“Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:6-7 NASB

Have you ever felt like you spend a lot of your life waiting? You wait for one thing, and it happens. Then you wait for the next thing to come to pass and so on and so on, always looking to what’s next. In the mean time you wonder, where is God in all of this, and why isn’t He answering me? Well, the truth is He is right here with us, and He is answering us. We just don’t always know it.

This verse is a great reminder that God really does care about what happens to us. Not only that, but He is working things out for us. When you choose to humble yourself and follow God even when it’s hard, God knows. He doesn’t forget, and He will honor you in His good time. When you choose to let God work things out for you rather than try to do everything yourself, He will do more than you could ever think or imagine. The wait might seem like forever, but in the meantime, God cares. God knows. In His good time, God is answering.

Interestingly, those words were written years ago when I was a seminary student. Yet the lessons are still as valuable today as they were then. The older I get, the more waiting I seem to do. Although now I can say with even more confidence that God is faithful in the wait. I have seen God come through when and how I least expected over and over again.

Here are a few lessons I’ve learned along the way:

1) Believe that God is always at work, even when you can’t see it

                The God who does not sleep or slumber (Psalm 121:4) is always working for our good. Often He works behind the scenes, so it may take a while to understand how He is working His plan out. Rest assured though, He is at work.

2) Remember God delights in humble faith

                The Bible even says that “God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6 CSB). The thing about faith is that it requires humility. It requires dependence on Someone greater than ourselves. If you could see how God was going to work everything out, then you would not need faith. One day we will understand fully (1 Corinthians 13:9-10), but for today, pleasing God requires faith (Hebrews 11:6).

3) Be active in the wait 

                Trust is not for the faint of heart, and it is not a passive activity. Casting ALL your anxiety on the Lord requires actively calling out to Him and telling Him all of your concerns. Then keep following the Lord, faithfully serving Him in the direction He has given you until He leads you in a different direction.

Life involves a lot of waiting, but the wait doesn’t have to be wasted. Take time to tell the Lord all that is on your heart today. Then keep following Him as He leads the way.

“I wait for the Lord; I wait and put my hope in his word. I wait for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning—more than watchmen for the morning. Israel, put your hope in the Lord. For there is faithful love with the Lord, and with him is redemption in abundance.” Psalm 130:5-7 CSB

-   Dr. Emily Dean serves as Adjunct Faculty and Coordinator of Women’s Programs at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary.