Waiting With Jesus

Waiting With Jesus

Have you seen those videos where parents test their kids by leaving them in a room with a single cookie? They tell them not to eat it and then walk out. Most of the kids end up squirming or sniffing the air. Some of them literally sit on their hands to keep from grabbing it. Waiting is hard. It has always been a struggle, and it probably always will be.

God’s people have never been especially good at it either. The Israelites grew tired of waiting on Moses and decided a golden calf was a better alternative. Saul got hit with a wave of anxiety and rushed a sacrifice. He learned the hard way that trying to outrun God’s timing usually costs more than it saves. Scripture is full of reminders that forcing movement often leads to trouble instead of fruit. If waiting feels heavy right now, you are in very biblical company.

There is a reason Psalm 27:14 says it twice. It tells us to wait for the Lord, be strong, and let our hearts take courage. Then it says it again: "wait for the Lord!" It’s a repeated refrain because it is so incredibly hard for us to hear. It is even harder to actually do.

For those of us on the field, that weight feels specific. You are carrying a vision and you see raw needs every single day. You want to see lives changed and seeds bear fruit immediately. When progress feels slow or invisible, it is natural to start spiraling. You might ask if you are doing something wrong or if you heard God wrong in the first place. You might even wonder if you should pivot to somewhere more responsive. These are honest questions and God is not threatened by them.

When that restlessness kicks in, it helps to look at how Jesus lived.

For thirty years, the Son of God lived in quiet obedience. Think about the fact that He spent three decades with no recorded sermons and no public miracles. He had zero ministry results to report back to anyone. He just lived the ordinary life of a carpenter while being submissive to His parents and trusting the Father’s timing. If anyone had a legitimate reason to rush, it was Him. Yet, He waited.

Even when His public ministry finally began, Jesus was never frantic. When the crowds pressed in, He went away to pray. When needs were urgent, He waited on the Father’s direction. People tried to force His hand constantly, but He often responded by saying His time had not yet come. Jesus lived with a sense of urgency, but He didn't live in a state of panic. He had a clear purpose without the weight of performance pressure. He felt deep compassion, but He didn't let it turn into anxiety. He trusted the Father's timing more than He trusted the expectations of the people standing right in front of Him.

If you are in a season where fruit feels slow or momentum feels out of reach, it does not mean you are failing. It may mean God is doing "deep-soil" work. He might be forming you and steadying you while He prepares the ground for what is not yet ready to unfold. Waiting is not wasted when it is faithful.

Sometimes the most Christlike response is not to rush or manufacture movement. Instead, you can remain where God has placed you and keep showing up. You can trust that He is working in ways you cannot see yet. To every worker in a slow or uncertain season: Jesus understands hidden years. He honors quiet obedience and He is not measuring your worth by visible results. He is with you in the waiting just as much as He is in the fulfillment.