9 HELPFUL THINGS TO DO WHILE WAITING ON GOD

Are you in a season of waiting on God? Maybe you are frustrated, bored, or impatient, thinking that there is nothing you can do while you wait. But there is! Instead of being a passive bystander, you can become an active participant as you learn nine helpful things you can do while waiting on God.

WHAT IT MEANS TO WAIT ON GOD

The waiting involves checking our phone, tapping our feet, or watching the clock. This kind of waiting happens at the doctor’s office, in a line at the grocery store, or stuck in rush hour traffic. While we encounter these states of expectant readiness as part of our everyday lives, some of us handle them better than others!

But there is another kind of waiting, isn’t there?

In my last post, I referred to it as the tension of transition. The waiting in the “already/not yet” space of leaving what was and not yet realizing what will be. Many refer to this place as the hallway between closed and not yet open doors.

• Maybe you are depressed and waiting to find joy and purpose.
• Maybe you are without a job and are waiting to find work.
• Maybe you are sick and waiting for a diagnosis and treatment.
• Maybe you are a woman who wants a family and is waiting to get pregnant.
• Maybe you are single and waiting to find your soul mate.
• Maybe you are a parent of a prodigal waiting for him to come home.
• Maybe you are starting a new venture and waiting for the right doors to open.

Why is this waiting so hard to do? Why do we resist it with every fiber of our bodies, minds, and souls?

The simple answer to why waiting is so difficult is that the heart wants what it wants and wants it now. Am I right?

We do not want to delay pleasure, struggle or suffer, or put in the extra time or effort.

How many of us find it hard to deal with the inconvenience of charging our phones or waiting for an internet connection? We can lose it entirely over the most minor interruptions to our schedules and plans.

So it should come as no surprise that when waiting takes hours, days, even years, we lose hope, strength, and faith.

Like Sarah from the Old Testament, we take matters into our own hands and try to manipulate outcomes that align with our desires. Instead of waiting on God, we rush in and try to control the situation.

WHY GOD MAKES US WAIT

Why does God tell us to wait? That it is good for us to wait?

We are called to “wait on the Lord throughout the Bible.” Even though God promises to bless us for waiting, we have a hard time grasping this truth.

The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.”  

Lamentations 3:25-26 (ESV)

While waiting, God expects us to seek him, cry out to him, and put our trust in him. The Psalms are examples of David waiting on the Lord in anguish and pain. The type of waiting depicted here is not pretty or easy but allows God to intervene on our behalf. While we wait, He provides protection and showers us with mercy and love, lifting our waiting burden.

Here is just a portion of Psalm 40, a beautiful song by David on waiting on the Lord. (Find time this week to read the whole chapter if you can.)

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 (ESV)

God also asks us to wait on him to gain strength and courage, to allow Him to rescue and deliver us.

Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!”  (ESV)

Psalm 27:14 (ESV)

If you are a parent, you may relate to why it may be good to let your children wait, and God does the same thing with us. In Relevant magazine, Eric Speir gives a list of Five Reasons God May Make Us Wait:

1. Waiting Reveals our True Motives
2. Waiting Builds Patience in our Lives
3. Waiting Builds Anticipation
4. Waiting Transforms our Character
5. Waiting Builds Intimacy & Dependancy on God

So, if we can agree that there may be good reasons why God may make us wait, what can we do while we wait to make our time in the hallway in-between more productive and beneficial?

NINE HELPFUL THINGS TO DO WHILE WAITING ON GOD

While many view waiting as a passive activity where we wander aimlessly, sit and twirl our thumbs, or anxiously pace up and down, waiting is actually active.

Examine this dictionary definition of waiting: the action of staying where one is or delaying action until a particular time or until something else happens.

Did you notice the word “action” in the definition? Interesting, huh? It takes effort, energy, will, and strength to stay or delay.

Instead of looking at waiting on God as a time to check out, freeze in fear, or hide in despair, we can be purposeful and intentional while we wait. That is precisely what God expects us to do while waiting on Him.

