Waiting Doesn't Equal Punishment

So often, I hear people say that God is holding back something good from them, as if they are being punished. Or complain that God has caused some mishap, challenge, or tragedy in their lives because He doesn’t love them. Why are we so quick to blame God? The Bible says that, “every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” (James 1:17 NIV) God doesn’t change, so why do we sometimes act like He responds to us like an emotional child? God is the same. Always.

When I study God’s blessings and provisions, it makes me see more clearly how His timing works. And if you are willing to pause and look at it, His ways really are quite beautiful.

At times, God makes us wait. But it’s not because He wants to deprive us of good things, our hearts desires, or what we want, it’s because God is all-knowing. God knows all the nuances, details, and timing of things to make our prayer requests, blessings, arrive at the correct moment. God times things to bless us better, not to punish us. What if part of the picture is not ready yet, making the blessing less complete and beautiful? God is The Creator. We should trust The Creator knows what He is doing with time.

When we have patience in waiting, which can often be very challenging, it shows an understanding that God’s delay in answering our prayers does not come from a place of punishment, but of love. God desires to give us good things. Waiting patiently means trusting God to give us the blessings we need, in the perfect timing. God cares so much about each of us as individuals, that He blesses us each in unique ways, according to our own personal stories. That is love, not punishment. When the answers to our prayers are timed perfectly in God’s timing, we can trust He’s done the best thing for us.

God’s answers to our prayers, His blessings, don’t have to meet our human expectations for us to learn we can trust Him fully. Because when we trust God, it enables us to walk in faith without fear. What a blessing that is!

Psalm 27:14 (NIV)

Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.

Psalm 33:4 (NIV)

For the word of the Lord is right and true; he is faithful in all he does.

Romans 15:13 (NIV)

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Romans 8:28 (NIV)

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.