Tag Archives: waiting on God

May 16, 2024 · 5:30 AM

Leaving The Doldrums

Not long after Columbus sailed the ocean blue in 1492, other ships began to make the voyage across the pond. Several ships noticed a strange phenomenon as they sailed near the equator. There was very little wind and ships would drift there for weeks or months. In time, this area of the ocean became known as the doldrums. Sailors avoided it because they didn’t take the provisions to survive a trip that got stuck there for a long period. The doldrums became known as a place of stagnation, depression and death.

If you read the first part of Acts, the disciples had been in the doldrums since the crucifixion of Jesus. They had moments where Jesus would appear to them, but when He left, they would feel just as stuck as before. On one of those occasions Jesus spoke to them and said, “Do not leave Jerusalem until the Father sends you the gift He promised as I told you before. (Acts 1:4 NLT).” Wait? For how long? How could Jesus leave them adrift in the doldrums? It was a dangerous time to be in Jerusalem. Just 40 days before, Jesus had been killed and they feared they were next.

They met in the Upper Room and prayed for the next ten days as they waited. Then Acts 2:2 says, “Suddenly there was a sound from Heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm, and it filled the house where they were sitting. (NLT)” God sent the wind of the Holy Spirit to fill their sails and push them out of the doldrums. That wind pushed them and the message of Jesus all over the world. They were no longer stuck in their depression and doubt. They were revived and renewed because they waited on the Lord in prayer.

If you’re stuck in the doldrums, let me encourage you not to give up. Wait on the Lord in prayer and ask for Him to send the Wind of the Holy Spirit into your life. I’m talking about spending some serious time in prayer. The disciples prayed and waited in one place until God answered. We need to do the same thing. We need to commit to praying not just a one or two sentence prayer, but an active, waiting on God all day kind of prayer if we truly want out of the doldrums. We need to wait on the Lord until He answers. Be prepared though. When that rushing, mighty wind blows into your life, God will take you farther than you ever dreamed possible.

One final thought: The doldrums are where hurricanes originate from. What seems like a windless, stagnant place is where God launches His most powerful forces.

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Throwback Thursday is a feature I’m using to help build some margin into my schedule to pursue other ventures. Each Thursday I’ll be bringing you a previously written devotional that still speaks encouragement to us from God’s Word.

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May 15, 2024 · 5:48 AM

The Test Of Waiting

Waiting on God’s timing isn’t easy. It exercises muscles that we rarely use. I have my own timeline and my own will that sometimes are not on the same page as God. I’m ready for things to happen my way right now. God wants us to wait for things to happen His way when He has everything lined up. I’ve learned that waiting on His will and timing builds strength, reliance and stability. We grow stronger when we stretch our patience muscle. I forget that patience is a Fruit of the Spirit. Though it feels like it’s wearing thin, it gets stronger each time we wait on God. While that muscle stretches, it also is building our reliance on Him. When we wait on His timing, our resources may run out. Also when we do things His way, our lives and future are more stable.

Elijah was one of the greatest prophets in the Bible. In 1 Kings 17, he was running from Jezebel after his victory over the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel. God sent him to a brook to wait and told him to drink from the brook and that ravens would bring him food. While waiting, the brook dried up. Then the Lord sent him to a village where a widow would feed him. In each instance he waited for God’s timing and on God’s provision. Even though he was where he was supposed to be near the brook, that provision dried up. He didn’t panic. He sought the Lord who directed him to his next place of provision. When he showed up to the village, the widow was making her last meal. I’m sure she was wondering where the next one was going to come from. Because she obeyed, she, her son and Elijah were provided for.

Psalm 33:20 says, “We wait [expectantly] for the Lord; He is our help and our shield” (AMP). When we wait on the Lord’s will and timing, we can feel exposed, yet He is our shield in the waiting. He is also our help in our time of need. We can either try things our way in our timing , which can affect so many parts of our life, or we can wait for His provision and timing. I have to remind myself in those moments that God is my provider and not myself. When we take timing and provision away from Him because of fear, we place ourselves on the throne of our life. There are always consequences to that, while there are blessings He gives us for our obedience. Can you obey and keep Him on the throne of your life when things aren’t easy or happening according to your schedule? That’s the test of waiting.

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April 17, 2024 · 5:31 AM

The Fruit Of Patience

One of the Fruits of the Spirit that we don’t like to talk about is patience. We like to talk about love, joy, peace and kindness, but we tend to forget about patience being one. Have you ever thought about the fruit that patience and impatience yield in our life? When we’re impatient things escalate and complications arise. Our vision of the future gets clouded and we make dumb decisions. Impatience also comes with negative feelings that create negative behaviors for which we have to apologize. However, patience yields a different crop in our life. By being patient, we develop endurance and resilience. We Also build up future success because we learn to have delayed gratification. Finally patience creates better relationships. Would you rather be around an impulsive and impatient person or a calm patient one?

