Chapter 34 – Waiting on God 2026
In this lesson, a traveler is out of options. Period, et all, end of season, stuck. And when you are stuck, there is nothing, it would seem you can do. Here’s the good news, as a believer, God is coming for you, as a matter of fact He never left you, however it will definitely seem like it, there is no way out, nothing to do, options none, life stopped..
Isaiah 49:14-15 But Zion said, “The Lord has forsaken me, And my Lord has forgotten me.”
God has not forgotten. It’s a learning process. A time to reflect, a quiet time to re-consider, pray, fellowship with God and wait for instruction.
Hebrews 5:8 though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered.
For a believer there is some comfort in that scripture, but hopeless sets in for sure, perhaps resentment. Is there hope? It doesn’t seem like it. However, hope is all there is unless despair is chosen instead. Colossians 3:2 states, “Set your minds on things that are above, not on earthly things.”
My mind cannot perceive how to get from nowhere to somewhere. Especially when I’ve exhausted all my ideas and come up stuck, in severe terror, forced into a situation, waiting on God. The book tells me…
Psalm 91:4-6 You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, Nor of the arrow that flies by day, Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, Nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday.
Did I put myself here? Most likely. Spending all opportunities incorrectly, with whatever physical and mental resources available to me. Those who kept pushing, pushing, pushing their agenda until they’d spent all they had trying to achieve. There are those who believed in another’s scheme and jumped into it not wanting to miss the boat. There are those who simply did nothing when they should have done something. He is in charge now, in effect, my power to do has been paused, and no matter what I say or do, that is absolute at this time..
NKJV “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write, ‘These things says He who is holy, He who is true, “He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens”:
Betrayed, rejected or forgotten, whichever you feel, one or all, God is still in your struggle. His plan for your life is still intact as is life itself.
Joel 2:25 “So I will restore to you the years that the swarming [a]locust has eaten, The crawling locust, The consuming locust, And the chewing locust, My great army which I sent among you.
In this same place, I prayed that I would do whatever He asked, whatever He put in front of me, I would do. I requested that He show me everything to do and that I promised I would do it. I asked that He chew up schemes and dreams that would surely harm me and others, plans that did not include the direction of the Holy Spirit.
Psalm 37:23 The steps of a good man are [a]ordered by the Lord, And He delights in his way.
He takes what seems hopeless and breathes new life into it. When others see failure, God sees opportunity. When you feel defeated God declares victory. Weird, right. I get that. Still truth.
Isaiah 55:8-9 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
What started this, what got me here? The devil will steal your future, your money, your time, life and even salvation without the protection of God. Sometimes I think this chapter is about stopping the devils plans. A full stop on everything, investment opportunities, rolling the dice, the proverbial “plan for the future,” the idea of pushing out God and grasping at the world. Anxiety to spend precious assets not easily restored. Proverbs 17:16 questions why a fool has money to buy wisdom but lacks the sense to understand it.
34, a very uncomfortable lesson. A stopping place with no alternative. Christ is there along the way, and within the confines of calamity.
2 Timothy 2:4-7 Consider what I say, and [a]may the Lord give you understanding in all things.
Paul, had nowhere to go. Locked up in a jail cell, waiting on God. His faith was unwavering and his sharing of the gospel unstoppable, even in hopeless.
Philippi (Acts 16): Paul and Silas were beaten, stripped, and thrown into stocks in a dungeon with their feet bound, but a miraculous earthquake freed them, leading to the conversion of the jailer.
God will give a clear path, when to move, and how. Patience and prayer give the Master you/me as his audience.
James 1:2–4 For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.
Psalm 27:13-14b Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!
Mark 5:36 Overhearing what they said, Jesus told him, “Don’t be afraid; just believe.”
It is at such a time, the Lord shares truth.
John 1:5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome[a] it.
Is this a time to repent? Could be. The word means “change of mind.” Definitely in reflection there are things to know, things that have been done, things that should not have been done. Learning from God when in this pause, could be excruciating but, could be comforting. In the Word there is comfort.
2 Corinthians 12:9-11 And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.”
Right now if you want to do something, you’ll do it! Is it the right thing? Maybe not. Is God is the plan? Will the effort bring glory to the Kingdom? Are you listening for His explicit direction?
Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.
When experiencing unresolvable situations, God is calling, reminding, “lean on me, let me show you who I Am and who you are. Visit with Me, consult with Me.”
Romans 8-28 We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God: those who are called according to His purpose.
Pushing personal agendas can be troublesome, expensive, time consuming, even dangerous.
E.M. Bounds, an American author, attorney, and member of the Methodist Episcopal Church South clergy, late 1800’s. He is known for writing 11 books, nine of which focused on the subject of prayer. He is quoted here:
“What the church needs today is not more machinery or better, not new organizations or more novel methods, but men who the Holy Ghost can use – men of prayer, men mighty in prayer. The Holy Ghost does not flow through methods, but through men. He does not come on machinery, but men. He does not anoint plans, but men – men of prayer.”
Chapter 34, 2026 entitled “Waiting on God.”
In this lesson, I have but one cautionary comment.
When you finally are forced to wait on God, remember He’s been waiting for you a long time. When you’re stuck, it’s okay to be sad, however while doing so prepare, mentally and spiritually for the next adventure, because He will come, for you in your circumstance.
Psalm 40:1-3 He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire. He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along. He has given me a new song to sing, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see what he has done and be amazed.
Being patient is impossible, until hitting a dead end. Such a reality is not pleasant and certainly not the prize hoped for at the end of the journey. There are many who find themselves here, believers and unbelievers alike. Solution is the same for both categories. God is the solution, as difficult as it is. At this point, there is time to read the Word, time to fellowship with God and time to repent, reflect and restore. And time to pray for a second chance, this chance, to be used only for the Glory of God.
Ecclesiastes 7:3 Sorrow is better than laughter, For by a sad countenance the heart is made [b]better.
Let’s pray…
