While You're Waiting, God Is Working

““So, let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up”. – Galatians 6:9 NLT

God uses the process of asking, seeking, and knocking to deepen your faith, and that’s more important than a quick answer to prayer.

Some prayers are answered immediately, but some take weeks, months, or even years. Two of the most important prayers I’ve ever prayed took years for God to answer. One took 11 years and the other took almost 20 years…but God answered them.

Why did it take so long? Because while I was waiting on God, God was working on me.

Galatians 6:9 says, “So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up”.

Notice it says, “at the right time.” God’s timing is perfect. He’s never early. He’s never late. He’s always right on time.

You see, when God wants to do something really powerful in your life, it most likely isn’t going to happen overnight. In fact, it often feels like flying in a jumbo jet…it takes a lot of runway to get it off the ground.

And while you taxi down the runway, you’re praying, trusting, and growing in faith. God says, “I’m going to do it…but it’s going to be in My timing.”

As you see God answer your prayers, provide for your needs, and open new doors, you’ll develop a deep confidence and faith that God is listening, He cares, and He wants to pour out His blessings in your life.

God Has Work for YOU

God calls you to a service far beyond anything you could ever imagine. You were put on Earth to make a contribution.

God designed you to make a difference with your life. You weren’t created just to consume resources: to eat, breathe, and take up space. You were created to add to life on Earth, not just to take from it. God wants you to give something back…to help other people.

The Bible says, “It is God Himself who has made us what we are and given us new lives from Christ Jesus; and long ages ago He planned that we should spend these lives in helping others” (Ephesians 2:10 TLB). 

Whenever you serve others in any way, you are actually serving God. As Colossians 3:23-24 says, “Do your work willingly, as though you were serving the Lord Himself, and not just your earthly master. In fact, the Lord Christ is the one you are really serving, and you know He will reward you”.

In one of His parables, Yeshua said, “The King will answer, ‘Whenever you did it for any of My people, no matter how unimportant they seemed, you did it for Me’” (Matthew 25:40 CEV).

And the apostle Paul shared the same message: “Work with enthusiasm, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people” (Ephesians 6:7 NLT).

God said it this way to the prophet Jeremiah in the Old Testament: “Before I made you in your mother’s womb, I chose you. Before you were born, I set you apart for a special work” (Jeremiah 1:5 NCV).

When most people think of this “special work,” they think of pastors, priests, and professional clergy. But God says that He expects every member of His family to minister. In the Bible, the words “servant” and “minister” are synonyms; “service” and “ministry” are synonyms too. If you are a Believer; a follower of Messiah, you are a minister. And when you’re serving, you’re ministering.

Have you ever wondered why God didn’t just immediately take you to heaven the moment you accepted His Grace? Why does He leave His children in a fallen world? He leaves you here to fulfill His purposes.

Once you are saved, God intends to enlist  you in His service to fulfill His goals. God has a ministry for you in His Kingdom and a mission for you in the world.

Know What Counts...And What Doesn't

“Everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.” - Philippians 3:8 NLT

Every day when you wake up, you need to remind yourself of what counts and what doesn’t count. Don’t be distracted by things that are insignificant and petty.

Why is it important to remind yourself of what matters? It’s easy to lose your joy over some small thing. In fact, it’s usually the small irritations…not the big issues that cause you to lose your joy. Somebody cuts you off when you’re trying to make a turn, and you lose your joy. The clothes you put on don’t fit anymore, and you lose your joy. It’s the little things that sometimes affect people the most, and yet they don’t really matter.

Paul said in Philippians 3:7, “I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done”.

What was the most important thing in your life before you met Yeshua Messiah? Was it your career? Making money? Maybe it was getting a date or being popular.

Paul said all those things are “worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord” (Philippians 3:8 NLT).

Here’s a good question to ask when you’re distracted by worthless things: How much will this matter in 100 years from now? Many things won’t even matter tomorrow, much less for eternity. All the things you used to care about don’t even compare to the joy that comes from having a relationship with Yeshua.

When you become a Believer, Yeshua changes your values. You no longer want to do the things you used to do. He changes your “wants.”

When God comes into your life, you learn the joy of knowing Yeshua. And that’s what really counts.