When You’re Waiting and Nothing Is Changing

Trusting God in the In-Between Seasons

Hey friend,

I was thinking about this the other day while sitting in the sanctuary before anyone else showed up.

Lights were low. Room was quiet. Just me, a guitar, and a long list of things in my life that I wish would move faster.

You ever feel like that?

Like you’re doing the right things.
Trying to be faithful.
Trying to grow.
Trying to trust God.

But nothing is changing.

You’re still in the same job.
Still in the same struggle.
Still in the same season.
Still praying the same prayers.

And if we’re honest, waiting is one of the hardest parts of following God.

Because we don’t mind working hard.
We don’t mind obeying.
We don’t even mind suffering if we know it’s doing something.

But waiting feels like doing nothing.
And that’s what makes it so hard on the soul.

Here’s the part most people don’t say out loud.

Waiting makes you start asking questions like:

• Did I miss God somewhere?

• Did I make a wrong decision?

• Did God forget about me?

• Am I just stuck?

Most people won’t say that in church.
But they will think it.

I’ve thought it. More than once.

And when you read scripture, you realize something that nobody really tells you when you first start following Jesus:

God does a lot of His work in the waiting.

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Joseph’s Life Didn’t Make Sense Either

Joseph is one of those stories we like to summarize in a few sentences.

“God gave Joseph a dream. Joseph went through some hard things. Then he became a leader in Egypt.”

But that summary skips about 13 years of waiting, confusion, and unfair situations.

God gave Joseph a dream as a teenager.

Then what happened?

He was betrayed by his brothers.
Sold as a slave.
Falsely accused.
Thrown in prison.
Forgotten by the very person he helped.

And the whole time, Joseph was waiting.

Waiting for the dream.
Waiting for God to do something.
Waiting for life to make sense.

But there’s a verse in Genesis that quietly explains what was really happening:

“And Joseph’s master took him and put him into the prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were confined, and he was there in prison. But the Lord was with Joseph...” (Genesis 39:20)

Not when he became second in command.
Not when the dream came true.

God was with Joseph in the pit.
God was with Joseph in the prison.
God was with Joseph in the waiting.

And I think that’s the part we need to remember.

Because we tend to think:

God is with me when things are working.
God is with me when doors are opening.
God is with me when prayers are being answered.

But scripture shows us something different.

God is with you even when nothing is changing.

One of the hardest lessons to learn is this:

Waiting is not wasted time.

Waiting is where:

• Character is built

• Pride is removed

• Faith becomes real

• Your identity gets rooted in Christ

• You learn to pray for real

• You learn that God is enough

• You learn obedience

• You learn patience

• You become the person God can trust with what you asked for

We want God to change our situation.
A lot of times, God is using the situation to change us.

Romans 8:29 says that God’s goal is not just to make your life work out.

His goal is to make you more like Jesus.

And that process is slow.
Slower than we like.
Slower than we would choose.

But it is always purposeful.

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If You’re In A Waiting Season Right Now

If I could sit across the table from you with a cup of coffee, here’s what I would tell you.

Not as a preacher.
Just as a friend.

1. Don’t assume God is absent just because God is quiet.
Silence does not mean abandonment.

2. Do the next right thing.
You don’t need the whole plan. Just the next step.

3. Be faithful in small things.
Most of life is small, ordinary faithfulness.

4. Keep your heart soft.
Waiting can make people bitter if they’re not careful.

5. Talk to God honestly.
You don’t have to pretend with Him. The Psalms are full of honest prayers.

6. Don’t wait to live until life changes.
Don’t put joy on hold. Don’t put obedience on hold. Don’t put growth on hold.

One More Thing

If you’re in a waiting season, this does not mean your life is on pause.

It just means God is working in ways you can’t see yet.

One day Joseph could look back and see what God was doing.

But he couldn’t see it in the pit.
He couldn’t see it in the prison.
He couldn’t see it while he was forgotten.

He could only see it later.

And a lot of us are in the “pit” or the “prison” part of the story right now.

So if that’s you, hear me:

Your life is not stuck.
Your life is not forgotten.
Your life is not pointless.
And this waiting season is not wasted.

God is doing something in you before He does something through you.

And as hard as it is, sometimes the most spiritual thing you can do is:

Wake up.
Pray.
Do the next right thing.
And trust God with the timeline.

I know that’s easier said than done.

But you’re not alone in this.

A lot of us are waiting too.

— Chris

P.S. I’d love to hear from you.

What has been the hardest part of waiting in your life?
And what do you think God might be teaching you in this season?

And if you know someone who is in a waiting season right now, send this to them.
They might need the reminder that waiting is not wasted.

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Before You Scroll Away

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I read every comment, I pray for this community, and I’m grateful you’re here.