Estimated reading time: 14 minutes

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“We never live; we are always in the expectation of living.”

Voltaire

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Introduction to Bible Verses About Waiting on God

I recently crossed something off my bucket list after 37 years. In Texas, hunting is a way of life, something you grow up doing. My story, however, didn’t involve hunting as a kid. While other kids were perched in blinds waiting for the perfect deer to peek its head through the trees, I was in a gym or on a baseball diamond. Fast forward 30 years, and I finally can say I’m a hunter. Or, at least, I’ve been hunting.

A New Experience in Waiting

Yesterday, our marketing guy invited my business partner and me to a guided duck hunt. He’s a professional hunting guide, and he’s really good at it. He took us to this beautiful stretch of private land early in the morning, almost two hours before first light. It was glorious. A 4:45 AM wake-up, a 6:00 AM arrival to a brisk 34-degree morning where steam seeped off the water and your breath crystallized with every exhale. Warm clothes, shotguns, and coffee. It truly was a microadventure of epic proportions—and fantastic for the soul. Waiting would soon commence.

As we prepared our firearms for the incoming flights of ducks, we nestled cozily into position inside our blinds, waiting for the fowl to arrive. Then, we waited some more. It was still over an hour before sunrise, but we had to prepare in advance to be ready when first light occurred at 7:38 AM.

While we waited, we talked, thought, and reflected. The conversations moved from funny stories to more thoughtful ones, as we discussed how we would respond when the time came. The wait was long, but it reminded me of the countless bible verses about waiting, where people are encouraged to embrace the process and trust God’s timing.

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The 5 Types of Waiting – Bible Verses About Waiting

1. Active Waiting – Bible Verses About Waiting

This is the type of waiting that involves preparation and anticipation, such as when you are actively getting ready for something to happen. In the article, preparing for the duck hunt before sunrise reflects active waiting, where we take steps to be ready when the time comes, just like in faith when we prepare ourselves spiritually for God’s timing.

I think back to our time in Guatemala. If you’re not familiar with our story, take a quick minute to read through our story. 

Throughout our 4 months in Antigua, we were constantly praying. Wondering. Hoping. We weren’t quite sure what we were praying, wondering or hoping for. We just knew that we wanted clarity. That was the word we continued to prayed. God, give us clarity. So we waited. Day by day and week by week, we waited. Then month after month, we continued to wait. 

While we waited, we began plugging away at the practical. What would I do for work? What kinds of schools did we want to consider for our kids? Moving back to Lubbock or moving elsewhere had logistics we had to work through. Where would we live? 

It’s really difficult to plan any of this without knowing where you’re going or what you’re going to do. But we planned anyways. We know by being proactive during our wait, the Lord would reveal himself at the right time. 

This is what active waiting looks like. This is the easiest form of waiting because while it takes trust, you actually have a role to play at the same time. 

2. Patient Waiting – Bible Verses About Waiting

This involves enduring a long period of time without immediate results, trusting that what you are waiting for will come in God’s timing. 

Think about a situation where you just felt completely helpless, yet you had to trust and wait. For me, it was the 2 years prior to Celeste and I getting married. It’s a pretty crazy story!

What is it for you? Maybe it was a health issue that you just want to patiently wait for the doctor’s diagnosis. Maybe it was a relationship that had yet to be restored. Or, maybe you’re dealing with something right now. 

Patient waiting is one of the most difficult of the 5 types of waiting. Any idea why? Yeah, it’s because you literally can’t do anything. Nothing you do will speed up the process. This is immensely difficult for those of us that move through life at the speed of light. 

However, what patient waiting causes us to do is truly focus on the One that provides all good things…in His timing. It forces us to release control of timelines and outcomes. This, in turn, typically comes with a peace that we can’t really understand.

3. Reflective Waiting – Bible Verses About Waiting

This type of waiting involves deep thought and reflection, using the time to grow spiritually or mentally. During the hunt, the conversation and introspection illustrate reflective waiting. In life, waiting for answers or clarity from God can lead to growth through contemplation and faith-building.

If you’ve ever been hunting you understand the picture I’m trying to create. You can feel it. You and a buddy hanging out in the blind with your shotgun ready to strike at the first opportunity. However, the hour or hours leading up to this involves conversation. Some deep. Others not to much. 

Often, we enter into a time of reflection about our life, a story, or a recent even. We begin reflecting on what we learned, how we felt, who was with us, etc. 

Reflective waiting involves allowing our minds to stop and think back through our life. We grow from reflection. We mature. Reflective waiting is what gives us perspective on life.

4. Anticipated Waiting – Bible Verses About Waiting

This is characterized by waiting with expectation and hope, trusting that what you are waiting for will be good. Anticipated waiting is highlighted by the scriptural reminder to wait with good courage, trusting that God’s plan is unfolding even if the wait is long.

