Waiting on God

This is the sixth and final article in a series on what the Bible teaches about patience. To read the prior posts, click the respective titles below.

I knew I shouldn’t have accepted that job offer. I experienced all the red flags – the sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach, fear of impending doom, nightmares, and insomnia. These are the stop signs I sense in my spirit when I know not to proceed in a specific direction.

Many years ago, I experienced all of them but still accepted a job offer.

“Why did you do that?” you may ask. And I will tell you it’s because I was impatient. I wanted what I wanted, how I wanted it, and when I wanted it.

I’ve grown since that experience. Pleasing God has become paramount to me as I continue to learn to wait for His direction and timing in every situation.

Be Patient with God

God loves us infinitely. He is all-knowing, all-powerful, and everywhere present at the same time. He knows what is best for us and what He is doing. Sometimes, He may not answer us exactly when and how we want Him to, but His timing is always right.

When we override His Word and directions, we open the door to all sorts of troubles.

The Consequences of Not Waiting on God:

Lessons from King Saul

King Saul is a prime example of someone whose life and calling spiraled downhill due to impatience and disobedience.

Saul ruled over Israel at a time when the Israelites were at war with the Philistines. The Philistines’ army greatly outnumbered the Israelites, and they assembled to fight Israel, which made the whole nation tremble in fear.

The prophet Samuel had instructed Saul to wait seven days for him to come down to Gilgal to offer sacrifices to God (1 Samuel 10:8). Saul waited seven days, but when he did not see Samuel, he took matters into his own hands.

Saul’s fear of the Philistine army and concern that his army would desert him led him to go against God’s stipulations. His impatience caused him to wrongly assume a prophet’s role in offering sacrifices before the war. The pressure of waiting was too much for him to handle, so he caved into fear. Just as he finished making the offering, Samuel showed up and rebuked him.

“You have done a foolish thing,” Samuel said. “You have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you; if you had, he would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time.But now your kingdom will not endure; the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him ruler of his people, because you have not kept the Lord’s command.” 1 Samuel 13-14 NIV

Out of impatience, Saul felt compelled to disobey God. The consequences he faced were far-reaching. Because of his disobedience, Saul lost the Kingdom to David.

From then on, Saul’s life spiraled downhill. He became oppressed by an evil spirit and made multiple poor choices, including disobeying God in another battle against the Amalekites, hunting down David to kill him, and seeking counsel from a spiritist. Saul eventually died in battle with his sons, including Jonathan.

Saul’s life is a lesson for us all: to follow God wholeheartedly and wait for His counsel and timing when making decisions. When we choose what we want when we want it, the consequences can be very messy.

And, if you are wondering what happened with that job— the environment was extremely toxic, and I lasted a few months before I quit and had to wait on God for another job.

Now, let’s look at David’s life to see how he exercised patience after God anointed him as king.

The Benefits of Waiting on God:

Lessons from King David

Because of Saul’s continued arrogance and disobedience, God rejected him and regretted making him king of Israel (1 Samuel 15:10). God chose David, who He identified as “a man after His own heart,” as the next king.

David was a man after God’s heart, meaning that he…

loved God
sought His counsel
listened to Him
obeyed Him, and
humbled himself in repentance before God when he sinned.

David was a young boy when Samuel anointed him as king (1 Samuel 16:13). He showed extreme respect for King Saul and did not assume the role of king until God’s time was perfected. Saul became insanely jealous of David and chased him relentlessly to kill him (1 Samuel 18:9; 1 Samuel 19). David lost access to his wife and home and lived in caves and the wilderness for years. On two occasions, he had the opportunity to kill Saul but spared his life (1 Samuel 24:3-15; 1 Samuel 26). When Saul and Jonathan died in battle, David mourned deeply and wept for them (2 Samuel 1:11-12).

David was chosen to be king when he was young, but he waited on God for the right time to assume rulership. He could have killed Saul, but he chose to abide by God’s timing.

David was thirty years old when he became king (2 Samuel 5:4), meaning he waited approximately fifteen years. From his life, we learn that waiting patiently for God is highly beneficial.

“Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.” Psalm 37:7

Psalm 40:

The Benefits of Patiently Waiting on God

Over the last months, we have studied what the Bible teaches about patience. I will end this series with Psalm 40, in which David highlights the multiple benefits of waiting patiently for the Lord.

David started Psalm 40 by saying, “I waited patiently for the Lord.” He was not waiting on any other person, nor was he dependent on his circumstances. David was waiting on the Lord, meaning that his attention and focus were fixed on God, his Provider.

He waited patiently, meaning that his hope, trust, and expectation were in God. As I mentioned in prior posts, waiting patiently does not mean we stay static and frozen. It means that we continue to lean on God and do what He has called us to do as we wait for His direction on how and when to take the next steps. We do not take matters into our own hands or give up if we experience delays.

So, are you facing challenges and tempted to fret? Are you struggling to exercise good judgment while waiting for the right time to act? Then, I invite you to take some time and meditate on Psalm 40, paying special attention to the first three verses.

I waited patiently for the Lord;
he turned to me and heard my cry.

He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
out of the mud and mire;
he set my feet on a rock
and gave me a firm place to stand.

He put a new song in my mouth,
a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear the Lord
and put their trust in him. Psalm 40:1-3 NIV

Here are five benefits of patiently waiting on God based on Psalm 40:1-3.

The Lord hears us, draws near, pays attention, and answers our prayers
He delivers us from the sticky and messy situations that we sometimes lead ourselves into
He not only delivers us but strengthens us, makes a way for us, and leads us to a secure place
He fills us with joy so deep that we burst out in continual praise to Him
Others will observe our testimony of God’s deliverance and will put their trust in Him

As I reflect on my life and think about all the mistakes I have made and the challenges I have ahead of me, this Psalm reminds me that God is ever willing to hear me and guide me when I put my trust in Him.

So, don’t be tempted to run ahead of God to get what you want, when you want it, and how you want it. Be still and wait for His direction.

“For I know the plans I have for you declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11

Here are some questions to reflect on. Do you….

consistently seek God’s guidance and timing with decisions?
express joyful praise to God irrespective of your circumstances?
face challenges with trust in God and an expectation of His deliverance?

Let Us Pray

Father, I thank You for loving me infinitely and completely. I repent and ask for Your forgiveness for the times I have chosen my way and timing instead of Yours. I chose to put my trust in You. Lead, guide, strengthen, and give me the wisdom I need for the decisions and situations ahead of me. May songs of joy never cease from my lips as I live to glorify You and draw others into Your Kingdom. In Jesus’ name, Amen!

Footnotes

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All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.

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