But God, Why Do I Have to Wait?

I’m sitting at the airport. Waiting.  Isn’t that what we do at airports? Only this time the wait will be a bit longer than I expected. A voice over the loudspeaker just announced our flight has been delayed.  And so we must wait longer than any of us anticipated.

I look around.  Some use the delay to work. Laptops suddenly appear; business calls get made.  Others sit idly and chat with fellow travelers.  A few seem frustrated.  So far, none of us will miss our connections and all should arrive safely to our destinations…eventually.

But still, we wait. And there is nothing any of us can do about it.

Sounds a lot like life, doesn’t it?  For many of us, the waiting—the delay—is an an-too-real metaphor for our prayer life. We show up. We pray. We even beg God for the desires of our heart.  We tell him we’ll do whatever he tells us, but instead of clarity we hear radio silence.

And so we wait.  Once again, we’re delayed.

I’ve often wondered why God does or doesn’t respond quickly to my prayers. I’ve seen women become discouraged over unanswered prayer. I’ve known people whose hearts are filled with anger at God, and others whose hearts have been broken by God, because they prayed but God didn’t answer the way they hoped He would.  I’ve seen the frustration of women who’ve prayed, and prayed, and prayed, but God seemed slow to respond.

So why does God sometimes say “yes”, sometimes say “wait” and sometimes say “no”? Last year God revealed just a bit of this mystery (though certainly not all) to me, I think.  Here’s what God whispered to my heart:

When God says “yes” He’s doing something for you.  Thank Him.

When God says “wait” He’s doing something in you. Trust Him.

When God says “no” He’s doing something (or will do something) through you.  Depend on Him.

A “yes” is God’s way of changing my circumstances.  A “wait” is God’s way of changing me. Waiting on God is rarely—if ever—easy. Mainly because waiting on God feels like silence from God.

So then, why does God make us wait when it’s so darn hard?

After many years walking with God, I’ve come to learn that waiting for God’s answer is often as significant to my spiritual growth as receiving God’s answer. God’s silence is as significant as His signs.

Why? In the waiting I seek more diligently. In the waiting I ask more sincerely.  In the waiting I pause long enough to really listen to what God wants to say to me. In the waiting my faith is tested, refined and purified.

In the waiting I am changed to be more like Jesus…if I don’t give up.

Just this week I read Jesus’ words about persistence in prayer:

“One day Jesus told his followers a story to show that they should always pray and never give up.” (Luke 18:1)

I’ve always viewed this story from the vantage point of what I should do…pray and not give up.  But until this week, I’d never seen this story from God’s vantage point–from the perspective of what God will do, so to speak. It’s like Jesus was saying: “Heads up, gang. The reason you’re going to need to keep praying and not give up is because there will be times when God won’t answer right away.”

Sometimes God will delay. On purpose. Expect it so you’re not tempted to quit.

Why? Because God’s silence is as significant as His signs in teaching us to follow Him.

Have you been waiting, lately?  Praying with no clear answer in sight? Wondering why God seems silent on a subject near and dear to your heart?

If you’re tempted to throw up your hands in defeat, don’t pull back; instead, press in. God may be about to take you on the trip of a lifetime if you’ll trust Him in seasons of silence.

The lady on the loudspeaker just made another announcement. We’re about to board. My wait has come to an end.

Soon, my sweet friend, your wait will end, too. Safe travels!