W – WORSHIP WHILE YOU WAIT

Worship may not be the obvious first choice while waiting on God: asking God for help, searching the Scriptures for guidance, seeking godly counsel—these all seem like practical actions steps—but what does worship accomplish while we wait?

We can look to another Psalm of David for the answer. While wandering in the wilderness, David worships God, and this worship restores his souls, helps him remember God’s faithfulness, and realigns his perspective.

Even if you cannot praise God for your situation, you can praise Him for who is, what He has done, and what He will do as you wait on Him.

You, God, are my God,
    earnestly I seek you;
I thirst for you,
    my whole being longs for you,
in a dry and parched land
    where there is no water.

 I have seen you in the sanctuary
    and beheld your power and your glory.
 Because your love is better than life,
    my lips will glorify you.
 I will praise you as long as I live,
    and in your name I will lift up my hands.
 I will be fully satisfied as with the richest of foods;
    with singing lips my mouth will praise you.

 On my bed I remember you;
    I think of you through the watches of the night.
 Because you are my help,
    I sing in the shadow of your wings.
 I cling to you;
    your right hand upholds me.”

Psalm 63:1-8 (NIV)

A – ABIDE IN CHRIST’S PRESENCE WHILE YOU WAIT

One of the reasons waiting is so difficult is that there is usually a period of loneliness and isolation that comes with waiting. The “hallway in-between” represents the already/not yet space of leaving what was and not yet realizing what will be. Picture yourself exiting one phase or aspect of your life and moving forward to the next new opportunity or season. It can be dark, scary, and lonely in the hallway, full of doubt, confusion, and fear.

Yet, God is waiting for us in the hallway. God speaks to us in the hallway. It is where He brings comfort to us as we wait on His timing, lean on His promises, and stand in His truth. This is a time for us to develop an intimacy with Him that we can find in no other place.

When we abide in Christ and experience the fullness of love, we gain power, perspective, and purpose while we wait.

Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is.  May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.“

Ephesians 3:17-19 (NLT)

I – IMMERSE YOURSELF IN SCRIPTURE WHILE YOU WAIT

While it can be helpful to seek godly advice from trusted family and friends, read inspirational and instructive books, and listen to powerful podcasts or sermons, the best place to go for wisdom and guidance while you wait is God’s Word.

Take the time to dig deep into the Bible during your waiting time. Whether it is studying a specific book of the Bible, memorizing Scripture, or reading the stories of people like Noah, Joseph, Moses, Esther, Hannah, Mary, or Jesus (who all waited on God), God speaks to us through His Word. 2 Timothy 3:16 reminds us the Bible is good for teaching, reproving, instructing, and correcting.

For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.“

Hebrews 4:12 (NLT)

T – TRUST GOD TO PROVIDE FOR YOU WHILE YOU WAIT

Even if we cannot fully understand why God is making us wait, we can trust Him to provide for us while we wait. So much easier said than done, right? When our needs are immediate and desires tangible, it is hard to trust God’s provision.

But think of the Israelites wandering and waiting in the desert wilderness for forty years. God provided everything they needed: A pillar of fire for light and warmth at night, a cloud for shade and protection by day, manna every morning, clothes that did not wear out, and fresh water in an arid wasteland. They lacked nothing on their journey! And God will not withhold anything you need as you wait on Him.

 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.  Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

Matthew 6:31-34 (NIV)

O – OPEN YOUR HEART TO GOD’S PLANS WHILE YOU WAIT

When God takes us into a season of waiting, away from the busyness, noise, and chaos of our daily lives, it can be a time for us to press pause and consider God’s plans for our lives. Sometimes, it is the only way He can get our undivided attention and turn our eyes from what we see right in front of us to the possibilities ahead.

While it is easy to shut down while we wait, we can use the time waiting to open our hearts, minds, and souls to God’s will for our lives. God can use our time in the hallway in-between to:

• Restore and renew, not rebuke.
• Teach and train, not torment.
• Protect and prepare, not punish.

Be open to the new thing God is preparing to do in your life while you wait. Ask Him to give you eyes to see it!

But forget all that—

    it is nothing compared to what I am going to do.

