Waiting Is Hard. But It Is How God Shapes Us.

Waiting is one of the hardest parts of following God.

Not because we doubt God exists, but because we struggle to trust His timing. We live in a world that rewards speed, certainty, and control. Waiting feels like weakness. Like failure. Like being left behind.

Yet obedience to God often requires the exact opposite. It requires patience. Trust. Stillness. Surrender.

Waiting is not passive. It is deeply active. It stretches our faith and exposes what we truly believe about God’s goodness and His timing.

Waiting Is a Season, Not a Punishment

Many people assume waiting means God is withholding something. That He is distant. Silent. Unmoved.

That is not biblical.

Waiting is often God preparing you for what you prayed for. It is not punishment. It is formation.

Waiting comes in seasons. Some are short. Others last months. Some last years.

In my own journey, waiting lasted years. And during that time, God was not withholding something from me. He was preparing me. Often, God is doing a deeper work in us before He brings the thing we are asking for.

Scripture reminds us of this truth in Proverbs 3:5 - 6:

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.”

We struggle with waiting because we lean on our own understanding. We see the desire. We feel the urgency. God sees the whole picture. He knows whether something will bless us or harm us. He knows what we are ready for and what we are not.

God Created Time. He Is Never Late.

If you are waiting for a spouse, a job, a decision, healing, or clarity, and it feels like nothing is happening, remember this: God works on His timeline, not ours.

God created time. He exists outside of it. He knows the beginning and the end. From Genesis to Revelation, nothing surprises Him. He knows where you are today, where you will be tomorrow, and where you will be years from now.

Waiting does not mean God has forgotten you. It means He is still in control.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXCoC8bxnjI

Let God Move the Pieces

I often picture God as a master strategist, moving pieces into place long before we ever see the outcome. He shifts circumstances. He aligns people. He removes obstacles. He prepares hearts.

The question is not whether God is working. The question is whether we are willing to wait for Him.

When you wait, God moves the pieces you cannot see. He aligns circumstances. He prepares people. He shifts hearts. When the time is right, what He opens does not require striving to keep open.

When we rush ahead, we take the wheel from God. We end up on detours He never intended for us. But when we trust Him to lead, the path becomes clearer. Not always easier, but always purposeful.

God is the author of your life. Are you letting Him write the story, or are you trying to take the pen from His hand?

Learning to Discern God’s Voice While Waiting

When you ask God for direction and you feel silence, that does not mean He is absent. Often, it means the answer is simply not yet.

Silence can be an invitation to pray, to listen, and to draw closer to Jesus.

Sometimes God says no, not now. That whisper is not rejection. It is protection.

Other times, God gives a clear yes. You will feel peace. You will feel joy. Doors will open with ease, not force. When God is leading, you do not have to strive to make things happen.

Colossians 3:15 reminds us to let the peace of Christ rule in our hearts. Peace is often the confirmation.

Waiting Is About More Than You

Waiting is rarely just about us.

God’s timing often involves other people, other hearts, and other stories intersecting with ours. What feels delayed to you may be perfectly aligned for someone else.

Ecclesiastes 3:1 tells us there is a time for everything. A season for every activity under heaven.

God knows the exact moment when waiting turns into fulfillment.

Gratitude in the Waiting

While you wait, pause and thank God for where you are right now. Gratitude anchors your heart and shifts your focus from what you lack to what He has already done.

Ask yourself today: What am I waiting for? Am I willing to trust God with the timing? Am I willing to let Him lead, even when I do not understand the process?

Waiting is hard. But obedience produces fruit. And what God brings in His time will always be worth the wait.

More on waiting soon. Until then, stay faithful. Stay listening. Stay trusting.

Love and light to you always,

Heather M. Larribas

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