God is Working as We Wait

My friend Sarah is waiting for God to send her a husband. Katie longs to have a baby. Josie’s waiting for her prodigal to come home, and Mark’s waiting for a new job.

All four believe God has the power to answer their requests. Surely it would be easy for Him to send a godly man into Sarah’s path or bring about that positive pregnancy test Katie’s been waiting for. Josie knows God can transform a rebellious teenager’s heart, as He did for her. And Mark has heard sermons on sparrows, lilies, and the cattle on a thousand hills since he was a little boy (Matthew 6:25-32, Psalm 50:10). He believes God can provide a job. 

They know Hebrews 11:1 by heart, that “faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” Most days, the God of hope fills them with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit they may abound in hope (Romans 15:13).

But sometimes they grow weary in the waiting. When weeks, months, and sometimes years go by with little or no change, doubt nibbles at the edge of their faith and they wonder if God has turned a deaf ear to their prayers. 

Does the Bible provide clear and rational reasons to hope?

Can they trust Him in the waiting? 

Can we?

The prophet Isaiah struggled with waiting. Exiled when the Babylonians conquered Jerusalem, he prayed for God to judge their captors. “If only You would rend the heavens and come down,” he begged, “so that mountains would quake at Your presence . . .  to make Your name known to Your enemies, so that the nations will tremble at Your presence!” (Isaiah 64:1-2).

Isaiah knew God could answer his prayer. 

Yet God was silent. 

His wise, faith-filled petition provides a model to show us how we can confidently approach God in prayer and wait in hope.

Let’s consider these three truths and allow them to bolster our hearts and strengthen our faith.

First, God invites us to freely pray for the unrestrained desires of our heart. Isaiah didn’t hold back in sharing what He hoped God would do for Judah.

“If only You would rend the heavens and come down,” he begged, “so that mountains would quake at Your presence . . .  to make Your name known to Your enemies, so that the nations will tremble at Your presence!” (v. 1-2).

Second, we can allow what God has done in the past to bolster our wobbly faith knees. 

“You did awesome works that we did not expect,” Isaiah prayed. “You came down, and the mountains trembled at Your presence” (v. 3).

Finally, rather than tremble in doubt, we can humble ourselves before the Lord and trust His character. 

“But now, O LORD, You are our Father; we are the clay, and You are the potter; we are all the work of Your hand” (v. 8).

Sometimes God calls us to wait because the time isn’t right for Him to answer. God still had work to do in the surrounding nations before He could answer Isaiah’s prayer. 

Other times He calls us to wait because He has work to do in our hearts to make us ready to receive the object of our prayers. 

Sometimes we wait for something this broken world can’t provide. But in heaven, our longings will be fully satisfied.

Still other times, God says no because what we ask for isn’t His best for us or part of His good plan for our lives.

Can we trust God in the waiting times? 

Yes. 

Oh, yes. 

Even when we can’t see Him. 

Isaiah trusted, and we can, too. Listen to his triumphant, faith-filled, hope-filled declaration:

“From 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” (Isaiah 64:4).

Whether He fulfills our longings in this life or the next, we can trust that God will accomplish His good and perfect will on our behalf as we wait for Him. 

Let’s ask that the God of hope will fill us with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit we may abound in hope.

Lord, when I grow frustrated, discouraged, or hopeless, I know you’re with me in the wait. Thank you for reminding me through Isaiah’s example that even when I don’t understand what you’re doing, you’re always working on my behalf. Help me wait in hope and trust you to accomplish your good plan in my life, in this world and the next. Amen.

—Written by Lori Hatcher. Used by permission from the author.

Lori Hatcher is the author of Refresh Your Hope: 60 Reasons to Trust God with All Your Heart, available from Our Daily Bread Publishing.