Waiting on God isn’t easy; in fact, sometimes it’s downright hard. But have you ever thought about all the benefits to waiting upon the Lord? Let’s explore three of those good reasons we have to wait patiently on God.
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I don’t know about you, but I’ve been feeling really impatient lately.
As I write this, we’re still in the middle of a pandemic, wearing masks and social distancing. So, there’s that sense of “can we get this over with already and move onto better times?”. But, my impatience stems from many other things too…
I’m 35 and single, still waiting to see if God has a husband in my future. There are prayers that remain unanswered. And while I’m seeing so much growth and things happening here at DCL, I’m still feeling impatient to see where God takes it (and you and me). I finally feel like I’m hitting the sweet spot of purpose, like this is where God has been leading me all along (since college)…but, I still need to be patient with the process. Arrghh.
I’m sure you can relate? C’mon, now, I know I’m not the only one!
I mean, let’s face it, our hopes, dreams, and plans hardly ever work out precisely how or when we want them to. But, aren’t God’s plans are better than ours? And if so, then there are actually good benefits to waiting on the Lord!
What does the Bible say about waiting on God?
I think it really helps to remember, that God’s thoughts are different from our thoughts, and his ways are higher than ours (Isaiah 55:8-9). He is, after all, sovereign over all, and only He knows what is actually best for us.
Many are the plans in a person’s heart,
but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails.
Proverbs 19:21 (NIV)
But also, we can’t forget that God is actually more patient waiting on us, than we are on him! You and I both know that, as sinful human beings, we’re kind of a hot mess. So, how wonderful is it that God patiently teaches us his ways and gives us time to grow?
The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
2 Peter 3:9 (NIV)
Through the waiting (on our part), through trials and not getting our way and a thousand other things, God shapes us to become the people He wants us to be. The reason why God makes us wait, is simply for our own good!
So, ultimately, we’re waiting on the Lord to establish His good and perfect plans for our lives—plans to prosper us and not to harm us (Jeremiah 29:11). It might not always make sense to us, but we know God is trustworthy and good, and that he will never leave nor forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:6)! Can I get an amen?
“For I know the plans and thoughts that I have for you,” says the LORD, “plans for peace and well-being and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”
Jeremiah 29:11 (AMP)
Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near.
James 5:7-8 (NIV)
3 Benefits to Waiting Upon the Lord
But, still, even when we know why God makes us wait, the waiting is still hard! So, what can we do while waiting on God? And how can we wait patiently and joyfully? By learning to appreciate (and celebrate!) the benefits of waiting upon the Lord.
And to do that, we turn to Psalm 27:14.
Wait for the Lord;
be strong and take heart
and wait for the Lord.
Psalm 27:14
A few weeks ago, I did a Bible journaling session on this verse, and OH how much it speaks to me! There is so much we can learn about what it means to wait on God from this one little verse.
1) While waiting, we grow stronger in our faith!
The Psalmist writes (in 27:14) to “be strong”. And I believe that, to be strong in our waiting, we need faith.
So, our first benefit of waiting on the Lord, is that we have an opportunity to stretch our faith muscles. Hebrews 11:1 says that “faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see”, and in 11:6 it adds “without faith it is impossible to please God” (for much more on faith and waiting, I encourage you to read chapters 11 & 12 in their entirety).
If God were to give us everything we want instantly, we wouldn’t have faith—instead, we’d probably have a spoiled attitude of entitlement! (And certainly, we don’t need any more of that!)
2) By waiting, we learn to place our hopes in God, not in our circumstances!
The next thing Psalm 27:14 says, is “take heart”. In the Amplified version, it even says “let your heart take courage”. So, we can take courage, that God is who he says he is, and his promises are good!
When we endure less-than-ideal circumstances, we can learn to rely on God for everything, rather than on the world. We can take heart, because we know God will provide.
Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.
Matthew 6:33 (NLT)
And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:19 (NIV)
3) We WILL see God’s good plans unfold!
For our last benefit of waiting upon the Lord, let’s step back one verse, to Psalm 27:13 which says:
I remain confident of this:
I will see the goodness of the LORD
in the land of the living.
Psalm 27:13 (NIV)
Also, if we look at the AMP version of verse 14, it states “Wait for and confidently expect the LORD.” Clearly there is a theme in both verse 13 and 14, of waiting with expectation!
