We’ve all been there, done that. We’ve all waited in long lines heading nowhere fast. Waited for an event, promise, or person to come into view that we had been tarrying for. However, what if Jesus considers our meantime an opportunity for the Holy Spirit’s presence, power, and joy to be realized in our lives? He does. Let’s be encouraged from His Word, then hurry up and wait!
Sue Boldt
Day 1
Scriptures: Isaiah 40:31, Psalms 130:5-6
The Power of Waiting…
But those who wait on the LORD
Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint.
Isaiah 40:31
We all get it. Been there. Done that.
We’ve waited in a long line headed nowhere fast. Waited for an event or circumstance to point us in the right direction. Waited for a relationship to bloom into something more. Waited for something or someone to arrive on our scene that may be deeply embedded into our hearts—a job, an opportunity, a healing, a spouse, or a baby—even if we don’t know yet what or who that might be.
The days of our waiting can be long and tedious, causing us to doubt Lord Jesus’ goodness and love in our lives or to second-guess whether we have heard correctly from our Heavenly Father about something.
Nevertheless, the word for waiting in the Bible is not the same as standing in line at a theme park without a lightning pass to get on a ride.
To wait—Qavah—in the original Hebrew, means to wait for, look for, expect, and hope. Qavah is an active word, much like a waitperson serving you, listening intently for what you desire. It also means to gather together, to bind up, and adhere to.
The second portion of Qavah’s definition is as sweet as it is life-transforming.
Think of this second definition in the context of being so bound up and in love with Jesus that His presence becomes our oxygen, and His very heartbeat becomes ours. Realizing that the waiting periods in life are actually an invitation for the power and miraculous of the Holy Spirit to fill and overflow us. This will occur as we wait expectantly, releasing our control of a desired outcome and drawing closer to Him to experience His beyond-reason love—rather than merely knowing it as Christian theory. Here, we find Jesus Himself is the Gift, the answer to the prayer or desired thing we seek.
Yes, ultimately, we’ll experience and know that our times of waiting are no longer drudgery but can become the most refreshing, transforming, and extraordinary seasons of our lives.
Let’s pray about this…
Dear Heavenly Father…I wait in Your presence ________ (take time to do this). I ask for a paradigm shift in my thinking regarding waiting on You. By the power of the Holy Spirit within me, I surrender the person or thing I am waiting for into Your almighty hands ______ (do this). I accept Your invitation to dive deeper into intimacy with You and for the Holy Spirit’s call to draw me closer and overwhelm me. Yes, Lord. I wait upon You with an expectant heart. In the Superlative Name of Lord Jesus, I pray. Amen.
Day 2
Scriptures: Isaiah 62:10, Matthew 6:34, Proverbs 3:5-6, Romans 12:1-2
Removing Obstacles…
…Build up, Build up the highway!
Take out the stones,
Lift up a banner for the peoples!
Isaiah 62:10
Often, our seasons of waiting can seem like a long and dreary road trip. We’re feeling cramped in the middle seat of a crowded minivan with everyone on board getting tired, cranky, poking at each other, and wondering when we are going to arrive at our destination. Sound familiar?
We forget the wonder of looking out the window and seeing a whole new world. We sideline our hope in waiting by fixating on the speedometer instead of rolling down the windows and breathing in the air of expectancy that God truly does know what He is doing and He has perfect timing. Even though we may be waiting in one area of our lives for something we are seeking, that doesn’t mean He isn’t gloriously moving in all the other aspects of our lives simultaneously.
In other words, we can miss the beauty of now by focusing only on the future prize.
In our impatience, we can make a significant blunder. It is the urge to take matters into our own hands by grabbing the wheel of our wait and trying to help God out so we can get there faster.
As if we could. But still. We try.
Yes, we may try to shorten the journey of waiting by taking shortcuts, determining our own course, asking the wrong people for directions, or getting the Holy Spirit’s directions but not taking them. These maneuvers can create stones or boulders that may impede or completely detour our progress. Just think of Israel and their few days of sojourn, which ended up being forty years of walking in circles.
Yet, in the Lord Jesus, we find outrageous mercy and scandalous grace.
If we’ve interfered with our time of waiting, let’s pull off to the side of the road and spend time with Him. Ask, what was the last instruction He gave me before I veered off course? What did I engineer or attempt to manipulate in frustration or unfaithfulness that has become a stumbling stone? Now, fresh surrender to Him is in order.
Jesus has extraordinary things in and through our lives now, so let’s not miss them by taking matters into our own hands for something in the future. Okay?
Let’s jump back into the minivan, roll those windows down, and enjoy the ride!
