As I was growing up one of my least favorite answers was “we’ll just have to wait and see”. I wanted a yes or no – but not a wait and see.
In a world that longs for certainty- wait and see offers little promise. When you are in the doctor’s office the statement “let’s wait and see how this progresses” may elicit fear. In family situations, wait and see can create tension. In our spiritual life wait and see can challenge us to greater faith or bring discouragement.
I’ll admit that in my spiritual life the wait and see has left me feeling discouraged more than once. It’s tough when I’m praying fervently and yet nothing is happening.
I don’t like waiting. Yet I’ve found that waiting in faith is such a big part of life. Since waiting is hard – and inevitable, I put together some truths from the Bible to help us all build our faith while we are in waiting.
Truth #1: Wait and See with Expectancy
While the unknowns are challenging, and the waiting seems unbearable, we can trust His good plan. Instead of waiting with angst – we can wait with expectancy. His plans are always good, and He has our best interests at heart. The book of Hebrews says it like this:
And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him. Hebrews 11:6 NLT
Truth #2: Wait and See with Faithful Obedience
We tend to focus on outcomes and yet many times growth, wisdom and revelation happens in the process. It’s really as we wait and see with faithful obedience that we mature in Christ. It’s in times of waiting that we learn to see His goodness and understand His heart on a greater level. Here are a couple of scriptures about waiting in faithful obedience.
Jesus replied, “But even more blessed are all who hear the word of God and put it into practice.”
Luke 11:28 NLT
If you love me, obey my commandments.
John 14:15 NLT
We can obey what we know, even when we don’t understand how God is going to work our circumstances out.
Truth #3: Even When You Can’t See Him, He Sees You
This truth brings us comfort and strength when we can’t see a thing. Even when we can’t see Him – He sees us. He is watching over our lives – He hears our prayers – He doesn’t miss a thing. He will always do what is best in your life and see you through every situation.
The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right, and his ears are open to their prayers. But the Lord turns his face against those who do evil.
1 Peter 3:12 NLT
As you wait for your prodigal to come home – or you wait in the midst of that diagnosis you can trust He sees you. You can trust His Word. You can trust that His eyes are watching over your life with care. He is delighting in your details when the nights seem long, and the days feel unbearable.
I am still not fond of hearing “let’s wait and see.” But I find comfort in His never-changing Word and His unconditional love.
As I’ve listened to stories on the Bridges set, I’ve been encouraged to look for God’s goodness despite the long wait.
Today’s Secret from the Studio: Even When You Can’t See Him – He Sees You.
Monica Schmelter is the host of Bridges weekly television show aired on Christian Television Network in over 50 million homes. You can watch Bridges on Demand at bridgeswithmonica.com. When Monica is not in the studio, she enjoys spending time with her family.
