When God Says Wait: A Guide to Patience in Faith

Waiting is an inevitable part of life, and it can be especially challenging when we are waiting on God. Why does God make us wait? What are we supposed to do while we wait? How can we find peace and joy in the waiting?

Reasons Why God Makes Us Wait

There are many reasons why God may ask us to wait. Sometimes, he wants to:

• Test our faith. Waiting can test our trust in God. Do we believe that he is in control, even when we don't understand what he is doing?
• Prepare us for what is to come. God may use waiting to prepare us for a new season of life or a new opportunity. He wants us to be ready when the time is right.
• Teach us patience. Waiting can teach us the virtue of patience. It helps us to learn how to trust in God's timing and to avoid becoming anxious or discouraged.
• Draw us closer to him. When we wait on God, we have the opportunity to draw closer to him in prayer and meditation. We can learn more about his character and his plans for us.

What to Do While We Wait

While we wait, there are several things we can do to stay focused on God and to find peace and joy:

• Pray. Prayer is a powerful way to connect with God and to express our trust in him. When we pray, we can share our worries and concerns with God, and we can ask him for strength and guidance.
• Read the Bible. The Bible is God's word, and it is full of wisdom and encouragement. When we read the Bible, we can learn more about God's character and his plans for us. We can also find comfort and hope in his promises.
• Serve others. One of the best ways to wait on God is to serve others. When we focus on helping others, we take our minds off our own problems and we can experience the joy of giving.
• Trust in God. Trusting in God is not always easy, but it is essential for finding peace and joy while we wait. We need to believe that God is in control and that he knows what is best for us.

Finding Peace and Joy in the Waiting

Waiting can be difficult, but it is possible to find peace and joy in the waiting. Here are a few tips:

• Focus on the present moment. Don't dwell on the past or worry about the future. Instead, focus on the present moment and the things that you can control.
• Be grateful. Take time each day to be grateful for the good things in your life. Gratitude can help to put your problems in perspective and to remind you that God is always with you.
• Trust in God's timing. God's timing is not always our timing, but it is always perfect. Trust that God knows what is best for you and that he will bring everything together in his time.