While we’re waiting on God’s timing right now, we can be confident that we WILL see his good plans for us unfold day by day. Some things, we might not see come to pass for another month, a year, ten years, or more…but we WILL see those good plans unfold.
Do you see what I mean, about Psalm 27:14 speaking volumes in such a tiny verse? As we wait, we can grow strong in faith, take heart that God’s promises are good, and wait with confidence and expectation for God to do amazing things!
You might be wondering, though: Are there any consequences of NOT waiting on God?
Certainly, by not waiting, we can get into a lot of trouble. We could, for example: rush hastily into a bad decision, manipulate a situation to get what we want (like participating in a get-rich-quick scheme that ends up losing money), or hurt the people in our lives (perhaps by forcing an intervention too soon, rather than praying about it and waiting for direction).
Be still in the presence of the LORD,
and wait patiently for him to act.
Don’t worry about evil people who prosper
or fret about their wicked schemes.
Psalm 37:7 (NLT)
The Psalm above is a great illustration of that contrast, between those who wait for the Lord, and those who rush forward, chasing after what they want at all costs, with no regard for God. The Psalmist gives great advice, to not worry about the ones who seem to prosper by following their own wicked schemes. Simply wait for the Lord.
I hope you agree with me, that the benefits of waiting upon the Lord greatly outweigh any other alternative! By waiting on God, we can walk WITH him, and stay on the good path he has for us.
TELL ME: What are you waiting and trusting God for?
Hi! Thank you so much for visiting Divine Creative Love. I’m a Jesus-lovin’ girl, lettering artist, designer, and general creative-at-heart. And, I have narcolepsy. I blog about faith in God, overcoming challenges, and creative topics such as Bible journaling. If you’re new here, be sure and subscribe to my list so you won’t miss anything!
This is so beautiful. Thank you for sharing the benefits of waiting on God!
You’re welcome!
Thanks for sharing this!
You’re welcome Mandi!
Thank You for sharing this it was very uplifting.
You’re welcome, I’m glad to help. ❤️
God bless you so much for sharing.
You’re welcome 🙂
Thank you very much for writing this my Beloved Sister. This has truly blessed me in so many different ways. May The God of hope, continue to fill us all with All Of His Joy and Peace as we Trust in Him, so that we will Overflow with Hope by the power of His Precious Holy Spirit 🛐
(Romans 15:13)
Be Encouraged Everyone, for God Is Always With Us. Shalom 🛐
You’re so welcome! ❤️
This was very encouraging to me, especially because of the season I am in right now in my life. I loss my mom to cancer July 31, and my sister August 31, both of the year 2020. Then everything in between, then my baby brother in March 2022. So I am definitely in a waiting season
Dearest Tiffanie, my heart goes out to you. I’m sorry you’ve endured so much loss. I am praying for you! May God bring you continued comfort and healing, and patience in the waiting. ❤️
Thank you very much our sister may God Bless you you’ve blessed my heart with that message
You’re welcome ❤️
Thank you so much for sharing . This has blessed me alot and makes my waiting alot easier it uplifts me and strengthen me as i was thinking that somewhere some how i am praying wrong but this wonderfull God that created us just know us much better then we know ourselves that He uses people to encourage and uplift us and shows His abontant love He has for us . Thank you my sister may the Almighty use you in more ways to uplift and encourage us
You’re welcome! ❤️ May God bless you, even in the waiting.
Thank you for such encouraging words and scriptures reminding us of God’s promises. He is faithful and truly knows what’s best for us. (Jeremiah 29:11). May God continue to bless you in every area of your life! ❤️
You’re so welcome! ❤️ 🙏🏻
Thank you so much for uplifting and encouraging me in my waiting season.God is awesome he lead me to this site to get what I needed.This blessed me wholeheartedly! May God continue bless You.
You’re so welcome!🤗❤️
Thanks for the article which entails your love for Christ. Keep on brightening the corner of your calling and God’s grace for your life. Bishop Hudson Luwi. Zambia
You’re welcome, and thank you for the encouragement! ❤️❤️❤️
I’m really blessed Barbara may God bless you
Thank you, God bless you as well! 🙏🏻