"If the Lord Jehovah makes us wait, let us do so with our whole hearts; for blessed are all they that wait for Him. He is worth waiting for.” Charles Spurgeon
For me, one of the hardest parts of the Christian faith is the development of patience; especially patience between seasons that God is taking me through. I came into this year believing that 2026 would bring some personal transitions. Whether or not certain things come to pass, I have hope that God is working behind the scenes to move me further into the areas of ministry He desires for my family and I. And I admit that’s a bit vague and nondescript. But I am sharing all of this today in the hopes that it reminds us His timing is perfect.
As we look over our lives, we can see this. I look at the key decisions I’ve made. Going to college. Meeting my wife. Getting my first job. Buying a home. Going back to college for ministry. Making various moves along the way. As I look at the history, I see God’s faithfulness. I may not understand every twist and turn but I see that He was faithful over it all. I see many of the reasons why there were times when He said, “Not now, not yet” and other times when He said, “Go.” All my planning and preparation had to fit into His timeline. I couldn’t speed Him up or slow Him down. He was always right on time.
I hope that the points I share today refocus and recenter you if you’re in a season of patient waiting. Maybe last year you said, “This is the year God’s going to change things.” If it didn’t happen, perhaps you adjusted and hope “Certainly it must be this year.” Whatever the case, the timing will be right when He says it is. I know the waiting is not always fun. But it is worth it when we step into that next season, the next phase of where God is moving. And with the backdrop of Scripture, I want to show how God takes us through and that we can trust Him with the wait. It’s important to wait well and to realize, as Charles Spurgeon reminds us, that “He is worth waiting for.”
1.Remind yourself of how God has led you so far
Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen and called its name Ebenezer; for he said, “Till now the Lord has helped us.” 1 Samuel 7:12
Ebenezer: “stone of help”
For the context of this verse (1 Samuel 7:12), we have to look at the battle that God won on behalf of Israel. Through His prophet Samuel, God called the people back to a place of repentance and trust. However, in the midst of this call the Philistines assembled to attack while Israel was gathered at Mizpah. “And the people of Israel said to Samuel, ‘Do not cease to cry out to the Lord our God for us, that He may save us from the hand of the Philistines.’” (1 Samuel 7:8). God responded to His people’s cry and threw the enemy’s camp into confusion. The Lord thundered against them and defeated them. To commemorate and mark this place, Samuel set up an Ebenezer stone.
When we are tempted to think “How long God,” or “What are You doing God,” we must remember the “stones of help” He has given us. What are the ones you can think of right now? As I mentioned the various paths He has led my family and I on, I can’t help but think of the stones He has given us. Financial provision for me to go back to Bible college. A miraculous healing of our son when he experienced an epileptic event. Being able to sell a home in an otherwise down market in order to move from South Dakota to Tennessee. These were things He did that I cannot explain. His voice thundered and the enemy had to flee. His plans prevailed and when I look back, I am confident that He will do it again. When you remind yourself of where He’s brought you, you learn to trust Him today (and tomorrow).
2.Finish out well in the season you are in
And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. Galatians 6:9
In the context of this verse (Galatians 6:9), Paul is pointing believers to reap a harvest of everlasting life and this comes from living in the Spirit. I like how the New Living Translation (NLT) puts it in verses 4,5 in this same chapter: Pay careful attention to your own work, for then you will get the satisfaction of a job well done, and you won’t need to compare yourself to anyone else. For we are each responsible for our own conduct. There is no need to compare ourselves to others. There is a need to pay attention to what we are doing, however. And we are to serve well in the season we are in, knowing God is watching us and wants us to point others to Him.
It’s so easy to grow complacent. The tendency to grow cold in the faith is what separates believers who truly step into their calling from those who do not. We often get fixated on the future (where we’re going, what God is going to do), that we become useless in the present. God might be moving you into a new season. But He hasn’t called you to abandon the one you are in. When we finish well it sets us up for the next step. When we don’t finish well, we realize we may not get to that next step at all.
3.Don’t let the vision perish
But they who wait for 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
“Plan with the end in mind” is a famous phrase that derives it’s origin from Stephen Covey’s The 7 Habits Of Highly Effective People. Although he couldn’t have known exactly how the end would turn out, I believe Joseph is a Biblical example of someone who saw the vision of God all the way through to the end. He is an individual who could see through the journey (the good and bad), that God was in control. Just look at his pronouncement to his brothers at the end of Genesis: As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. (Genesis 50:20). While he could have chosen to avoid steps in the process or not finish well, Joseph determined to see the vision God had for his life. It was a story far beyond anything he could’ve written.
What about us? We can let doubt rush in especially when we face setbacks and God’s timing seems delayed. We can even start to question, “Did I miss it entirely? God was that vision You gave me, really real?” We have to go back to the stones. Yes He really spoke. He moved before, He’s not done. He will move again. Rest in Him and be patient. Realize His timing is not ours. But His timing is perfect. He gives renewed strength when we wait, when we remain steadfast (Isaiah 40:31). His promise will not return void.
As I close out this blog, I want to extend a warning. It’s at this point where the enemy is still going to be effective against many of us. He is going to tempt us with lies that say one of the following:
Why do you keep waiting?
It’s hopeless.
Maybe God had a vision but it’s not there anymore. Stop waiting for Him.
You can’t trust Him.
You have to step out on your own; stop waiting for Him.
You know…He really isn’t good. He doesn’t really love you.
I know these sound preposterous as we read them. But all the enemy has to do is insert doubt. The smallest doubt, once mulled over and tossed around in the mind, can turn into the biggest fear. We trip ourselves up by entertaining his words, by considering his lies. We have to consider 2 Corinthians 10:5 in regards to these thoughts: We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ. Take. Every. Thought. Captive. To. Obey. Christ. The answer to the lies is to immediately block and delete and do this over and over again. Don’t give the enemy a foothold. Don’t let the battle in your mind lead you to defeat.
I started out by saying patience is hard especially as we think about leaving one season and move into the next. I know I’m not alone in saying this and I know that there are people reading this (and listening to the podcast) that are in this place right now. You are displaying an “obedient trust.” But you are asking “How long Lord?” I pray that you will see He has not forgotten you. You are on the Father’s mind today. And He is writing a story that still includes the initial vision He gave. The steps that lead from here to there are purposeful and deliberate. And they are being ordered by Him. He’s always on time, I pray that you see that. I love you guys and am praying you’ll trust Him again today.
I’d love to hear from you. Please let me know how I can be praying specifically as it relates to this message.
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Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. Ephesians 5:15-17
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