Let’s pray about this…
Lord Jesus, I come. I ask for the Holy Spirit’s help in letting me know where I have been taking matters into my own hands while I wait. In this moment, I surrender these things I have done or been doing ______ (take time to name them). I release my control and surrender afresh to You completely. Please strengthen me while I wait. In Your All-Powerful Name, I pray. Amen.
Day 3
Scriptures: Luke 1:5-6, 2 Corinthians 5:21, Ephesians 6:14, Colossians 1:10
Just Do the Next Right Thing…
There was in the days of Herod…a certain priest named Zacharias… His wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.
Luke 1:5-6
If there was ever a Bible story about waiting, one of the most touching concerns Zacharias and Elizabeth, the parents of John the Baptist.
However, God’s Word explains that Zacharias and Elizabeth were well beyond their expiration date to conceive a child. They most certainly had waited a very long time for a baby, which was a high priority in ancient Hebrew culture. Yet we learn from them in the few verses above that there is something we can do while experiencing a waiting season in our lives. We can live righteously.
Hmmmm. Me, righteous? You, righteous? We all know our falters, failings, and shortcomings. Yet, for those who have received Christ, the Bible tells us that His perfect righteousness has been imparted to us completely. We receive this truth by faith, silencing our guilt and the devil’s accusations against us. In Jesus, we have been clothed in His righteousness.
Yet, we read that Zacharias and Elizabeth, while waiting for a child, continued to walkrighteously, one foot in front of the other. What does that mean for us?
Simply put, to live righteously is doing the next right thing.
So, while you wait, what is the next right thing you can do?
Do you need to forgive someone? Do you need to have some behaviors or reactions healed and transformed? It may be an easy action, such as making a phone call, or something difficult, like mending or breaking off a relationship. What would Lord Jesus have you do?
That’s what Zacharias and Elizabeth did. Daily, they did the next right thing before them, positioning Zacharias to be in the temple at God’s destined time to receive the promise of conceiving the forerunner of the Messiah.
Because being faithful and obedient to Jesus in the small things means we will be in the right place at the right time for the big things the Lord wants to do.
Literally, doing the next right thing while you wait is something you can do, and it might make all the difference.
Let’s pray about this…
Lord Jesus, here I am. Even as I enter Your presence now, I sense what the next right thing is that You would have me do _________ (ponder what you are sensing). I choose to follow through in the power of Your Spirit, even if it seems to have nothing to do with what I am waiting for. Here I go! In Your Majestic Name, I pray. Amen.
Day 4
Scriptures: Romans 5:3-5, James 3:15-17, 2 Corinthians 10:3-5
Taking Cues from a Farmer…
Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain.
James 5:7
From our opening verse today, we learn a few more things we can do while in a season of waiting.
Number one, we can cultivate patience, a fruit of the Spirit. Oh, joy. Fun. Sounds great. Well, really, not so much.
What is the old prayer? Lord, help me be patient now!
Generally, no one likes to be in a place where patience is required. Yet, to grow in patience allows a much deeper work in our souls. In Romans 5:3-5, we discover that patience or perseverance leads to significant character development, propelling us forward in Jesus to greater hope, joy, and love—none of which will disappoint.
Jesus not only desires that we have an up-close and personal relationship with Him, but He also yearns for us to be transformed from our stuff, sin, and selfishness into His image. Perfecting patience in our lives is a work and fruit of the Holy Spirit, providing grace in our wait that we wouldn’t have in our own strength.
Next, as we consider a farmer waiting for precious fruit to appear, consider how much preparation they have done beforehand. This goes a bit beyond just doing the next right thing. Instead, these are steps of needed preparation and productivity we should take depending on what we are waiting for.
Yes, this is where we may be tempted to take matters into our own hands. However, it is also where we learn the secret of Qavah (Day 1). Drawing close to Jesus in our quiet times to expectantly hear Him, thereby honing our ability to discern His voice above all others, including our own.
Finally, a farmer will protect the seedlings he is patiently waiting for. Does our wait require some spiritual warfare prayer? Do we need to take up the authority of Lord Jesus’ name and His Word upon our lips to guard not only ourselves but also the desired thing or person we are waiting on God about? This reassurance of His protection will provide us with security while we wait.
Let’s bring what we’ve just considered to the throne room for His direction and purpose. He will not fail to speak—we simply need to expectantly listen, hear, and receive His words to us.
Let’s pray about this…
Dear Lord Jesus, I desire to know You intimately and be transformed into Your image. Sometimes, I feel so frustrated and impatient while waiting, but I exchange those thoughts and emotions for Yours. As I quiet my heart and mind, I wait to hear Your voice if there are any steps I need to take to prepare or protect what I am waiting on ______ (take time to do this). In Your All-Powerful Name, Lord Jesus. Amen!
