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 faint.
-Isaiah 40:31 ESV

I remember as a child, the anticipation that I’d have in the lead up to Christmas. I would hardly be able to contain my excitement. Waiting to see what my presents would contain was sometimes too much for me to bear. 

When presents were placed under the tree in the lead up to Christmas, I would sit as close to the tree as I possibly could and read all the name tags: whenever I’d spot a present with my name on it I’d try to guess what it could be.

Every Christmas Eve, I would find it hard to fall asleep, and every Christmas morning I was the first to wake – usually when it was still dark outside. Sometimes I would try to go wake my parents up, ready for Christmas to begin, and other times I would sneak out to the Christmas tree and sneakily touch my presents to feel what they might be.

Now, as an adult I still struggle to wait at times. My patience gets tested very frequently, and lately a couple of questions I have been asking myself are; how can I wait better? How can I hold steadfast to God in this waiting season?

God proves to be good to the man who passionately waits, to the woman who diligently seeks. It’s a good thing to quietly hope, quietly hope for help from God. It’s a good thing when you’re young to stick it out through the hard times.
-Lamentations 3:25-27 MSG

Lord, how long must I wait? Will you forget me forever? How long will you turn your face away from me?
-Psalms 13:1 NIRV

As much as I would love to say that waiting is a breeze for me, that knowing God is in control takes away the feeling of waiting altogether, I can’t say that because it would be an outright lie!

The truth is, waiting is one of the things I have been struggling with the most. I am more like that verse from Psalms 13 – constantly crying out to God; “Why must you make me wait God? Hasn’t it been long enough yet God?”

This can go on for days, or weeks until I finally allow my heart to soften enough to hear what God has to say about the wait.

And each time I stop behaving like a petulant child just long enough to listen, I hear “the wait will be worth it.”

I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope. I wait for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning.
-Psalms 130:5-6 NIV

But as for me, I will look to the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me.
-Michah 7:7 ESV

The truth is God does not owe me anything. He doesn’t owe me a word, or a timeline, or a promise. And yet, He hears my cries, He sees my struggles, and even when I am not waiting patiently, even when I am not waiting graciously, or full of hope.

He still leans in to give me a reminder, to tell me that He sees me, that He knows my struggles, and that I can trust His promise that the waiting will be worth it.

God sees our waiting, He sees every minute; if it takes 8 years for the waiting to be over, 20 years, 50 years or more. Whatever the length of time it is, God sees all of it. He is offering Himself to us to keep us holding steadfast to the waiting.

Look to Him when it feels too much. Turn to God when the waiting feels never-ending. I am going to make a gallant effort to change the way I am praying about my waiting; instead of asking God over and over “how long must I wait?” I will be praying “God, please keep me holding steadfast in this waiting period, I choose to trust your promise that the wait will be worth it.”

Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful.
-James 5:11 ESV

For since the world began, no ear has heard and no eye has seen a God like you, who works for those who wait for him!
-Isaiah 64:4 NLT

This is why I wait upon you, expecting your breakthrough, for your word brings me hope.
-Psalms 130:5 TPT