Waiting can be one of the most difficult things we face as Christians. We live in an instant gratification culture that makes us impatient and restless when things don’t happen right away. Yet Scripture calls us again and again to wait on the Lord. What does this kind of biblical waiting look like, and why does God ask us to do it? Here’s an overview of the key themes around waiting found in the Bible.
Waiting requires faith and patience
Waiting is essentially an exercise of faith and patience. Hebrews 11:1 defines faith as “the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” When we wait on God, we’re putting our hope and trust in promises we can’t yet see fulfilled. Patience flows out of faith, enabling us to persevere even when we don’t see results right away. As James 1:3-4 explains, the trials that test our patience develop spiritual maturity in us. Biblical waiting builds our faith muscles and refines our character.
Abraham epitomizes this kind of patient faith. God promised him an heir and descendants as numerous as the stars, even though Abraham and Sarah were already advanced in age and childless. Yet Abraham believed God and waited many years before the promise was fulfilled (Genesis 15-21; Hebrews 6:13-15). His story inspires us to persist in faith when God’s timing doesn’t match our own.
Waiting focuses our hope in God
Waiting can redirect our attention from temporal, earthly hopes to eternal, heavenly ones. In a culture obsessed with instant results and immediate gratification, waiting reminds us that our hope rests in unseen, eternal realities, not just visible, temporal ones. Biblical waiting lifts our eyes from the temporary to the eternal, from the earthly to the heavenly, from the material to the spiritual.
We see this in Romans 8:24-25, where Paul contrasts present sufferings with the glory yet to be revealed. He notes that “hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.” By its very nature, biblical hope centers on the not-yet-seen. As we wait, our anticipation builds for the fulfillment of God’s unseen promises.
Waiting cultivates humility and dependence
Having to wait can be frustrating and even annoying. We don’t like being told we can’t have something right now! But that frustration exposes our sense of entitlement and arrogance. The truth is none of us deserve anything from God. We must humbly depend on His grace and timing rather than demanding our own way.
King David modeled this humility and dependence. When pursued by Saul, David had two clear chances to take Saul’s life but refused, choosing instead to wait on God (1 Samuel 24, 26). He depended on God to deal with Saul rather than taking matters into his own hands. David declared his trust in the Lord and his willingness to wait on God’s timing rather than grasping for control himself (Psalm 27:14; 37:7).
Waiting strengthens our hope and character
Biblical waiting develops perseverance and Christlike character in us. James 1:2-4 exhorts us to “count it all joy” when trials test our faith so that we might become mature and complete. Hardships—including waiting—build our spiritual muscles. Romans 5:3-4 echoes this, saying suffering produces perseverance, character, and hope. Biblical waiting, while so hard, ultimately strengthens us.
Job is a prime example of this. After losing everything, he kept trusting and hoping in God. James 5:11 commends Job’s perseverance under suffering. Though Job questioned God extensively, he never abandoned his faith. The trials he endured through waiting built his spiritual stamina and character. As a result, God blessed Job in the end with even more than he had lost.
Waiting is an act of trust and submission
Waiting demonstrates our trust in God’s wisdom and sovereignty. It shows we believe His timing and purposes are better than our own. Waiting submits to His authority over all things and acknowledges that we are not in control. As Psalm 27:14 says, “Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!”
Jesus modeled full submission to God’s timing at the cross. Though He wanted His suffering to pass from Him, He surrendered to the Father’s will rather than His own (Luke 22:42). Christ’s perfect example inspires us to declare as He did, “Not my will, but yours, be done” (Luke 22:42). Waiting submits our agendas to God’s all-knowing, loving purpose.
God often uses waiting to prepare us
Waiting prepares us for God’s promises. He almost always uses waiting to get us ready for what He has in store next. Waiting deepens maturity, faith, hope, and character in us. If God handed us promises the moment we asked for them, we would neglect growing strong spiritually. But when He says “not yet,” we have opportunity to ready ourselves for the blessing to come.
Consider Joseph, who waited over 10 years between the promise given him in his dreams and the fulfillment of ruling in Egypt. Yet God used that long wait to prepare Joseph for leadership, teaching him integrity, patience, and faith first (Genesis 37-50). Many biblical figures waited long periods before seeing God’s purposes come to pass in their lives. The waiting equipped them for the task ahead.
Waiting keeps us from running ahead of God
Waiting positions us to follow God’s timing rather than running ahead impatiently. When we rush forward without God’s direction, we may find ourselves in trouble. Impatient running often leads to sin or disastrous consequences (think of Abraham and Ishmael, Genesis 16). Waiting keeps us where God wants us until He says it’s time to move forward.
The Israelites fell into the trap of going ahead of God and facing disaster. Impatient for the Promised Land, they tried to enter Canaan without God’s permission and were soundly routed (Numbers 14). How much pain could be avoided in our lives if we waited for God’s timing rather than forcing our own! Running ahead or lagging behind are both forms of disobedience.
God’s timing is perfect, even if mysterious
Though frustrating for us, God’s timing is consistently perfect and purposeful. He sees the full picture while we see only a small part. That means waiting often requires trusting God when we don’t understand what He’s doing. But we can take heart that His delays always reflect His faithfulness and love.
Consider Jesus’ delayed arrival to heal Lazarus in John 11. From a human perspective, His timing made no sense and even appeared cruel. Yet His delay allowed an even greater miracle that displayed God’s glory and power (John 11:4). God’s mysterious timing proved perfect and life-giving. We must trust Him when delays feel incomprehensible from our limited perspective.
Waiting requires active participation with God
Waiting is not passive resignation but active participation with God. It involves intentionally surrendering our control and timing to Him. It means seeking Him, knowing Him better, and asking for insight into His purposes during seasons of waiting. Biblical waiting is prayerful, vigilant, and hopeful.
