Waiting on the Lord goes against the grain of our fast-paced, ever-moving society and our natural inclination to do and accomplish everything within our means and our own strength. Even considering the benefits of waiting upon the Lord contains an undertone of “what’s in it for me?” and our merciful God resoundingly answers us, “Me!”
All arrows point to God Himself, along with the work He accomplishes in and through us as we consider the worthwhile benefits of waiting upon the Lord.
Benefits of Waiting Upon the Lord
- Waiting on God shows us His love and compassion.
- Waiting on God displays His work through us.
- Waiting on God renews our strength.
- Waiting upon the Lord increases our trust.
- Waiting on God turns us from ourselves to Him.
- Waiting on the Lord increases our knowledge of God.
- Waiting on God allows promises to take root.
- Waiting on God reminds us of His faithfulness.
- Waiting on the Lord develops patience and confidence.
- Waiting on God brings blessing.
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What are the benefits of waiting on God?
From Abraham, Joseph, Moses, Micah, to David are all examples of those who waited on the Lord. Every story from the Old Testament to present day is a testament of God’s deliverance and faithfulness.
Our thread is woven into God’s masterful story and like the faithful that have gone before us, we also are invited to walk and witness Him in our waiting. All moments are invitations and though some are hard and painful, we know God journey’s with us and all circumstances will ultimately point to His glory.
“But as for me, I watch in hope for the LORD, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.” declares Micah is Micah 7:7
Let’s echo Micah’s declaration and watch in hope for the Lord! Let’s see all the benefits of waiting on God that come directly from His generous hand.
Benefits of Waiting Upon the Lord – Shows Us His Love and Compassion.
Isaiah 30:18 NLT tells us, “So the Lord must wait for you to come to him so he can show you his love and compassion. For the Lord is a faithful God. Blessed are those who wait for his help.”
I think we get distracted by the waiting from the ultimate purpose of what it provides. God desires to show us His love and compassion.
Waiting on God seems such a difficult task for us because waiting and patience and being still do not come naturally to us, yet this verse promises “blessed are those who wait for his help.”
What would happen if we paused instead of pressing on to consider this promise of blessing for those who wait for his help?
Download a free Bible Reading Plan on Waiting on God Verses.
Benefits of Waiting on God – Displays His Work Through Us.
Another incredible benefit of waiting on God is realizing that all our attempts and efforts to control or force things into their rightful place (according to our lens) are feeble efforts. The bible tells us in John 15:5, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”
This is a hard truth to accept because the world and our inner self has helped to convince us that we’re able, or capable, or have the self-confidence to accomplish great and mighty things. But apart from God, we can do nothing.
To accept in desperation our daily need of God will help us see and realize, HE works through us to accomplish more than we can possibly hope or imagine! We have to relinquish our control and surrender daily to Him.
“Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be the glory!” Ephesians 3:20
What would happen if we considered our humanity and feeble efforts and praised and honored God for His strength and power that is able to do immeasurably more than we all ask or imagine?
Renews our Strength.
When we are working in our own strength, it does ot take much to be worn and weary. We were created to be dependent beings.
This makes me think of our kids when they were much younger and would attempt to walk a long distance with us or stay up late past what their little bodies could handle. When they surrendered their exhaustion and rested upon us to carry them or stopped fighting their attempts to do more, they were always met with peaceful rest and renewed strength and energy.
“He never grows weak or weary. He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless. Those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.” Isaiah 40:28-31
Another benefit of waiting on the Lord and the Lord’s care upon us is that He renews our strength. It is His power and strength that we receive.
Isaiah 46:4 tells us, “I made you, and I will care for you. I will carry you along and save you.”
What would happen if we relinquished our attempts to keep pushing forward and instead sought rest and renewal in God’s strength that never grows weak or weary?
Increases our trust.
The more I learn and discover the benefits of waiting on God, the more clear it becomes how truly all arrows point to the Lord alone.
“Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the Lord God is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation.” Isaiah 12:2
Sometimes we like to try every other option first before we turn to the Lord. The more directions we turn, the more we realize the faults, limitations, failures, and lack of anything or anyone other than God.
He uses this to decrease our trust in the world and to increase our trust in Him.
What would happen if we daily aimed to turn from what the world attempts to satisfy for us and instead trust the God of our salvation with more and more?
Turns us from ourselves to Him.
Waiting shows us our weakness.
Whatever the situation is, it usually does not take long for us to see how little we have any control of our circumstances.
It hurts to be faced with our limitations because we have fallen for a lie that we can do anything! We’re capable! If we work hard enough and do all the things, we can accomplish anything!
The world wants us to believe we can be our own saviors and we can save ourselves.
Psalm 62:1 NKJ tells us, “Truly my soul waiteth upon God: from him cometh my salvation.” Or the AMP states it as, “For God alone my soul waits in silence; from Him comes my salvation.”
Our souls are wired to yearn for God alone. He turns us from ourselves to Him and it is God alone that brings our salvation.
