When God Makes You Wait

I've often heard people say that God answers our prayers in one of three ways: yes, no, or not yet. That either He grants us our hearts desire, blocks what we desire, or simply tells us to wait.

Perhaps He chooses to answer with a "no" or "not yet" because what we desire may not be beneficial to us. Or maybe we're not mentally or physically prepared to receive what we're asking for just yet. There can be numerous reasons as to why God might cause us wait on something He knows we truly desire, but one thing we can be sure of is that there is purpose in the wait. The Bible tells us that no good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly (Psalm 84:11). So, although you may not see or understand the purpose behind it during, one day you will. And when that day comes you'll be thankful for the waiting period.

There is purpose in the wait

Have you ever showed up for a scheduled appointment and still had to wait? Or maybe while on the freeway you got caught up in really bad traffic right when you had somewhere to be. Or how many times have you went into a restaurant starving and been told that there was a wait time? Waiting is never really a pleasant feeling, is it? I'll be the first to raise both hands in the air and admit that it's not.

But how often do you stop to think about the beauty in the wait? For instance, instead of having to sit in traffic, you could have been the one involved in the accident. We get so caught up in our own wants and desires that we sometimes fail to see the beauty in waiting for God's best in our lives. Would you still want your food quickly if you knew it meant that it would be under-cooked? Even things that aren't necessarily bad for us can be harmful to us if consumed at the wrong time. (and that applies to more than just food)

God is all-knowing and knows our ending from our beginning. Meaning He sees the finish line before we even step a foot in the race. Wouldn't you want to put all your hope and trust in someone like that? Plus, you know what's worse than waiting? Rushing into something and wishing you hadn't.

Waiting on God has taken me further than rushing ahead of Him ever did.

God loves us too much to give us anything that would harm us. God knows us too well to give us anything that He knows we aren't ready for. God cares about our well-being too much to simply grant us every request we ask of Him the minute we ask. That in itself is a blessing.

Even when you grow impatient or discontent. Even when you feel like you've waited long enough. Remember that every move from God is strategic and purposeful and calculated with your absolute best interest in mind. He loves you like crazy, so if He's making you wait trust that it's for your own good...even if you can't see it right now. #TrustTheWait