There were plenty of people in the Bible who were impatient. Think,of King Saul who couldn’t wait for Samuel to do the sacrifice. His impatience cost him the kingdom. Abraham and Sarah grew impatient waiting on God’s promise of a son and created a work around. That decision is still causing wars to this day. Also the Israelites got tired of waiting for Moses to come down the mountain and created a golden calf causing God’s anger to fall on them. Even though we have these examples, we also have examples of patience. Look at Job. He was patient through his trials and God restored everything he lost and then some. David patiently waited to be king even while running for his life. He became the most famous king of Israel. There was also Hannah who was barren. She continued to pray year after year and God answer with a son named Samuel.

Psalm 40:1 says, “I waited and waited and waited some more, patiently, knowing God would come through for me. Then, at last, he bent down and listened to my cry” (TPT). What crop do you want to grow in your life? Both patience and impatience create long lasting results. A moment of impatience can cause a lifetime of sorrow. If God hasn’t answered yet, keep praying and believing. If you’re waiting on God to fulfill His promise, don’t jump the gun. He will do it in His time, not yours. I know the clock may be ticking, but switch your focus from the humdrum of the ticks and tocks to His Word. Watching the time yields the fruits of impatience, while His Word reminds us of His character. Let the fruit of patience grow in your life as you wait for God to come through.

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March 19, 2024 · 5:30 AM

Waiting In The Chaos

In the battle for Texas’ independence, people were energized to help the Texans after the battle of the Alamo. “Remember the Alamo,” became a popular saying that fired people up. Sam Houston was mustering an army to chase down Santa Ana. He had a few opportunities to fight with him, but chose to wait rather than to engage in battle. People, especially those in his army, were tired of waiting. They wanted to fight that instant. However, Sam Houston said that he had seen the battlefield in his mind and he refused to fight until he saw it in real life. People became disgruntled in the waiting. They didn’t join to follow Santa Ana around. They wanted action. When the approached the San Jacinto area, Sam Houston saw his battlefield, engaged in battle and won Texas’ independence.

In Exodus we read how the Israelites wanted freedom from Egypt. God heard their cries and sent Moses. After a series of plagues, Pharaoh finally agreed to set them free. In Exodus 14, he changed his mind and chased after them. The people were frightened because they had the Red Sea on one side and an attacking army on the other. In verses 13-14 Moses told the people, “Don’t be afraid. Just stand still and watch the Lord rescue you today. The Egyptians you see today will never be seen again. The Lord himself will fight for you. Just stay calm” (NLT). In a moment of fear and with no way out, God wanted them to be still and wait while he took care of everything. They didn’t have to figure it out on their own. They simply had to be still while God fought for them.

Psalm 27:14 says, “Wait patiently for the Lord. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the Lord.” It’s hard to wait when you need answers now. It’s hard not to fear when you’re facing insurmountable odds. It’s hard to be patient when you need God’s help now. However, the battle is not yours, but the Lord’s. We must learn to be brave in spite of what we see and what we’re being told. God is working things out and has a plan. Sometimes He works things out the way we expect and some times He works them out in unexpected ways. No matter what we know that He is working all things out for your good. Be patient and wait for Him. His plan is best and His pattern seems to be that He shows up in just the right time.

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March 14, 2024 · 5:30 AM

God’s Timing

We once gave my son got a 3-D puzzle of Big Ben, the famous clock at Westminster Palace. This particular puzzle had a working clock on one side. After we built the clock, he asked if we could set the clock to London time. I then moved the hour hand six hours ahead. He said, “Wow! London is six hours faster than us?” Now, whenever he goes by the clock, he announces what time it is in London so we’ll know the difference in their time and ours.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned in life, it’s that God has a different time than I do. It’s not as simple as a six hour difference though. He doesn’t look at time by the hour like we do. He looks at circumstances and how they line up to tell time. Whenever I pray for something, I’m typically looking at my circumstances and ask God to intervene in that moment. God’s timing doesn’t just look at what I want in that moment, he looks at the ripple effect and how that affects other moments.

Like a child wanting something at the store, I often demand that God answer right now! To me, what I’m asking for is urgent, but I’m learning that God has a plan and will answer in His time and in His way. In Psalm 69, David is praying desperately for God to answer him. He felt like he was drowning in his circumstances and he cried out to God to save him. Then in verse 13, he changed his tone. He prayed, “Answer me, God, at a time you choose” (GNT). He understood that God’s time was different than His and He trusted God’s wisdom over His desires. It’s a prayer we all need to learn so we can trust His timing.

