It’s easy to be frustrated when something we’re waiting for is taking so much longer than we thought. It’s tempting to take matters into our own hands and try to force doors to open, to manipulate a situation, to live striving and straining. But the Scripture says, “Through faith and patience we inherit the promises” (Hebrew 6:12). You have to trust God’s timing. Without patience, you can miss God’s best. It may be taking longer because what God has in store is much better than what you have in mind.
Jesus told His disciples, “I’m going away to prepare a place for you” (John 14:2). God has some prepared blessings for you, things He’s already lined up—good breaks, the right people, healing—that will come at His appointed time. Isaiah 40:31 says, “They that wait on the Lord will renew their strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles.” Waiting on the Lord is waiting in faith, in peace, from a place of rest. You do your best, then you step back and let God fight your battles, open the doors, bring the right people, vindicate you.
In John 21, Peter was so discouraged, not knowing what he and the other disciples were going to do after Jesus’ resurrection, that he took matters into his own hands and went back to fishing. But after he and the other disciples had fished all night and caught nothing, Jesus, whom they couldn’t recognize in the early morning light, called out from the beach and told them to throw their net on the other side of the boat. When they did, they caught so many fish they had to drag the net to shore. Here they found that Jesus had a charcoal fire burning and fish already grilling on it. He said, “Come and have some breakfast.” What the disciples couldn’t catch, Jesus was already cooking. What they had worked all night for, God already had on the grill. This was a prepared blessing—fully cooked, seasoned, and ready to eat.
Like these disciples, you may have worked hard, done your best, but you haven’t caught anything. You haven’t caught your healing, so to speak, or the right person, the good break in your business. Your nets are empty. Can I encourage you? What you haven’t caught, God is already grilling. While you’re stressed thinking the business problem or the medical report isn’t changing, He’s putting more charcoal on the fire and seasoning the fish. Something’s cooking. You’re about to taste and see that the Lord is good. You’re coming into a prepared blessing. God knows what He’s doing, so just rest. When the fish are ready, when it’s just right, He’ll call you.