I know how it feels to wait. In 2008, we received a frightening diagnosis for my son, Eli, while he was still in my womb. We prayed earnestly for more than seven months before God’s healing came. Nearly every night I prayed for God to deliver me from fear and panic attacks. It took almost a decade for that deliverance to come. I’ve been praying for one of my family members to accept Jesus as his savior for more than 15 years. He isn’t a Christian yet. Seven months. 10 years. Still praying. There’s nothing fun about waiting. It is especially hard to wait for an answer to prayer. It is easy to become frustrated, disillusioned, disappointed or even bitter. But God’s Word offers rich promises to those who patiently wait. Isaiah 64:4 says, Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who acts on behalf of those who wait for him.” He acts on behalf of those who wait for Him! Now that’s a powerful promise! Over and over the Psalms urge us to wait.
“Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord” (Psalm 27:14). “ We wait in hope for the Lord; he is our help and our shield” (Psalm 33:20). “ Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him” (Psalm 37:7).
I’m beginning to think there is purpose in the waiting. Just like the nutrients are returned to the garden soil during periods of dormancy, I think God uses the waiting to teach us, to stretch to grow us, and even to love on us. It’s true that waiting often stinks, especially when we are feeling desperate to hear God’s answer. Many times it feels like sitting outside the principal’s office. But prayerfully waiting provides another opportunity to choose God’s Truth and to allow Him to make us more like Himself. What are you waiting for God to do?