Photo credit: Chris Hendrix

Throwback Thursday is a feature I’m using to help build some margin into my schedule to pursue other ventures. Each Thursday I’ll be bringing you a previously written devotional that still speaks encouragement to us from God’s Word.

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January 8, 2024 · 5:39 AM

Melting Ice

When God’s promises seem slow or feel like they’re never going to come to pass, how do you respond? Do you keep doing what you’re doing to prepare for them or do you give up hope thinking they’re dead? I heard John Maxwell talk about something similar regarding melting ice. Imagine it’s 27 degrees out and you’re working on raising the temperature and it goes up to 28. The ice is still frozen, but you keep going and it gets to 29. Still nothing. You keep going and it grid to 30, then 31. It can feel like nothing is happening because the ice hasn’t changed at all and you’ve done everything you can. However, don’t give up because once it hits 32, all that has taken place begins to work suddenly.

In Ezekiel 37, God took Ezekiel to a valley of dry bones where God asked if they could live again. Instead of stating the obvious that the situation was hopeless, he replied that only God knew. God told him to prophesy to them to come together because God was going to make them live again. There was a great rattling in the valley as they came together into individual skeletons. Then muscles, joints and skin covered them. A great army stood there lifeless until God told him to prophesy to the four winds to breathe on them. Suddenly they came alive. God then said that Israel had given up on his promise to return them home from captivity saying all hope was lost. However, God wasn’t done. He was going to breathe life into His promise when all hope seemed lost.

I Corinthians 1:9 says, ”God is faithful [He is reliable, trustworthy and ever true to His promise—He can be depended on]“ (AMP). The Bible is full of stories of people whom God’s promises seemed like they would never come. Abraham and Sarah waited 25 years for a son. Joseph was away from his family for over a decade before his dream came true. David remained a shepherd then ran for his life for over 15 years while being promised the kingdom before he became king. If it seems like everything is still or moving in the wrong direction, keep believing, keep working towards it and trust God. He is faithful to His promises even when it seems all hope is lost. 32 degrees is just around the corner.

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June 12, 2023 · 5:26 AM

Waiting Before God

If you didn’t know, I’m Gen X. Our motto is, “If it is to be, it’s up to me.” With that kind of mentality, I find it hard to wait. I like to make decisions and move into action. Sitting around having endless discussions drives me nuts. Would someone just make a decision and let’s go? That kind of thinking can be good in certain scenarios, but it can also be dangerous when God says to wait. I’m not sure why He likes to wait or take His time on things, but sitting around waiting on Him is difficult for me. It’s something we all must learn to do. God is rarely in a hurry, and almost never operates on our time table. When situations worsen, that’s when He seems to take the longest and the temptation to move becomes strongest.

King Saul was also a person who struggled to wait. In 1 Samuel 13, Samuel had told Saul to wait seven days, then he would show up to make the sacrifice for the battle. When seven days had passed, Saul looked at his situation instead of his instructions. His mean were fearful and deserting while the enemy was amassing in numbers. He went ahead and did the sacrifice himself without waiting for Samuel. It cost him the kingdom. David, who replaced him, was pretty good at waiting however. A few times, he was given the opportunity to kill Saul and become king, but he waited. He knew God would make a way. It wasn’t up to him to remove Saul. He was simply to replace him, so he waited. Because of his patience, God made him victorious and gave him a lasting legacy.

In Psalm 62:1 David wrote, “I wait quietly before God, for my victory comes from him” (NLT). When was the last time you simply waited before God? When is the last time you put away all your distractions, stopped thinking about everything that needed to be done in that moment and just waited? We forget that God is the one who gives victory. He is the one who gives success. We’re so busy trying to do it ourselves that we forget He is our supplier. He is our source. We, like Saul, think everything has to be done right now, and we try to do both our part and God’s. However, He is calling you and me to sit at His feet and wait. We must be more like David and less like Saul. Our human nature pressures us to be like Saul, but His Spirit in us beckons us to wait. What will you choose today?

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June 9, 2023 · 5:24 AM

Waiting For God

One of the hardest things to do is to wait for God to act, especially when He’s promised you something. There’s a temptation to be like Abraham where you find your own way to bring about the promise. That kind of impatience leads to problems though. There’s also a temptation to think that God has forgotten you or that He’s withdrawn His promises. However, God doesn’t change His mind and you don’t have the power to revoke His promises or calling on your life. The best thing we can do is to trust in God as we wait knowing that His timing is best. Ask Him to give you wisdom as you wait, to help you to grow through His process and to build your trust in Him. If God said it, He will do it. Keep holding on to the promise and don’t give up. The appointed time has not yet arrived, but it will come. Keep your eyes on Him and stand on these Bible verses.

