“Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for him to act.” Psalms 37:7 NLT

“It’s not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What’s important is that God makes the seed grow.” 1 Corinthians 3:7 NLT

I recently “planted a seed.” No, not a literal seed. But I sent out a small thing that I hope will bring back a harvest. That seed is surrounded by prayer. How and when will God answer that prayer and what should I do while I’m waiting?

Another seed: I finally wrote a book! Years ago, God gave me the seed of an idea as I prepared a sermon. It took a while for me to plant that seed in writing and then for the seed to germinate as I developed the ideas. Now, I’ve begun to see sprouts and am learning how to tend the seed for growth. Soon, the plant will be developed and bear fruit. The book will be published before the end of 2024. I am planning for December 1st. If you would like to receive email alerts about the book, click here.

Are you waiting for a harvest, too? What can you do while waiting for an answer? If you have planted a seed of prayer or action, there are things you can do while you wait.

Work. Being still before the Lord does not mean you plant yourself in a chair and stay there until the answer comes. It doesn’t mean you stare at the seed until you see a sprout. Being still before the Lord means you quiet the inner need to make something happen. It means you step back, open your hands, and let Him lead the way.

In the meantime, you work.

“You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.” Hebrews 10:36 NIV

Are you in a waiting season? Yeah, me too. Sometimes it feels like forever when you are waiting for something. God has made us to crave resolution. Maybe it’s so that we long for heaven. Whether it’s an unresolved chord, a fractured relationship, an incomplete sentence, or a situation in progress we naturally bend toward the resolution. We want to skip to the end, play the chord, fix the relationship, finish the sentence. But life doesn’t work that way, does it? You and I are in good company, though. How many times do the psalms ask God, “How long, Lord?”

So, what do we do while we are waiting? We persevere. We keep living. We keep hoping. We keep looking to God. Easy to say. Not easy to do, right?

So, here are a few tips for waiting well. I need them just as much as you do!