While We Wait

5 DEVOTIONS TO FIND PURPOSE

I N T H E M I D S T O F WA I T I N G
 When you hate waiting
“ A n d w e k now t hat fo r t ho s e w ho love God all things wor k together for
g o o d , fo r t ho se who are c al l e d accor d ing to his p ur p ose.” Romans 8:2 8 (ESV )

The best part about Romans 8:28 is that we can trust God has it all under control. The hard part
about Romans 8:28 is that He doesn’t consult our plans or desired timeline to work things
together “for good.”

Does it feel like God hit the pause button on your life while He hit the play button for everyone
else? For some, it looks like they got their fast forward button hit because they are already where
you long to be.

You find yourself stuck in between what your life is and what you want your life to be. It stings. It’s
not fair.

The pain of the in-between feels purposeless.

“Hello … God? Did you forget about me? I need to see some Romans 8:28 action in my life.”

So, friend, what do we do in the unwelcome wait? When the pain feels like it will never have
purpose? How do we press on when life is on pause?

We start by remembering who God is and how much God loves us.

This may feel too simple or like a Band-Aid answer. Depending on your circumstances, it may
seem downright cruel or too trite of a solution. But if we start here, knowing who God is and how
much He loves us, it can change everything.

When we know Him deeply, we can experience His love for us. When we can experience His love
for us, we can learn to trust Him. And when we can trust Him, we can stop worrying in the waiting
because we know it’s not forever, and it’s not for nothing.

We are not always quick to trust someone we do not know well. And rarely do we believe someone
loves and cares about us if we don’t know them. Trust is built through intimacy and connection
with each other. The same is true for our relationship with God. The more we know and experience
His love, the more we will be able to trust His intentions for us are good.
No matter where you find yourself in the waiting, God is taking your pain and turning it into
purpose. (Romans 8:28)

The pain you feel now is preparing you for a purpose. It may not be a purpose we welcome; it may
not even be a purpose we understand fully. But because we serve a good God, we can be assured
the end result is going to be good.

When we want to hit fast forward or even just hit play in the middle of our waiting, we can miss
what God is doing. Some of the best things in life take longer to happen. And when they finally
do happen, we can enjoy them with even more joy than if we didn’t have to wait.

Can we start here, then? With all our resistance and hesitations, can we come to our Father when
the pain of waiting feels purposeless?

Knowing that His process always brings purpose from pain. (Romans 8:28)
Remembering that His great love will not leave us nor forsake us. (Hebrews 13:5)
Acknowledging that His love means He hears our cries and will accomplish His purpose for us.
(Psalm 57:2)

He is not afraid of your questions, doubts or fears. He is ready to meet you, right here, in your
waiting.

Let’s pray: Dear God, I confess I hate waiting. But I come to You today and lay my struggle before
You. I want to be a person who waits well. In the middle of my suffering, I want to persevere because
Your Word says suffering leads to perseverance, perseverance leads to character and character leads to
hope. And hope in You will not be put to shame. (Romans 5:3-5) I hold on to the truth that You will
turn my pain into something good that will be used for Your purposes. In Jesus’ name, amen.

P r o mp t : Write out what you are currently waiting for so you can come back to it later. Start by
bringing your questions, doubts and fears to God and asking Him to meet you in them.
 When it feels like God
H A S F O R G O T T E N YO U
“ S o t h e n he (Je s us ) to l d t he m plainly, ‘L azar us is d ead , and for your sake I
a m g l a d I was not t he re , s o t hat you may believe. But let us go to him.’ ”
J o h n 1 1 : 1 4 - 15 (N I V)

Have you gotten to a point in your waiting where it seems like God has forgotten you? You have
prayed and heard no response. You’ve looked to find comfort in Him and have not been able to
feel it. You’ve begged for your circumstances to change, but they haven’t.

In the silence, it feels like He is ignoring you.

In the loneliness, it feels like He has abandoned you.
In the unchanging circumstances, you question His character.

While all those feelings are real and understandable, in the middle of waiting we can’t let our
feelings outweigh what is true:

God has not forgotten you.

Let’s look at today's Scripture. In John chapter 11, Jesus found out His friend Lazarus was sick and
responded by declaring the sickness wouldn’t end in death. But what did Jesus do next? He
waited. Two whole days. Then He finally went to see Lazarus, who had died.

Why did He wait? Those around Him wondered that same thing. (John 11:37) If we are honest, we
probably would wonder too.

Verse 5 said Jesus “loved” Lazarus. If that was true, how could Jesus let him die? Why didn’t Jesus
leave immediately?

Jesus was not worried about the outcome or how long it would take.

He was concerned about God’s glory.

He was working towards something better while they waited.

The miracle was less about Lazarus being healed and more about whether the people who saw
would believe. (John 11:15)
What if the same was said for us about our seasons of waiting? What if, because of how we
choose to keep trusting God, even when it feels like He has forgotten us, other people will come
to know and believe in Him too?

And while Lazarus’ family mourned, Jesus was moved to compassion and wept with them. (John
11:33-35) He had not forgotten nor abandoned them in their pain.