I want to caveat this type of waiting. Sometimes, the ducks just don’t fly. You prepare. Wake up early. Clean the guns. Set up the blinds. All the things. 

Then, you wait with anticipation for what you believe will be a great hunt. You’re anticipating a climactic event, an apogee of sorts. This anticipation fills your belly with butterflies and you face with a wry smile. 

Sometimes, our anticipatory wait pays off. Other times it does not. What the Bible calls us to is wait with good courage. We must always trust in God’s plan and His timing. We are to anticipate what the Lord is going to do.  

5. Enduring Waiting – Bible Verses About Waiting

This type of waiting often involves hardship, where you endure difficult circumstances while waiting for resolution. In biblical terms, this could relate to the testing of faith or enduring trials while waiting for God’s salvation.

Oh, the enduring waiting season. There is no telling how long this season will last. It may last a few hours or a few years. For us, it lasted around 2 years. We endured financial meltdown, marriage turmoil, loss of loved ones, totaled cars, purposelessness, lack of direction and so many other things. 

Enduring waiting is not for everyone. I mean that. Life is going to suck from time to time. That’s a fact of life. We have to endure pain and hardship. Suffering. Sickness. Death. Divorce. Bankruptcy. Infidelity or infertility. So on and so forth. 

It is vital that we turn to what the Bible says about this type of waiting. 

“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.” (Romans 8:18)

This is the only way through to the other side. 

Waiting with Faith

In the Bible, waiting is a theme repeated throughout. There are countless stories of those who waited for God’s promises, trusting that His plan was greater than their own. Take the story of Joseph of Arimathea, a man who waited for the kingdom of God and boldly acted when the time came. Or the apostle Paul, who endured hardship while waiting on the Lord, even when his circumstances seemed unbearable.

These bible verses about waiting show us that faith often requires us to trust in things unseen, knowing that God’s purpose is being fulfilled, even if we can’t fully grasp it in the moment. The promises of God are always worth waiting for, and the wait itself prepares us to receive His blessings.

• “For God alone my soul waits in silence; from him comes my salvation.” (Psalm 62:1)
• “But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.” (Isaiah 40:31)
• “The Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him.” (Isaiah 30:18)
• “Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!” (Psalm 27:14)
• “For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.” (Romans 8:24-25)

The Growth in Waiting

As I sat in the blind that morning, I realized how much of life is spent waiting. Waiting for relationships to bloom, waiting for career opportunities, waiting for healing or clarity. We spend so much of our lives in anticipation, and if we aren’t careful, we can miss the beauty that unfolds during the wait. Bible verses about waiting remind us that God’s timing is perfect, and that His plans are far greater than our own.

The beauty of that morning was not just in the hunt itself but in the waiting. We laid in our blinds for an hour, talking before we ever actually got to the “fun” part. Watching the horizon slowly transition from darkness to light was breathtaking. The sun crept over the east, casting its golden warmth across the landscape.

My first hunt was spent more in reflective waiting than anything. The second time I went hunting, I was able to enjoy the anticipation of waiting. It took quite a long time before I actually fired my shotgun. I was ok with that though. I knew the anticipation would be worth it. 

What I’ve learned through waiting is that the hardest thing is typically when we choose to wait in the wrong form. The best thing about waiting is when we choose to allow the outcomes to play out as God wants them to. 

14 Bible Verses About Waiting

In addition to the bible verses about waiting, here are some more biblical truths that emphasize the importance of trusting God in the waiting:

• “The eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the Lord our God, till he shows us mercy.” (Psalm 123:2)
• “The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him.” (Lamentations 3:25)
• “For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end—it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay.” (Habakkuk 2:3)
• “Let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.” (Galatians 6:9)
• “Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.” (James 5: 7-8)
• “I waited patiently for the Lord; he inclined to me and heard my cry. He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure. He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the Lord.” (Psalm 40:1-3)
• “And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope of righteousness we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.” (Romans 8:23-25)
• “Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.” (Revelation 2:10)
• “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you.” (1 Peter 1: 3-4)
• “For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken.” (Psalm 62:5-6)
• “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.” (1 Peter 5: 6-7)
• “Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” (Romans 5:3-5)
• “Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths. Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long.” (Psalm 25:4-5)
• “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.” (Roman 8:18)

Conclusion to Bible Verses About Waiting on God

God’s word holds no punches. The Bible is very clear. All waiting pales in comparison to eternal life. How’s that for perspective? 

You may be in a season of waiting right now. I’ll be honest, it may be a little while before you receive any sort of clarity, answer or resolution to whatever it is that you’re waiting on. I implore you to remember that promise of the Father that will never leave us or forsake us. 

Seasons of waiting are not only mandatory, they are necessary for our growth. The will of God will play out whether we play along or not. It is our choice how we choose to experience the season of waiting. 

So wait well. Determine which type of waiting is required and lean into it. 

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