Here are some Bible verses on waiting for God.

1. Here’s what I’ve learned through it all: Don’t give up; don’t be impatient; be entwined as one with the Lord. Be brave and courageous, and never lose hope. Yes, keep on waiting—for he will never disappoint you!

Psalms 27:14 TPT

2. The Lord is good to those who wait [confidently] for Him, To those who seek Him [on the authority of God’s word].

Lamentations 3:25 AMP

3. Let us not grow weary or become discouraged in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap, if we do not give in.

Galatians 6:9 AMP

4. You need the strength of endurance to reveal the poetry of God’s will and then you receive the promise in full.

Hebrews 10:36 TPT

5. This vision is for a future time. It describes the end, and it will be fulfilled. If it seems slow in coming, wait patiently, for it will surely take place. It will not be delayed.

Habakkuk 2:3 NLT

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May 31, 2023 · 5:45 AM

Waiting On God’s Promise

One of the things I’ve learned is that when God gives you a dream or a promise, it’s usually followed by a period of waiting. In my experience, the bigger the dream or promise, the longer you’ll have to wait. It’s natural in the waiting to wonder if God is still at work, if He has still chosen you or if it will ever come to pass. In the waiting, our circumstances can cause doubt, but it’s in the waiting that God positions us and grows us to be able to receive the fulfillment of the dream or promise. He’s at work when things appear to be hopeless. He’s working all things out for your good despite what your present situation is. Don’t give up on the promise. Even though you may have made mistakes, you haven’t disqualified yourself or caused God to abandon His Word to you.

There are plenty of people who went through this in the Bible. We often count them as heroes of the faith, but they were human like us. They had long periods of waiting. They felt hopeless at times. They made mistakes that you would think would disqualify them, but God kept faithful to His promise to them. Abraham waited 25 years for God to fulfill His promise, and Abraham tried to bring about the fulfillment himself. Joseph spent around 14 years waiting as a slave and in prison. David had to wait about 15 Years. In that time he was chased away from his family and friends. He had to live in a cave with a bunch of societal rejects. His home was burned down and his wife was captured just before he became king. The list goes on and on of people who had to wait.

Psalm 57:2 says, “I cry out to God Most High, to God who will fulfill his purpose for me” (NLT). This verse was written by David while he was running from King Saul. He continued to cry out to God while He waited. He continued to trust that God was going to fulfill His plan. Just as God was faithful to David, He will be faithful to you. Remind yourself of the goodness of God. Remind yourself that He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it (Philippians 1:6). If you’re still waiting, God is still working. Pray that He prepares you and positions you while you wait.pray that He will encourage you and give you strength. None of the people I listed above were ready when God gave them the dream or the promise. It was in the waiting that they were matured and grew their faith to be able to faithfully walk in God’s promise. God will fulfill His promise to you when you’re ready.

Photo by Jeswin Thomas:

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February 20, 2023 · 5:37 AM

Keep Looking Ahead

Have you ever tried to lose weight? Most of us who have, or need to, wish there was a pill we could take to do it. That would be nice and easy, but while lots of pills claim to, none work like they claim. Instead, what we have to do, outside of surgery, is to change our diet and exercise habits. If you’re committed to losing weight, you’ll have to endure eating foods you don’t really like. You’ll have to disrupt your schedule to add in time to lift weights and exercise. These can be painful. Most people don’t stick with it because of all the “pains” it is to get the results you want. The people who do stick it out look past these temporary inconveniences to the outcome they desire in order to achieve the results they want.

When David was anointed king, he was just a teenager. Most scholars believe it was about fifteen years before he actually became king. When he was anointed, he didn’t know how long it would take or the pain it would cost him. He was displaced from his family, chased like an outlaw, driven out of his own country and separated from friends in those years. He had the opportunity to kill King Saul a couple of times to take the throne, but that would be the easy way out and not what God intended. Instead, he kept looking forward to the promise of God and endured living in caves with outlaws, living in a foreign land and missing home knowing that his situation was temporary. The hope of God’s promise kept him going until God placed him on the throne.

Hebrews 12:1-3 says, “… And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up” (NLT). When we keep our eyes on the prize, we can endure a lot. If you’re looking at your current situation or the time you’re having to wait, you may grow weary or contemplate giving up. Remember God keeps His promises. Sometimes it takes years to come to fruition. Don’t give up too early because you face hardship. Look ahead to the fulfillment of what God is going to do. The present is temporary, but His promises last a lifetime.

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