If Jesus had gone to Lazarus’ family when He first heard of Lazarus’ death, they would’ve missed
the miraculous. He had not forgotten; He was waiting for the exact right time to move. While
they waited, He was on His way. Even when it felt like it was too late, He was still coming.

So when we find our feelings and circumstances are making us forget His character and who He
is, let’s remember what is true:

He will not be silent forever.

He is not absent. (Deuteronomy 31:6)
He is working in the waiting. (2 Peter 3:9)

He has not forgotten you.

Say it out loud: God has not forgotten me.

Let’s pray: Dear God, while it seems like You are silent, absent and not working, I know what Your
Word says is true. You are the same yesterday, today and forever, (Hebrews 13:8) which means You will
not leave me nor forsake me. (Deuteronomy 31:6) You are working in the waiting, and I put my trust in
You. Teach me how to wait well, so others may come to know You as I wait. In Jesus’ name, amen.

P r o mp t : Are there times in your life when you’ve felt like God has forgotten you, but then you
saw He was doing something great? If not, there are stories like Lazarus’ in Scripture that show
us how God is working in the waiting. Find one to meditate on when you start to question
God’s character.
 When waiting is
A B O U T P R E PA R I N G
“ A n d J o s h ua c o m m ande d t he o fficer s of the p eop le, ‘Pass thr ough the mi d s t
o f t h e c a mp and c o m m and t he p eop le, “Pr epar e your p r ovisions, for wi th i n
t h r e e days yo u are to pas s over this Jor dan to go in to take p ossessio n of
t h e l a n d that t he Lo rd yo ur God is giving you to p ossess.”’” Joshua 1:10-1 1 (ESV )

If God has not forgotten us in our wait and is working all things out for our good and His glory,
then how should we wait?

If we look at the dictionary’s definition of “waiting,” we see a resigned response: “the action of
staying where one is or delaying action until a particular time or until something else happens.”

So, while we wait, do we passively go through life? Do we hang back and do nothing?

Note one important word in that definition: action. Waiting is not sitting around and doing
nothing. Waiting is an active activity.

The Israelites spent a lot of time waiting in the desert before we find them in Joshua 1. While in
the desert, they continued to live life, but when they got impatient and tired of waiting to go to
the promised land, they made a mess of things. A whole generation died waiting because they
didn’t trust and obey God. (Exodus 32)

But by the time we get to Joshua 1, it’s different. It’s time for the Israelites to stop waiting. God
tells His people to prepare because they are at the border of the promised land. Before they can
finally get what they have been waiting so long for, they have to prepare.

Now, this doesn’t mean you are still in a season of waiting because there is something you haven’t
done yet. God is not withholding some sort of prize we have to earn. As we saw with the
Israelites, there are times when our disobedience can delay our seasons of waiting, but it’s not
always the case.

If we believe God is after our good and His glory, we can trust that, if we are waiting, it’s actually
the best thing for us. A good thing that is not in God’s timing is not a good thing.

God is far more concerned with the condition of our hearts than our circumstances. So, no
matter what reason it is why we are still waiting, He wants to work on the condition of our hearts
and prepare us for whatever lies ahead. While God may not tell us an exact number of days left in
our waiting like He did to Joshua, we can still be prepared for the day our circumstances change.
It’s learning to be patient while also moving forward. It’s practicing what we can now so we are
better prepared for what is to come later. Sometimes God is preparing our character, building our
integrity, softening our hearts or refining a skill so we will be ready for whatever it is we are
waiting for.

Preparation in the present is practice for the future.

It’s like training to run a race. You don’t just wake up one day and run five miles. If we don’t
practice, we can get hurt. You have to start slow. You build up over time. Eventually, you get to a
point where you have the endurance and strength to run a race at your pace. But, even after the
race is over, your training prepares you to be able to run another one.

While you are waiting on something, usually you aren’t waiting in every area of your life. There
are things you can be doing in those other areas while you wait too.

Sometimes, it is surrendering your will in your wait.

Savoring the things in front of you instead of focusing on what you wish was different.
Starting something new or stopping something you don’t need anymore.

Whatever it is, God wants to prepare your heart for not only this season but also the seasons to
come.

There is purpose in the preparation.

Let’s pray: Father, I want to prepare in the middle of my wait. Show me what that looks like. If there is
something I need to start, stop or change, reveal it to me. I want to trust that a good thing that’s not
in Your will or timing is not a good thing. I want to be ready for whatever You have in store for me. In
Jesus’ name, amen.

P r o mp t : What is something you can do to prepare in the midst of waiting? Is there something
you can start, stop or change?
 When it feels like
NOTHING IS CHANGING
“ Co u n t i t al l j oy, m y b rot he rs, when you meet tr ials of var ious kind s, for
yo u k n ow t hat t he t e s t i ng o f your faith p r od uces stead fastness. And le t
s t e a d fa s t ne s s have i t s ful l e ffect, that you may be p er f ect and comp let e ,
l ac k i n g i n not hi ng.” Jam e s 1:2- 4 (ESV)

Are you at the point where you are just plain weary in the waiting? You’ve put in the work of
trying to use this as a time of preparation, but you find yourself looking around wondering why
nothing has changed.

