There is hardly a season in life when we aren’t patiently hoping or praying for something. Sometimes it’s tangible: a job, a home, a spouse, a child. Other times, it’s less visible: healing, deliverance, a sense of direction, peace or clarity. That’s one of the reasons we pray: to bring our requests before God.
In Scripture, David was described as a man after God’s heart. He trusted God wholeheartedly and always sought God’s guidance and direction in all his trials. He inquired of God nine times in the books of first and second Samuel, and each time, God gave him an instant answer; sometimes with an explanation, direction or a glimpse into the outcome.
But that isn’t always our story. While some people receive quick answers, many of us sometimes encounter God’s silence. When God is silent, He’s often inviting us into a season of waiting.
If you’ve ever had to wait patiently for something you consider important and urgent, then you’ll understand how difficult it is to wait. How do you wait at the cross road of life when you urgently want to know which way to turn? How do you wait when every wall seems to be closing in on you, and you desperately need a miracle?
The truth is, God tells you to wait when He wants to give you something exceptional. There is no urgency with God because He has the whole of eternity in His hands.
I waited on God for a particular situation in my life. I needed a shift, and I needed God to give me direction. Instead, God told me to wait. I can tell you for sure; it takes grace to wait patiently in God’s waiting room. But I waited all the same.
This stretched me in ways I hadn’t expected. And just when I began to feel forgotten and weary in waiting, a friend offered me an image that changed everything. I’m sharing that picture with you today.
She said, “Imagine being invited to meet the CEO of a global company. When you arrive, someone is on standby to usher you into a deluxe waiting room filled with every comfort: fine teas, rich coffee, gourmet chocolates, and warm hospitality. You get an exclusive treatment while you wait. You’re over pampered and nourished in the waiting room.” Then she said, “If that’s what you get in man’s waiting room, there is much more in God’s waiting room.”
God’s waiting room is a beautiful place to be. It’s a place where grace abounds and His shield protects; where there is a ceaseless flow of His blessings, abundance and growth. It’s a place where God proves His faithfulness when we trust and obey.
However, a lot of us sitting in that room focus narrowly on what we’re there for. We forget to appreciate what we have, what’s working well, our wins, and to celebrate our successes. We are so fixated on our request that we do not take the time to explore that space, to savour the banquet laid before us, and to see the other blessings that flow ceaselessly into our lives.
“Have you tried counting your blessings while in that room?” my friend asked. She told me to shift my focus from what I’m waiting for, so I can see what I have received and still receiving daily. Then will I know that God is not silent, neither is He on holidays. He is an intentional God, never too early, never too late, always right on time. If He hasn’t answered, then it’s not yet time. And He compensates for the wait. Her explanation sparked a reflection in me. Then I started counting my blessings and I was surprised by all the Lord had done. From that moment on, I learnt to wait patiently and to wait well.
Now, let’s explore the lives of five women in the bible who sat in God’s waiting room.
Scripture tells us in Genesis 11:30 that Sarah, the wife of Abraham was barren; she had no child. She conceived and gave birth to Isaac at the age of 90. Isaac was the second patriarch of Israel, the father of Jacob who fathered the twelve tribes of Israel.
In Genesis 30:22, the scripture tells us that God kept Rachael from having children. She was barren until the LORD remembered her. He hearkened to her and opened her womb. Then she conceived and gave birth to Joseph, who later became the Governor of Egypt and saved his entire family from death by famine.
In Judges 13:2, there is the story of Samson’s mother, the wife of Manoah. The bible didn’t tell us her name, but she was introduced as the barren woman whom the angel of the LORD appeared to. She conceived and gave birth to Samson, a judge of great strength, born to deliver the Israelites from the hands of the Philistines.
1 Samuel 1:4-6 tells us the story of Hannah whom the LORD had shut up her womb. In verse 9, the LORD remembered Hannah, she conceived and gave birth to Samuel: a prophet, a priest and Israel’s last judge.
Finally, in Luke 1:7, the bible tells us that Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist was also barren, until God answered her husband’s prayers, and sent Angel Gabriel to him with the good tidings. She conceived and gave birth to John the Baptist, the preacher, the first prophet called by God in 400 years, and the forerunner of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
Isaac, Joseph, Samson, Samuel and John the Baptist were special people born by women who had been tagged as barren. These women sat in God’s waiting room. God did not forget them. Their waiting wasn’t wasted. God was preparing their wombs to carry greatness. When God tells you to wait, expect something exceptional.
My friend inspired me to wait patiently and I’m passing this on.
Like David, be prayerful, learn to inquire of God always. It’s the best way to live within God’s will. Praise God like David did. Read his Psalms and learn the power of praise.
And just like these five blessed women in the bible, if you are also sitting in God’s waiting room, wait patiently. God is in the details of your story. He will sustain you. Shift your focus from your request, from that prayer point that has become an obsession.
Focus on God, the One from whom all blessings flow. Don’t waste the waiting room experience by staring only at the closed door. Don’t be oblivious of the numerous blessings that abound in God’s waiting room. Get up and join the banquet. Savour the goodies in His waiting room: peace, joy, love, healing, deliverance, victory, hope, daily provision, prosperity, growth, life and countless other blessings. Enjoy the wait.
The bible tells us to pray ceaselessly. Don’t stop praying and asking of the LORD. God’s blessings are non-rivalry: blessing you doesn’t stop Him from blessing someone else. There is enough to go round. There are enough seats for everyone in God’s waiting room.
When He gives you an instant answer, be grateful. When He tells you to wait, leap for joy, because something special is coming your way. For the blessings in the wait and beyond are exceptional. Trust that God’s timing is perfect and His waiting room is an awesome place to be.
“But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; they shall walk, and not faint.” Isaiah 40:31 KJV