has already made clear.

You do not need to know the entire route before taking the next faithful step.

Fourth, guard your heart against comparison.

Someone else's answered prayer does not mean God has forgotten yours.

Their timeline is not your timeline.

Finally, remember that waiting has an ending.

You may not know when that ending will come, but your present season is not your entire story.

This is where Scripture memorisation can become particularly valuable.

When you are waiting, your mind can easily become filled with questions.

When?

Why?

How long?

Memorised Scripture gives you something solid to return to.

Psalm 130:5 says:

“I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope.”

That is a beautiful picture of biblical waiting.

The person waiting is not waiting on an empty promise.

They are putting their hope in God's Word.

So if you are waiting today, remember this:

Waiting on God is not wasted time.

God can work in the waiting.

He can strengthen you in the waiting.

He can prepare you in the waiting.

And He can teach you to trust Him in ways you might never have learned in a season where everything happened immediately.

You do not need to know exactly when the answer will come.

You need to know the One you are waiting for.

Want to go deeper?

The Waiting on the Lord Kit brings together Scripture passages you can study, reflect upon and memorise when you need to remind your heart where true peace comes from.

Find the Waiting on the Lord Kit →