Have you prayed for an answer or miracle and then … nothing? It seems like God went on holiday or just does not seem to hear or maybe has even forgotten about you?
You can relax; the place you find yourself in is not one of being desolate or forgotten but of divine waiting.
Maybe you have been like me who have always looked at periods of waiting as wasted time, until I learnt how God’s system works.
God is not all about the results—miracles, healing, promotion, peace, provision, favor and whatever else I might have prayed from God are already achieved for me on the cross by Jesus, and it is now only a matter of time for all the manifestations to appear in my life. I always thought that the manifestations are what is important to God but it is not, it is the period that leads up to the manifestation that is important to Him.
The waiting period.
The period we often see as a delay or an interruption, where nothing good can come from it. The reality is that we spend a lot of our time in a waiting season of our lives. Why do we dislike it so much and see it as something negative? We cannot wait for it to pass? One reason is that we are not satisfied with who we are or what we have? Our present circumstances dissatisfy us and we believe that the outcome we are waiting for will bring us joy. “Once I get a boyfriend, once I get married, once I get kids, once I get my promotion, once I am healed – then I will be satisfied.” No you won’t. Why? Because the beauty does not lie in the end result but in the waiting.
No outcome, whether it is the perfect spouse, job, house or whatever it may be can bring us complete satisfaction. It is only a matter of time before we will desire something else and chase after that. There will always be something missing. Why? Because nothing and no one can bring us ultimate satisfaction except God Himself.
So what do we do in our seasons of waiting?
We become content with our present moment, while looking to God for our joy and provision in all things. It is no longer the end result that makes us happy but every present moment in God’s presence.
“Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:11-13 NKJV)
Our seasons of waiting will become a period filled with true joy as we will know that our satisfaction in life does not come from the change in our circumstances but in the knowing that we have God’s presence right now and that is enough.
Our waiting seasons will no longer be a season of no value but a period where we are the closest to God as we depend entirely on Him for our breakthroughs to come.
A period where we rely on God’s timing and not our own.
A period where we learn the value of His wisdom, love and provision.
A period where we are taught the value of humility and trust.
A period where our faith is built.
A period of true bonding with God.
“For since the beginning of the world Men have not heard nor perceived by the ear, Nor has the eye seen any God besides You, Who acts for the one who waits for Him.” (Isaiah 64:4 NKJV)
Waiting makes us realize how much we really believe that God will provide for us. Our faith is what pleases God (Hebrews 11:6). God has a purpose for every season of waiting we may find ourselves in, whether it is to strengthen or refine our faith, or develop our characters. God’s purpose for our seasons of waiting makes every minute worth it.
As we enjoy our present moments and God’s presence in it, we will value and treasure every moment and become even more appreciative once our seasons of waiting ends in God’s perfect timing.
If you find yourself in a season of waiting, try not to regret it but find God and spend as much time with Him as possible. Enjoy every minute of the wait and you will begin to see the beauty that is hidden even in the unknown of where you find yourself.