What You Do While You Wait
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Waiting on God does not mean doing nothing.
I think sometimes we hear “wait on the Lord” and imagine ourselves sitting still until heaven finally changes the circumstances.
But according to the word, waiting has never been passive.
You can be waiting and working.
Waiting and preparing.
Waiting and healing.
Waiting and learning.
Waiting and becoming.
There are things God promised that may not be ready for you yet.
And there may be parts of you that aren't ready for the promise either.
That's why the waiting matters.
We spend so much time asking, “God, when?”
When will the door open?
When will the opportunity come?
When will the situation change?
When will the prayer finally be answered?
But maybe another question deserves our attention:
“God, what should I be doing while I wait?”
David was anointed king long before he sat on the throne.
Imagine knowing where God said you were going while waking up every morning somewhere completely different.
Yet David still tended sheep.
He served.
He fought battles.
He learned leadership.
He survived opposition.
He worshipped.
He grew.
The field wasn't the throne, but what David learned in the field mattered when he eventually reached it.
Joseph had a similar journey.
He had the dream before he had the position.
But between the two were years he probably never would have chosen for himself.
The pit.
Slavery.
False accusation.
Prison.
And still, Joseph kept becoming.
By the time Pharaoh called his name, Joseph didn't suddenly become capable of carrying the assignment.
The waiting had prepared him for it.
That's worth remembering.
We often want God to change our circumstances when He may be using those circumstances to develop something within us.
Patience.
Discipline.
Wisdom.
Discernment.
Humility.
Endurance.
Dependence on Him.
None of these feel particularly exciting while they're being developed.
But neither does pouring a foundation.
Nobody walks past a construction site and celebrates the concrete underground.
We celebrate the finished building.
Yet everything visible eventually depends on what was built where nobody could see it.
Some seasons with God are foundation seasons.
They don't look impressive.
They don't receive applause.
You may not even have much evidence that you're progressing.
But underground does not mean unimportant.
Working while waiting means understanding that still is not stagnant.
There is something you can steward today.
Take care of your body.
Learn something.
Build the skill.
Repair the relationship.
Save the money.
Write the plan.
Strengthen your prayer life.
Get your house in order.
Do the last thing God told you to do before demanding instructions for the next thing.
And don't become so obsessed with tomorrow's promise that you neglect today's provision.
Sometimes we're staring at the horizon waiting for what is coming while standing in the middle of something we once prayed for.
Look around.
There is grace here too.
There is purpose here too.
There is something God can teach you here that you may need there.
“But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles...”
Isaiah 40:31
Notice what happens in the waiting.
Strength is renewed.
Waiting on God isn't empty space between prayer and fulfillment.
Something is happening.
So don't rush this season simply because you don't understand it.
And don't assume God isn't moving because your circumstances haven't changed yet.
Keep preparing.
Keep praying.
Keep building.
Keep becoming.
When the door finally opens, you don't want to spend the next season developing what this season gave you time to learn.
Let God prepare the promise.
And let Him prepare you.
Your job isn't to force the timing.
Your job is to remain faithful within it.
You weren't just waiting on the promise.
God was using the wait to prepare you to carry it.
Stay blessed, and as always, proceed in faith and keep moving forward.
- Rj
#rjnmore
