How to Wait Well
Pastoral | February 19, 2026 | By: Joel Thompson
Waiting is one of the most universal and frustrating human experiences. We wait in traffic, in grocery store lines, for test results, for relationships to heal, for prayers to be answered, and for clarity about what comes next. Whether we realize it or not, a significant portion of our lives is spent waiting.
Most of us don’t need to be taught how to wait. We do it constantly. What we struggle with is how to wait well.
Waiting in Scripture
Waiting is woven throughout the Bible. Abraham waits decades for the son God promised. Joseph waits in prison after betrayal and silence. Israel waits hundreds of years between the last prophetic word and the arrival of the Messiah. David waits to become king even after being anointed. Again and again, God’s people live in the space between promise and fulfillment.
If waiting were simply a problem to be solved, God could remove it. Instead, waiting appears to be something God uses.
The psalms capture this tension honestly, “I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in His word I put my hope” (Psalm 130:5). Biblical waiting is not passive resignation. It is active trust, placing our hope in who God is and what He has said.
What Does It Mean to Wait on the Lord?
To wait on the Lord does not mean doing nothing. It means orienting our lives toward Him with trust and obedience, even when outcomes are unclear. Waiting acknowledges two things at the same time: God is at work, and His timing is better than mine.
That perspective does not come naturally. We live in a culture shaped by speed, efficiency, and immediacy. Waiting feels like wasted time. But Scripture invites us to see waiting differently, not as absence, but as presence. God is not absent in waiting; He is often doing His deepest work there.
More often than not, God uses waiting to shape us before He changes our circumstances. He forms character, deepens trust, exposes misplaced dependencies, and clarifies our motives. Waiting slows us down enough to reveal what we truly believe about God.
Isaiah writes, “Those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength” (Isaiah 40:31). Renewal suggests that waiting, rightly received, does not drain us, it reshapes us. Strength is not always given to escape waiting, but to endure it faithfully.
A Personal Season of Waiting
This has been especially true for me in this season as we prepare for the Tempe Campus. There has been vision and excitement, but also a great deal of waiting—waiting on timelines, construction progress, teams to form, and what is coming but not yet here.
It would be easy to treat this season as something to get through as quickly as possible. But I sense God inviting a better question: What is He doing now? Waiting seasons are not spiritual pauses. They are opportunities to pay attention, to steward the present moment, and to trust that God is just as intentional now as He will be in what comes next.
We Are All Waiting for Something
Even if you’re not connected to the Tempe Campus, you are likely waiting for something yourself. Waiting for a job, healing, direction, reconciliation, breakthrough, or peace. Waiting can feel lonely, especially when others seem to be moving forward while you feel stuck.
Scripture reminds us that waiting is not a sign of being forgotten. It is often a sign of being formed.
Practicing Faithful Waiting
So how do we wait well? A few practical invitations:
Name the wait honestly. Bring your frustration, questions, and hopes to God. He is not intimidated by your honesty.
Anchor yourself in God’s Word. Waiting is difficult when it is disconnected from truth. Let Scripture shape your expectations and renew your hope.
Stay faithful in what is in front of you. Waiting does not excuse disengagement. Often, God’s next work grows out of our faithfulness today.
Ask what God might be forming in you. Not just what He is preparing for you, but who He is shaping you to be.
Resist the urge to rush ahead. Waiting teaches us to trust God’s pace, not force our own.
Hope in the In-Between
Waiting will likely always feel uncomfortable. But it does not have to be empty or meaningless. Scripture consistently shows us that God is present and purposeful in seasons of waiting.
If you find yourself in that in-between space today, know this: God is not late. He is not distant. And He is not done. The waiting itself may be the very place where He is doing His most important work.
May we learn, together, to wait on the Lord with trust, faithfulness, and hope.
Joel Thompson
Tempe Campus Pastor
We’re excited for what God is preparing to do through Scottsdale Bible Tempe. Get involved, join the community on Sunday mornings, and pray for the upcoming opening of this new campus!
Like this Article? Share on Social:
FEATURED ARTICLES
RECENT ARTICLES
SIMILAR ARTICLES
