Part 3 of 5: Standing Firm in the Battle - 6 Voices. 5 Topics. One goal—endure in faith, joy, and truth

Persevering in Long Seasons of Waiting

Persevering in Long Seasons of Waiting

Welcome to Part 3 of our 5-part series, "Standing Firm in the Battle." In this series, six believers share personal reflections on enduring in faith through trials, warfare, and hardship. In Part 2, we looked at how each contributor recognizes and resists spiritual attacks. If you missed it, you can read part 2 here.

Today, we focus on one of the most stretching aspects of spiritual endurance: waiting. Waiting for breakthrough, for healing, for answered prayer, or simply for direction can feel discouraging and long. But God works deeply in the waiting, and each of our contributors offers insight into what helps them persevere when the silence feels loud and the timeline unclear.

How Do You Persevere in Long Seasons of Waiting?

Dan Blincoe:

Waiting is not punishment. It is not a delay tactic from a reluctant God. It is an invitation. A sacred pause. A holy place where the Father is forming something deep and eternal in you. You're not stuck. You're being shaped by Life Himself.

This is not about God withholding. This is about God rooting you in something that will not shake. You are not waiting for life to begin. You are learning how to live with Him right now. Even when you do not feel Him, He is present. Even when it seems silent, He is speaking in whispers. The waiting is not wasted. It is where the truth of who He is takes root in your soul. Where you stop demanding answers because you have come to know the Answer Himself (Romans 5:3–5).

You are not in limbo. You are in process. And God is faithful in the process. In the quiet, He teaches you to listen. In the stillness, He shows you how to trust (Psalm 46:10). We beg for direction, for breakthrough, for clarity, but often God is simply saying, "Will you be with Me?" Because once He becomes enough, you stop chasing the next thing. You start living from Him. And that, right there, is freedom.

Waiting is not the place where you stall. It is the place where you grow strong. Where your roots go deep. You do not need to hustle for clarity or try harder to force the next step. What you really need is to know Him. Because when you know His heart, circumstances lose their grip. You are not trying to get God to prove Himself. You already trust that He is good. That is faith. That is what moves His heart, not the victory, but the love that stays through the silence (Hebrews 11:1).

This is where your trust is tested and made true. Where the lies that once haunted you cannot hold anymore, because truth has taken their place. This is where your strength is forged (Isaiah 40:31). So stop measuring the journey by the clock or by what others are doing. God is not late. He is precise. He is making something beautiful. Do not look at the timeline. Look at what He is forming in you.

You are not forgotten. You are not being overlooked. You are being refined. Loved. Grown.

So lift your eyes. Let gratitude rise. Let your heart stay soft, even here. Let worship come before the answer. Because you are not waiting for victory. You are standing in it. You are not losing time. You are gaining depth.

And when that long-awaited day comes, you will realize this season made you stronger than you knew. That is the kind of strength love gives (Lamentations 3:25–26).

Steven Galatioto:

On January 12, 2024, I found myself on a flight back to Southern California, leaving behind a dream I had been building in Japan. I had planned to expand my English school business, something I had prayed about and worked toward for years. But when my stepdad’s dementia worsened, I had to return home to be his caregiver. At first, I wasn’t thrilled. This wasn’t what I had planned, and I struggled with frustration, wondering why God had allowed this detour.

Waiting seasons can feel like wasted seasons, especially when they interrupt our dreams. However, Scripture teaches that waiting is never passive—it’s an active trust in God’s perfect timing. Here are a few ways I’ve learned to persevere during long seasons of waiting:

1. Surrender the Timeline to God

• Proverbs 3:5-6 reminds us to trust in the Lord, not our own understanding.

• When waiting feels unbearable, I remind myself that God sees the full picture—what feels like a delay is often divine preparation.

2. Cultivate Faithful Habits in the Present

• Instead of focusing on what I can’t do, I focus on what I can do: prayer, worship, and serving faithfully where God has placed me.

• Galatians 6:9 says, “Let us not grow weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”

3. Guard Against Bitterness

• It’s easy to let frustration turn into resentment. But gratitude shifts perspective.

• Each day, I thank God for something, even if it’s small—His provision, strength, or simply another day to serve.

4. Prepare for What’s Next

• Joseph waited years in prison before stepping into leadership (Genesis 41). Yet in the waiting, he remained faithful and ready.

• I use this time to develop skills, grow spiritually, and stay prepared for the doors God will open.

Waiting is hard, but it’s never wasted when we trust God’s plan. Looking back, I see how even unwanted detours can lead to unexpected blessings—blessings ‘without’ disguise. If you’re in a waiting season, hold on. God is working, even when you don’t see it.

Cole Nielsen:

Sometimes, the voice of our Shepherd can seem almost imperceptible, it can feel as if we followed the lead of our Lord, and we end up "encamped ... (where) there (is) no water... to drink" (Exodus 17:1). We are left there, alone, "(thirsting) there for water" (Exodus 17:3). The warmth and love we once felt when "His left hand (was) under (our) head, and His right hand embraced (us)" (Song of Songs 2:7) now feels frigid, and the supply of living water feels bone-dry.