 For I am about to do something new.

    See, I have already begun! Do you not see it?

I will make a pathway through the wilderness.

    I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.“

Isaiah 43:18-19 (NLT)

N – NOURISH YOUR SOUL WHILE YOU WAIT

Waiting can be weary on our souls. Discouragement, doubt, and anxiety can threaten to overwhelm us, so we need to make sure we are properly nourishing our souls as we wait. Taking inventory of where we are going, what we are watching, and who we are hanging out with is so crucial during this time in-between. People, places, and things can either feed us encouragement or discouragement, hope or despair, scarcity or abundance, or life or death. Make sure you find the right balance of grace and truth to guard your heart and soul.

Guard your heart [soul] above all else,

    for it determines the course of your life.“

Proverbs 4:23 (NLT)

G – GATHER YOUR RESOURCES WHILE YOU WAIT

Another way you can be productive and purposeful while we wait is to gather our resources. And God graciously offers them to us! While it is easy to worry, whine, or walk away while waiting in the wilderness, these are all futile activities that will waste our time.

Instead, we can be practical in reaching out to others for help, learning a new skill, deepening our walk with God, investing in lifelong pursuits, and taking the next right step. God promises to renew our strength, give us hope, and help us fly. Don’t waste your time while you wait in the wilderness!

He energizes those who get tired,

    gives fresh strength to dropouts.

For even young people tire and drop out,

    young folk in their prime stumble and fall.

But those who wait upon God get fresh strength.

    They spread their wings and soar like eagles,

They run and don’t get tired,

    they walk and don’t lag behind.“

Isaiah 40: 29-31 (MSG)

O – OBSERVE WHAT GOD IS DOING WHILE YOU WAIT

Although we may need fresh eyes to see, God is always working in the waiting. Look for the ways God shows up in the hallway in between. Once we are in the place of waiting we may be able to see God’s hand in bringing us out of a toxic situation, providing us a better support system, or giving us time and space to heal in a healthy way.

These are ways that God is working behind the scenes for our good as we wait. Take a journal and begin recording all of the blessings you note. These observations will change your perspective and give you a heart of gratitude instead of grief.

Meanwhile, the moment we get tired in the waiting, God’s Spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don’t know how or what to pray, it doesn’t matter. He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans. He knows us far better than we know ourselves, knows our pregnant condition, and keeps us present before God. That’s why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good.“

Romans 8:26-28 (MSG)

D – DEEPEN YOUR FAITH WHILE YOU WAIT

One of the greatest gifts that waiting has given me is a firm, focused, and fixed faith. After each waiting period, I love Jesus more dearly, see things more clearly, and follow Him more nearly (yes, I borrowed the words from a song!). It is almost if God purposely places me in the hallway in-between so that we can work on our relationship!

When we choose to see waiting as an opportunity instead of an obstacle, we can lean into God and trust Him to open the next right door for us. As we exercise our faith muscles, they grow stronger and allow us to approach the next season of waiting with hope and courage.

In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials,  so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”

1 Peter 1:6-7 (ESV)

FREE PRINTABLE: 9 WAYS TO WAIT ON GOD

If you are like me and need visible and tangible reminders while you wait, I created this FREE PRINTABLE that you can download and print. I pray that it encourages you to be purposeful while waiting on God.

WAITING ON GOD TOGETHER

Another helpful thing we can do while we wait on God is to encourage and support each other. And that is what we do here AT THE CROSSROADS! As I mentioned early, waiting can be difficult, lonely, and scary, so it is crucial to be surrounded by a caring community that can offer grace and truth during your season of waiting.

I hope that I can offer you a safe place to pause, pray, and process as you wait in the hallway in-between closed and open doors. If you put your hand in mine, we can wait together as we seek God’s guidance. Sign up by filling out the form below, and you will receive weekly blog posts, monthly newsletters, free faith resources, and more!

If this post spoke to you in any way, would you mind leaving a comment, sharing it on social media, or even letting a friend know? My heart is to help as many people connect faith and life in real and meaningful ways. And I would love to have you along for the journey!