Psalm 130:5 captures this active posture: “I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope.” While waiting, we act through prayerful hope in God’s Word. The parables of the 10 virgins and talents show we must make wise use of the time given us rather than passive complacency (Matthew 25:1-30). God desires our hopeful anticipation and active cooperation in waiting.
Waiting ushers us into new acts of God’s grace
Seasons of waiting often precede new seasons of divine activity. Times of delay position us for fresh outpourings of God’s grace, though we can’t yet perceive them. Waiting sensitizes us to God’s voice and Spirit in new ways while creating hunger and expectation for His next move.
Consider Jesus’ followers, who waited and prayed between His ascension and the Pentecost outpouring of the Spirit (Acts 1-2). Their season of waiting ushered them into a powerful new chapter. The Psalms often cycle through waiting and then praising God for His mighty deeds and renewed blessings. Waiting prepares us for fresh revelation and grace.
Waiting bears fruit for eternal rewards
While hard, biblical waiting produces eternal fruit and rewards. As Jesus said, “By your endurance you will gain your lives” (Luke 21:19). Scripture promises that those who wait on the Lord will renew their strength and bear fruit that remains (Isaiah 40:31; John 15:16). The trials of waiting develop Christlike character and qualities valued in eternity.
Job came to understand this. After persevering through tremendous trials, He saw God and gained spiritual insight that could not come any other way (Job 42:5). His endurance produced an intimate encounter with the living God. The perseverance gained through waiting reaps eternal dividends.
God’s timing is perfect even if it doesn’t match ours
Learning to wait on God requires trusting that His timing is perfect, even when it doesn’t match our expectations. Since He sees the full picture and we don’t, we can rest assured His perfect plan is unfolding. Waiting asks us to accept there is beauty in God’s timing that we can’t yet perceive.
Habakkuk spoke into the mystery of having to wait on God’s seemingly perplexing purposes (Habakkuk 1-2). Yet the prophet concluded God was still sovereign, good, and worthy of trust. His faith clung to God even while waiting for an explanation he couldn’t yet see. God calls us to similar trust in His timing.
Waiting is difficult but brings great reward
Make no mistake: biblical waiting is incredibly hard. Our flesh resists wanting what it cannot have right now. Waiting tests our faith, proving whether it is authentic and deep enough to persevere. It forces us to surrender our perceived rights and embrace patience as a higher virtue.
Yet Scripture urges us to wait because God knows the great rewards it cultivates in us. Romans 8:25 assures that “if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.” Biblical waiting purifies our motives, intensifies our hunger for God, and enlarges our capacity to receive from Him.
The Psalms reinforce this idea. “I waited patiently for the Lord; he inclined to me and heard my cry” (Psalm 40:1). “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself” (Psalm 37:7). Great blessings follow those who wait faithfully on God.
Examples of biblical figures who waited on God’s timing
Many biblical heroes provide models of faithful, patient waiting on God:
- Abraham waited many years for the promised son.
- Joseph waited over a decade between his dreams and their fulfillment.
- Moses waited 40 years in the wilderness before God called him to lead Israel.
- David waited over 15 years between his anointing and becoming king.
- Elijah waited for God’s voice on the mountain instead of the dramatic signs he expected.
- Job waited months for God to reveal His purposes in Job’s sufferings.
- John the Baptist waited in prison before questioning if Jesus was the Messiah after all.
- Paul waited 14 years between his conversion and first missionary journey.
- Jesus waited 30 years before beginning His earthly ministry.
Waiting is necessary because God has an appointed time for everything
Ultimately, waiting is necessary because of the truth in Ecclesiastes 3:1, “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.” God has set precise times and seasons for all things according to His perfect plan. We must wait on His appointed time for every purpose to be fulfilled (Acts 1:7).
Because God is outside of time, while we are bound within it, our agendas will never perfectly match His. We want everything now. He is patient and times things perfectly. Waiting requires us to accept His sovereignty over time and align ourselves with His schedule, not demand He align to ours.
God renews those who wait upon Him
Though waiting can be extremely difficult, God does not leave us without help or hope. He renews those who wait on Him by imparting fresh strength, faith, and blessings. We must actively turn to Him as our source of help and hope in seasons of waiting.
Isaiah 40:31 offers this promise to those who wait: “they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.” Psalm 105:4 says “seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually!” God meets and empowers those who seek Him while waiting.
Tips for waiting well:
How can we wait well in a way that honors God and draws us closer to Him? Here are some biblical practices to embrace during seasons of waiting:
- Pray prayers of surrender, trust, and gratitude
- Seek God through studying His Word
- Participate in corporate worship with other believers
- Receive wise counsel and encouragement from spiritual leaders
- Look for ways to bless others while you wait
- Give thanks in all circumstances and guard against complaining
- Meditate on God’s faithfulness in the past
- Develop patience as a spiritual virtue to value
- Keep an eternal perspective and remember nothing in this life lasts forever
Waiting on God ultimately brings us closer to Him
While waiting stretches our faith and requires perseverance, it ultimately positions us for intimacy with God. Seasons of waiting can feel lonely and discouraging. But drawing close to God during the wait deepens our trust in His perfect love and timing.
Psalm 62:5 captures this wonder: “For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him.” Biblical waiting creates space for a deeper awareness of God’s presence. It transforms the frustration of unmet expectations into opportunity to know Him better.
Though it requires spiritual discipline, biblical waiting rooted in God’s Word breeds ripe spiritual fruit. Waiting focused on God empties us of lesser hopes so we can be filled with Him. As we surrender our perceived timelines to God’s care, we gain His peace and presence. Waiting well is never easy, but it is abundantly worth it.
