Imagine sitting with your mother-in-law in her private room inside a hospice facility. She’s fast and asleep, and you’re waiting, waiting to see when God will call her home. You’re also waiting for your mother to get a pathology report about her recent surgery for breast cancer. She’s recovering, and you’re waiting. Waiting is difficult. There’s no other way to say this, but waiting is what we do as God’s children. In some ways, waiting defines us as Christians. As we see throughout the Bible and in our lives today, God’s people wait. Here are some biblical examples of waiting, why God has us wait, and what we can learn from it.
Biblical stories of waiting.
Think about Sarah and Abraham, who waited 25 years between hearing God’s promise of a child and holding their son, as detailed in Genesis 12:4. Jacob waited 14 years to marry Rachel, the woman he loved, after being tricked into marrying Rachel’s sister, as we read in Genesis 29:20-35. Genesis 13:14 tells us that the Israelites waited 400 years to be released from slavery and then had to wander around the desert for 40 more years before reaching the Promised Land. In 1 Kings, Elijah waited for rain and in 2 Samuel, David waited to be king.
In Acts, Paul waited to be released from prison. The Book of Job shows him waiting for relief as he suffered and grieved. Jesus Himself had to wait 30-plus years for His earthly ministry to start, all while knowing what agony awaited Him. In 1 Peter 1:12, we read that there are some mysteries that angels have to investigate, so they wait. Romans 8:19 reminds us that creation excitedly waits, longing for the revealing of God’s sons. Waiting has been a part of life from the beginning, and it will remain so until the end.
Why would God make us wait?
We live in an instant gratification, fast-paced world where we don’t like waiting in traffic or lines at the store any more than we like waiting for the rejection letter, diagnosis, or abuse to stop. Still, have you ever considered what could be happening in the waiting? When we look at the biblical examples, we don’t just see examples of His people waiting; we also see glimpses of God working in the waiting. We see blessings happening in His people and His perfect plan unfolding. We see God readying His people on the inside and the outside as they wait for His purposes to unfold.
That’s the key: ultimately, we’re waiting for Him. Our timing isn’t perfect, but His is, and as we resign ourselves to waiting, we’re placing our trust in the only trustworthy One. We’re saying that whatever happens is good with us because we trust Him. By God’s grace, He doesn’t make us wait for the sake of waiting, but He allows us to grow and learn in the waiting.
Waiting teaches us to lament.
When the wait becomes seemingly unbearable and frustrating, we’re invited to cry out to God in lament, as shown throughout the Bible. In Psalm 13:1, we see David crying out, asking how long God would hide from him. Lament connects the gap between God’s sovereignty and our suffering. As we process the challenges of waiting with Him and wait, we’re reminded of His perfect timing and that we can trust Him with the very thing we’re waiting for. Lament gives us the chance to process our pain and turn it into praise. As we wait, trust, and cry out, our hearts can come full circle from Psalm 13:1 to Psalm 13:5-6.
Waiting teaches us patience.
So much about waiting represents the not yet and the already. For example, consider a pregnant mother who holds her baby in her womb yet longs to hold them in her arms. She’s a mother, but she waits to meet her child. Think about an engaged couple who’s promised to each other. In their hearts, forever together has already begun, but the fullness of their covenant has yet to be realized. Whether you’re waiting for something that will change a season of your life or your life entirely, waiting gives us the chance to be patient. Psalm 27:14 says we should wait for the Lord and be strong, letting our hearts take courage. Waiting on the Lord is our acknowledgment that it’s better to wait on Him than go ahead of His will.
In Genesis, we’re introduced to Abraham’s wife, Sarah, who was unable to bear children initially, so she gave Abraham her maidservant, Hagar, to conceive an heir. God promised Sarah a child, but she grew impatient when God’s timing didn’t match her own. The consequences of the union between Hagar and Abraham were staggering. Patience is key, and as we grow, we can see more clearly as God’s plan unfolds before us.
Waiting shows us God’s glory.
One of the best examples of waiting for God’s glory to be revealed is in the story of Lazarus’s death. John 11 describes Martha and Mary calling for Jesus to heal Lazarus, who was sick. Jesus loved Lazarus, but He waited two additional days to go to his side, and by the time Jesus arrived, Lazarus was dead. We see Mary going to Jesus and telling Him that if He had been there, Lazarus would still be alive. Jesus could have indeed healed Lazarus, so why didn’t He? Because He had plans to raise him from the dead. The miracle would show God’s glory, bring Him glory, and bring people to faith in a way that simply hearing Lazarus wouldn’t have.
How many times in your life have you missed out on experiencing God’s glory because you didn’t wait? How often have you pointed your finger at God and said, “If You were there, this wouldn’t have happened?” How many times has God told you to wait because He had something better in store? Take advantage of the little things, like waiting in traffic or in line at the store, by practicing the art of waiting. Waiting well is what we should all strive for because life is all about waiting.
