Learning how to make progress while you wait may be one of the greatest challenges of the Christian life. Most of us have no trouble pursuing goals and making plans when life seems to be moving forward. Waiting, however, feels different. Delays often leave us feeling forgotten, sidelined, or tempted to believe that real life will begin once God finally answers the prayer we have been praying.
Perhaps that is why seasons of waiting can become so discouraging. As long as the diagnosis remains unchanged, the prodigal has not returned, the opportunity has not arrived, or the burden has not lifted, we quietly assume we are stuck.
David’s experience in Psalm 13 suggests otherwise.
The psalm opens with four painful questions:
These words hardly sound like the triumphant declarations we often associate with “the man after God’s own heart.” Instead, they sound remarkably familiar. They come from someone exhausted by the delay, overwhelmed by the struggle, and wondering whether God has forgotten him altogether.
I appreciate David’s honesty because it reminds me that feeling discouraged does not mean something is wrong with us. Sometimes what we know to be true about God and what we feel while walking through difficulty are two entirely different things.
David knew God was faithful, yet he felt abandoned. He believed God loved him, but what he experienced in the middle of his suffering felt very different. Like many of us, David discovered that our emotions do not always tell the whole truth. Although his feelings told one story, he refused to make them the final authority.
By the end of the psalm, his circumstances appear unchanged, but his perspective has shifted dramatically. Somewhere between verses one and six, David made progress. And I think we can learn to do the same.
Cling to God, Even When It Feels Like He Is Silent
One of the things I love most about David is that he runs to God rather than away from Him. Even when he feels forgotten, he keeps praying. Even when he sees no immediate answers, he continues seeking. Even when his emotions tell him God is absent, David clings to the One he knows to be faithful.
That may not sound particularly profound, but anyone who has walked through prolonged waiting understands how difficult it can be to keep showing up before the Lord when nothing seems to be changing. Yet David reminds us that faithfulness is not measured by how we feel but by where we run when life hurts.
Ask God to Help You See in the Dark
One of my favorite prayers from this psalm is found in verse three:
“Consider me and answer, LORD my God. Restore brightness to my eyes.”
In other words, David is asking God to help him see differently.
His circumstances had not changed. The waiting had not ended. Yet David recognized that focusing exclusively on his troubles would only deepen his discouragement. Instead, he asked the Lord to help him see.
You and I need that same prayer.
When answers seem delayed and the future feels uncertain, we need the Lord to give us eyes to see His presence, His promises, and His purposes in the middle of our darkness.
Remember God’s Character
Eventually, David’s attention begins to move away from his problems and toward the God he has known and trusted throughout his life. They have a history together. The Lord has sustained him before, extended mercy to him repeatedly, and proven Himself faithful time and time again.
Remembering God’s character does not eliminate our struggles, but it does place them in their proper perspective. How often do we spend more time rehearsing our fears than remembering God’s faithfulness?
Perhaps one of the most helpful things we can do during seasons of waiting is intentionally recall what God has already done. His record is flawless, and His character has not changed.
Choose to Rejoice Before the Answer Comes
By the end of the psalm, David declares:
Interestingly, there is no indication that David’s circumstances changed. Scripture records no breakthrough, no resolution, and no immediate answer from heaven. The situation that prompted his desperate questions at the beginning of the psalm appears to remain intact.
What changed instead was David’s focus.
Remembering God’s faithful love enabled him to rejoice before he understood how the story would unfold. Waiting well often requires us to praise God before we understand what He is doing.
Be Ready
Waiting does not mean doing nothing. Throughout Scripture, God’s people are portrayed as active participants rather than passive observers. Abraham waited. Joseph waited. Hannah waited. David waited. Paul waited. In every case, God was doing far more than they could see.
Perhaps that is why Psalm 130:5 says,
“I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in His word I hope.”
Hope is not passive. Neither is faith.
Perhaps these next eight weeks are not simply something to endure but an opportunity to make progress. While you are waiting for God to answer the prayer that weighs most heavily on your heart, you can still be growing. You can memorize Scripture, cultivate gratitude, keep a record of God’s faithfulness, and deepen your understanding of His character. You can continue preparing yourself for whatever He may have next.
Waiting does not mean life is on hold. Nor does it mean God has forgotten you. On the contrary, some of His deepest work often takes place in seasons when His activity seems hardest to recognize.
Friend, if you find yourself waiting today, take heart. God has not forgotten you, nor has He stopped working on your behalf. Although His timing rarely conforms to our expectations, His character remains unchanged. As David discovered, it is possible to make progress while you wait.
Cling to Him when the answers seem delayed. Ask Him to help you see in the dark. Spend time remembering His faithfulness and choose to rejoice before you understand what He is doing. Then keep preparing yourself for whatever He may have next.
Because He will fulfill His purposes for you.
And He is worth the wait.
Cheri
