1 Samuel 13:8–14 · Isaiah 40:27–31 · Psalm 37:3–7 · James 1:2–4 · John 11:1–44
We live with a sense of urgency. There is always something to decide, fix, finish, or figure out. And when an answer does not come quickly, we feel the pressure to make something happen.
I know what that feels like. Waiting can make us wonder whether we are doing enough. Sometimes we start moving simply because standing still feels uncomfortable.
But moving quickly and moving faithfully are not always the same thing.
In 1 Samuel 13, Saul was under pressure. His men were scattering, the Philistines were gathering, and Samuel had not arrived when Saul expected him. So Saul took matters into his own hands and offered the sacrifice. He could point to everything happening around him as a reason for his decision. But pressure did not give him permission to set aside what God had commanded.
That account makes me pause. When I feel rushed, I need to ask: Am I responding to what God has made clear, or am I trying to escape the discomfort of waiting?
What waiting on the Lord means
Isaiah 40 speaks to people who felt as though God had overlooked them. They were weary, and they wondered whether He saw what they were going through. Isaiah reminded them that the Lord does not grow tired and that He gives strength to those who wait on Him (Isaiah 40:27–31).
Waiting on the Lord begins there. We turn to the God who sees us and ask Him for strength to remain faithful. We may still have questions. We may still be tired. But we bring those things to Him instead of assuming we have been forgotten.
And waiting does not mean doing nothing. Psalm 37 tells us to trust in the Lord and do good. In the same passage, it tells us to rest in Him and wait patiently (Psalm 37:3–7). We can keep caring for people, fulfilling our responsibilities, praying, and obeying what God has already shown us. We do the work that is ours to do while trusting Him with what is beyond our control.
That is the rhythm I want to learn: listen to God, take the step He has made clear, and resist the urge to force the steps that have not yet opened.
Patience is formed under pressure
James tells believers to let patience do its work in them as they face trials (James 1:2–4). That does not make a hard season easy. It tells us that God can be at work in us while we are still waiting for something around us to change.
Sometimes we want patience to mean that we feel calm. But we may have to practice it while we are anxious, disappointed, or tired of waiting. We can tell the Lord exactly where we are struggling. Then we can ask Him to help us make the next decision from trust instead of fear.
There will also be times when action is needed. Someone may need our help today. A conversation may be overdue. A clear responsibility may be in front of us. Waiting on the Lord is never an excuse to ignore what He has already called us to do.
The question is whether we are following His direction or trying to get ahead of Him.
When God seems slow
Mary and Martha sent word to Jesus when their brother Lazarus was sick. Jesus did not arrive when they hoped He would. By the time He came, Lazarus had died, and both sisters spoke honestly about their grief (John 11:1–44).
Jesus did not dismiss their pain. He wept.
I would be careful about telling someone that I know why God has allowed their wait. Mary and Martha could not see the whole story while they were living through it, and often neither can we. But their account gives us permission to bring our disappointment to Jesus. He is present with people who are hurting, even when they do not understand His timing.
Maybe you are waiting for direction. Maybe you are praying for someone you love. Maybe a door has not opened, and you are wondering whether to keep knocking or take another path.
Start with what is clear. Pray. Open the Word. Seek wise counsel. Do the good that is in front of you. And where you cannot control the outcome, ask God for the patience to trust Him with it.
We may think we have stopped moving because we are still waiting for an answer. But as we learn to listen, obey, and trust the Lord through that wait, He is at work in us.
Sometimes waiting on the Lord is how we learn to move with Him.