What Should We Do While We Wait?

God has placed a desire in my heart to provide Bibles for some believers in Kenya. They are using Bible lessons we sent, but some of them do not have a Bible of their own. The need is real, but the money to meet that need is not presently in my hands.

I have prayed about it. I have made the need known. Now I am waiting on God.

I am not writing this as another request for money. I am writing it because I need to remember what Scripture teaches us to do while we wait. Perhaps someone else is waiting for an answer too.

Nehemiah knew what it was like to carry a burden he could not immediately do anything about. He learned that Jerusalem’s walls were broken down and its gates had been burned. The news crushed him.

“Now when I heard these words, I sat down and wept and mourned for days; and I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven” (Nehemiah 1:4).

Nehemiah did not rush ahead and try to force something to happen. He prayed. He confessed sin. He reminded himself of God’s promises. He asked God to give him favor before the king.

Then he waited.

About four months passed between the events of Nehemiah 1 and Nehemiah 2. During that time, Nehemiah continued serving as the king’s cupbearer. He carried the burden for Jerusalem, but he remained faithful to the responsibility already in front of him.

When the king finally noticed his sadness and asked what he wanted, Nehemiah did not waste the opportunity.

“Then the king said to me, ‘What would you request?’ So I prayed to the God of heaven” (Nehemiah 2:4).

Nehemiah was ready. He knew where he needed to go, what he needed to do, and what help he would require. He waited on God, but his waiting was not careless or empty.

That teaches us something important.

Waiting does not mean we stop praying. It does not mean we sit down and refuse to do anything. It means we continue doing what God has already placed before us while trusting Him with what remains beyond our ability.

I cannot presently place Bibles into the hands of every believer in Kenya who needs one. But I can continue sending Bible teaching. I can encourage those believers. I can pray for them. I can learn where Bibles can be purchased and how they can be delivered. If God provides the funds, we will be ready to act.

At the same time, I must not assume that God is required to provide for every plan I make, even when the plan seems good. Trusting God does not mean telling Him what He must do. Scripture says:

“Instead, you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that’” (James 4:15).

That is where faith rests. If the Lord wills, He will provide. If He wants us to wait longer, we will wait. If He chooses another way, we must be willing to follow.

While we wait, we should not become discouraged and quit doing the good that is already within our reach.

“Let’s not become discouraged in doing good, for in due time we will reap, if we do not become weary” (Galatians 6:9).

Perhaps you are waiting for an answer this morning. You may be waiting for healing, direction, restoration, provision, or an open door. Keep praying, but do not let waiting become an excuse to neglect what God has already given you to do.

Remain faithful today. Prepare for the door to open. Refuse to force an answer. Leave the outcome in God’s hands.

We do not know when the answer will come or what the answer will be. But we can know what to do while we wait.

We keep trusting. We keep obeying. We keep praying. And we remain ready.

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“What I write is not for everyone, but what I write is meant for someone.” – Dean Butler

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