What would happen if we memorized Psalm 62:1 and every time we were tempted to place anything in “from ___ comes my salvation” we turned back to truth and affirmed it is from Him alone where our salvation is found?
If you have an interest in learning more about waiting on God, I highly recommend Andrew Murray’s book, “Waiting on God“. It’s a 31 day devotional into the heart of meeting God as you wait on Him. It will stir, challenge, and ignite your soul to wait on God each and every day!
Benefits of Waiting on God – Grow to Know God More.
Another incredible benefit of waiting upon the Lord is that He assures us we will know Him and that those who trust Him will not be put to shame. Isaiah 49:23 NLT says, “Then you will know that I am the LORD. Those who trust in me will never be put to shame.” NKJ states it as, “For they shall not be ashamed that wait for me.”
When we wait on the fulfillment of the Lord’s promises, we will be abundantly satisfied! In His promises, He pledges Himself for our deliverance. Our waiting will never be in vain. He longs to reveal Himself to us as the God to fulfill His every promise!
Psalm 46:10 echos, “Be still, and know that I am God.” Waiting requires stillness and when we are still, we grow to know who God is and how personal He is to each of us.
What would happen if we surrendered our stresses to the Lord and sought stillness with Him instead?
Waiting on God Scriptures and Encouragement
Benefits of Waiting upon the Lord – Allows Promises to Take Root.
I’ve shared multiple promises from God throughout this post and the benefits of waiting on God. While we are waiting on the Lord, we are given time and practice for these promises to take root.
Philippians 4:19 ESV is the promise that, “My God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
Will God supply ever need? Do we trust Him to do so? What about this hour? Do we trust God in this hour fufill this promise?
As we take claim of this promise and grow to trust Him at His word, it applies to waiting on God as we walk this out daily depending on the Lord.
Psalm 104:27-28 NLT says, “They all depend on you to give them food as they need it. When you supply it, they gather it. You open your hand to feed them, and they are richly satisfied.”
What is incredible to me is that needs are not just met when we trust in the Lord. They are richly satisfied! God Himself is the supplier and He is exceedingly generous in all He does.
What would happen if we took a promise He has given us and we dwelled on His faithfulness to us up until this point?
Related: What to Do While Waiting on God?
Reminds us of God’s Faithfulness.
Sometimes waiting can be excruciating and we may begin to doubt if God even cares about us. We may even be tempted to wonder if He’s sitting idly by which feels like torture and question if He’s trying to make us miserable.
This is when we need to be reminded of God’s faithfulness to us and that we have a Father that delights to give to His children. His heart is for us!
James 1:17 tells us, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”
When these waves of doubts or questions come, and they will, Psalm 77:11 instructs us what we can do: “I shall remember the deeds of the LORD; surely I will remember Your wonders of old.” This benefit of waiting upon the Lord reminds us that even though our faithfulness to the Lord may waver, His faithfulness never does!
What would happen if we began a journal to keep track of God’s personal faithfulness in our lives?
Develops Patience and Confidence.
James 1:3-4 tells us, “For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.”
Patience through the testing of our faith develops endurance. As we patiently wait upon the Lord, we honor God as we turn to Him and His Word anchoring ourselves in truth. The waiting sews patience and increases our confidence in trusting God’s sovereignty and authority.
We can declare Psalm 27:13, “I am confident that I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living” and know that God is honored in our waiting. He is trustworthy.
What would happen if we anchored ourselves with God’s truth and sought the goodness of the Lord in the moments of today?
Benefits of Waiting upon the Lord – He will bless you abundantly with Himself.
Finally, the ultimate benefit of waiting on God is that we will be blessed abundantly by knowing Him and resting in His presence! Many times we seek the blessing more than God, or we seek the gift more than the Giver.
God will always be more than the blessing. In our waiting, HE blesses us. He works all things according to His will. He waits for us to be gracious and compassionate to us.
It’s too much to comprehend that this God of Love longs to delight and bless us. He has inconceivably wonderful plans and purposes for each of us and patiently waits for us to turn completely to Him.
When we wait upon the Lord, we encounter the one and only Gracious One! With the longings of a father’s heart, our Gracious God waits that He may be gracious to us. Is there any other more worthwhile benefit!?
We praise and thank you, Lord!
What would happen if we took a moment to praise and thank the Lord for the blessing of Him and who He is and what He does in the waiting?
Benefits of Waiting Upon the Lord
When we’re called to be still and wait upon the Lord, it’s more than just waiting on His salvation for whatever we’re facing or dealing with. In the waiting, we realize that salvation is only to bring us to God.
I pray these Benefits of Waiting Upon the Lord spurs each of us on to seek Him alone in the waiting. He promises to meet us there and longs to bestow His graciousness and compassion upon us!
This link of Benefits of Waiting Upon the Lord PDF lists all benefits with scripture and questions included if you would like to use for your personal study.
Praise for mercies that endure for ever and ever.
I take this opportunity to thank God for enabling to write on topic on depending on God.
It has increased my understanding of the topic,the word of God and His love for us as His children. With His help I will continue to read His word for a closer walk with God.
May God bless you abundantly.