“OK, God, I’ve done my part. It’s your turn now.”

Why does it still feel like nothing is changing?

We might find ourselves begging God to give us a sign that things will change soon. We don’t
need all the answers to our “why” questions, but some sort of explanation would be nice.

All you want is some hope to hold on to. Some assurance that will help you rest in it. You start to
wonder, “Is it me? Am I the one delaying this from changing? Is there something else I could be
doing?” It feels confusing.

But what if, in the midst of a season where it feels like nothing is changing, God is actually
producing something deeper you need? What if seasons of waiting are producing steadfastness?

What is steadfastness? It’s being fixed in place, firm, secure and unmovable. But, in order for
steadfastness to be produced, it has to be shaken and tested. Therefore, steadfastness is
produced when our faith is tested by trials.

It can be scary when our faith is tested. When the foundation of what we stand on goes into
question, it’s only natural we feel unsteady. But the testing of our faith is a good thing.

Steadfastness makes us unwavering in our faith. It builds our trust in God.

We need steadfastness. When relationships are hard, we need Someone to put our faith in. When
a friend is struggling, our steadfast faith can help them get through a hard season. When the
world around us looks like it’s falling apart, we need something firm to stand on.

When we let steadfastness transform us, James says we lack nothing. (James 1:4)
Friend, when you all you want is some hope to hold on to, some assurance that will help you rest
in it, and you start to wonder and feel confused, remember:

Even though it feels like nothing around us is changing, God is still working in our waiting.

Let’s pray: God, I want to want what You want. While I am tired and weary in my waiting, I know You
are working on changing my heart. I want to count it all as joy. Let the testing of my faith produce
steadfastness in me so I will be unwavering. Make the desires of my heart more like the desires of Your
heart. Thank You for the ways You are working, even if I can’t see them. In Jesus’ name, amen.

P r o mp t : How has your heart been changing during this time of waiting? Can you recognize
areas in your life where you see God testing your faith? What does steadfastness look like in
this season?
 When the waiting
IS WORTH IT

“ B u t o u r c i t i z e ns hi p i s i n he aven. And w e eager ly await a Savior f r om th e re ,

t h e Lo r d Je sus Chri st , who , by the p ow er that enables him to br ing
e v e ryt h i n g unde r hi s c o nt ro l , will tr ansfor m our lowly bod ies so that
t h e y w i l l b e l i k e hi s g lo ri o us body.” Philip p ians 3 :2 0-2 1 (NIV)

Are you wondering if all the waiting is worth it? The pain, the longing, the wrestling with your
emotions? The disappointment, the questioning, the ache for things to change?

Waiting can feel like wasted time in a desert, but when we see it through God’s eyes, it can be an
abundant time of growth.

In waiting, we find:

Protection from all we do not know and cannot see from our perspective.
Preparation for all that will come on the other side of waiting.
Processes we need to go through to be transformed into the image of Christ.
Proof that God is who He says He is and that we can trust Him.
Peace in knowing God is ultimately working it all out for our good and His glory.

We can know God more intimately and become more like Jesus, which is God’s ultimate desire
for us. But God also cares about those who don’t know Him and uses us to reach them too.

God multi-tasks, and He uses our waiting to impact others. If we spend the rest of our lives
waiting for that one thing we want most, and because of that, others see the goodness of God
and come to know Him, is it worth it?

There are days where the answer to that question is a confident “yes.” But there are also
moments where we struggle to believe that. And that’s okay. We will never wait perfectly, but we
can bring that to God knowing He will meet us in it and transform us to be more like Jesus.

The reality is, because this world is not our home, the rest of our lives will be spent waiting.

Waiting for Jesus to come again.

Waiting for the wrong in the world to be made right.
Waiting for all things to be made new.
This is good news. We can wait with eager expectation because the Bible promises us the ending
of our waiting will be worth it. (Romans 8:18-21) Everything we’ve ever longed for will be fulfilled
when we are united with Jesus.

So when the difficult season you’re walking through seems to last forever, and you can’t see the
light at the end of the tunnel, remember this: Even in the pain, God’s promises remain true. Even
in our hurt, God’s heart for us doesn’t change. Even in our fear, God is holding us near. Whatever
we’re walking through today, God is with us. He has promised us His presence, and He is working
things out for our ultimate good and His glory. (Romans 8:28)

The waiting will be worth it when we get to see Jesus, face to face, forever.

Let’s pray: God, I praise You because the end of my waiting will be good. You work all things for Your
glory and my good, which means all of this waiting will be worth it. Not only will it be worth it during
this life on earth, but it will be worth it when we get to be with You forever. Thank You for being patient
even when I am not. Teach me to wait with eager expectation for all You will do now and for eternity. In
Jesus’ name, amen.

P r o mp t : What have you learned about waiting? How can you share what you’ve learned by
encouraging someone around you who is also in a waiting season?