Day 5
Scriptures: Hebrews 10:35-36, Romans 8:32, Luke 1:45
Keeping Confidence…
Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise…
Hebrews 10:35-36
While in a waiting season, it is oh-so tempting to abandon the ship, give up hope, or call it quits.
Yes, honestly, this might be true for circumstances, things, or people that were never the Lord’s intention for us in the first place. Or possibly, He has made a promise to us, but we need to hold it lightly in surrender instead of grasping it so tightly that it has become an idol in our life and more important than He is to us. We will discover our Father’s will regarding these things as we surrender them to Him.
Nevertheless, when the Holy Spirit has spoken to us clearly about a future desire or promise He is giving us—that will always align with His written Word—we can be confident in our waiting.
To keep faith, we must fasten our eyes upon the Lord Jesus. Similar to Peter stepping out of the boat to walk on water, the minute we lose sight of Him and our circumstances appear to be drowning our hope of fulfillment for our dream or promise, we must instead ruthlessly look to Jesus and trust Him.
When I sensed the Lord speaking to me that I would be healed of stage 4 incurable cancer and it returned the third time, I had to run back to Jesus to ensure I had heard Him correctly. Holding healing lightly—not demanding that He heal me—then hearing His reassurance made all the difference in experiencing joy instead of despair. And I was miraculously healed—as documented by a major healthcare organization’s oncology and pathology departments.
Make no mistake. Whatever your current circumstances are, God is working on your behalf. What and how He works is up to Him and not us. Not only is nothing impossible for Him, but it is also impossible for Him to do nothing for your sake.* He loves you too much.
Remember that what He is bringing into fruition for you may involve over a thousand puzzle pieces of moving people, circumstances, or things into position. He has perfect timing, and He isn’t bound by time, even though we may be counting every second.
We must always realize that our Father has an eternal perspective that we simply don’t have. Let’s not abandon our confidence in what He has said He will do.
Let’s pray about this…
Dear Heavenly Father, I rest in You today. Once again, I remember the words You have spoken to me in promise. I wait for Your perfect timing. I pray for Your felt presence and power through the Holy Spirit to stay strong in You, looking for what You are doing today and trusting in Your love for me. In the Name Above All Names, King Jesus. Amen!
Day 6
Scriptures: Psalms 27:14, Ephesians 6:10-13, Revelation 3:20
Joy in the Meantime…
Wait (qavah) on the LORD; Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart;
Wait, I say, on the LORD!
Psalm 27:14
For our final day of this short study, let’s remember that waiting seasons are not idle time. Every minute of our lives counts, and we don’t want to miss the beauty of our now, letting impatience rob our joy and opportunities. Let’s stay aware to see if we’ve been trying to help God by manipulating or controlling events, circumstances, things, or people to expedite our hopes.
How about asking God what is the next right thing we can do? Then, let’s do it. Do we need to be like a farmer completing any needed prep work? Especially if it includes guarding what God is up to with spiritual warfare prayer. Does He want us to partner with Him in His name and by His Word? If yes, we can then continue, knowing we have done everything He has asked of us and now we can stand confidently.
Finally, let’s return to our opening day of study with the old Hebrew word for wait: Qavah. To biblically wait on the Lord is to expectantly look to Him and hear His voice on a matter. It is also to be found so tightly embraced by Him that intimacy with Jesus becomes our daily thrill. And for that, we never have to wait!
You will show me the path of life;
In Your presence is fullness of joy;
At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
Psalm 16:11
If it’s been a while since you slowed down and carved out some time alone with the Lord to do the heavy lifting of your wait, now is the time. He has been waiting for you.
Simply come. Keep it simple. Don’t worry about getting your act together first—we come to Him because we don’t. Be quiet for a bit, and don’t rush. Bring your Bible and ask the Holy Spirit to breathe His life into your soul and spirit. Be open to what He is saying and experience His presence through the peace, joy, comfort, or strength that you need. It is here that you will learn that your waiting season is the miracle itself, far surpassing whatever it is you are tarrying for.
Yes, indeed. All of us. Let’s hurry up and wait!
Let’s pray about this…
Dear Heavenly Father, You know that these things are what I have been waiting for _______ (name them). I thank You for holding them in Your tender care, and I know You haven’t forgotten any of them. I trust You, and I trust Your timing. I pray for the Holy Spirit’s overflow in my life right now as I draw close to You. May everything I do bring You glory. In the Name Above All Names, King Jesus. Amen!