How are we to respond in these situations? It's so easy to "contend" (Exodus 17:2) and "complain" (Exodus 17:3) like the Israelites in the barren desert. It can be so effortless to lash out, "Why is it you have brought us (here), to kill us" (Exodus 17:3). What would this reaction do, however, but show a heart which is ignorant of His promises? Promises like, "Behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:20), or "though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me" (Psalm 23:4). In these desert sojourns we must remember that God can "strike the rock, and water will come out of it, so that (you) may drink" (Exodus 17:6)!

As a loving father might hide his presence from his wandering son to show the child how helpless he is without him, our Father may lead us into the desert to reveal our helplessness in the absence of His presence. Just as the young boy might cry out in desperation, "Abba, Father!" (Romans 8:15), we must cry out, "Do not forsake me, O Lord! O my God, do not be far from me! Make haste to help me, O Lord, my salvation!" (Psalm 38:21-22). We must grab hold of Him and "(wrestle) with Him until the breaking of dawn" (Genesis 32:24). Having Him back in our presence must be so important that even though our "thigh (is) dislocated while (we) wrestle" (Genesis 32:25) we push on and say to Him, "I will not let You go unless you bless me!" (Genesis 32:26).

The Lord is so faithful, He has told you, "He will not leave you or forsake you" (Deuteronomy 31:6), though He is leading us through the valley of the shadow of death, I know that the path will "lead me beside still waters" (Psalm 23:2). When I remember God's faithfulness, and I cry out to Him, I can know He will come to me, because "this is the confidence which we have before Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him" (1 John 5:14-15).

Now, when I am led to those deserts, through my earnest and heart felt cries to Him I can "Be still, and know that (He) is God" (Psalm 46:10), understanding that living waters will again flow out of my heart of stone!

Janet Abadir:

I have been in a wilderness season for over two years. The wilderness is a place of scarcity, drought, and barrenness. It is not cultivated, predictable, or fruitful. Life is on pause in some ways, with little similarity to the past. It feels lonely, isolated, and draining.

When my job as a general surgeon exploded in my hands, my counselor told me to wait and worship in the wilderness. He described two dangerous temptations: to run back to the life I had, that God was clearly moving me away from, or to race forward and create something myself that God did not want me to pursue.

Wait and worship. How long? But what should I be doing? Will I be ok? You may have these questions in your season of waiting. Here's what I am learning.

God provides in the wilderness. He gives manna every day, and water to drink. He has provided good leaders and a community of believers around me. And like the children of Israel, I can sense His presence in "the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night," guiding me and never leaving me alone.

I have found my awareness of God's presence has increased. My thirst for Him and His Word is greater, and He faithfully speaks to me daily. I weep more, but I also laugh more. Compassion and empathy for other sufferers comes more naturally. I receive frequent assurance and confirmation that I am exactly where God wants me right now.

I still forget to worship at times. Worship is the most productive activity any Christian can do. Worship has eternal significance. Worship makes worry impossible. (Worship more, worry less.) I am using my time to learn to listen. I want to be fully present for my family and friends. I want to hear stories of God's work in their lives and praise the Lord together. I worship my God who provides. I draw near to Jesus in my suffering because He experienced the wilderness for me.

In order to endure the wilderness waiting time, I must remember that there is no condemnation or punishment left for me (Romans 8:1). Jesus took every drop of the cup of God's wrath on the cross. I am free of shame, regret, guilt, or fear of judgment. Christ's righteousness is my garment of salvation. Patient endurance is only possible when I know for certain that God is not punishing me, and that He actually delights in me. "But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you" (1 Peter 4:13-14).

I pray that we can persevere in our times of waiting. Beware of any root of bitterness, or envy, or entitlement. We may feel like outsiders as we wander in the wilderness, and we may look longingly at those experiencing easier circumstances, but remember that it will all be worth it in the end. "So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood. Therefore let us go to him outside the camp and bear the reproach he endured. For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come. Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name" (Hebrews 13:12-15).

Eric Mattie:

When driving a car no one drives straight on a long journey. Same is true of persevering in long seasons of waiting

For some reason when we find ourselves in long seasons of waiting, we can feel paralyzed. Stuck in a rut. Afraid that one wrong move, may screw up our lives or God’s will for us. But adjustments are needed and part of getting through the season.

Practically speaking, adjusting our grip on the steering wheel of waiting seasons, can help the fatigue that can set in. So, hear me with this: let’s adjust our view of the season.

Waiting seasons can hold treasures

If you are anything like me, I have some patience, but there is a time where I start to get restless. Being in waiting season there are times we can endure the darkness. But we all want it to be over sooner than later. It can feel like it will never lift. When you are in that moment you start to rationalize with God’s time table and try to negotiate why it should be over.

This should not be the viewpoint we hold in seasons of waiting. One way to adjust our view point is to remember Isaiah 45: 3

“I will give you the treasures of darkness
and the hoards in secret places,
that you may know that it is I, the Lord,
the God of Israel, who call you by your name.” (ESV)

Devotionally speaking about this passage, there are lessons learned and comforts felt in prolonged periods of waiting.. These are treasures we need to slow down for and wait for the Lord to unveil.

Consider the following hymnal-like truth-affirming statement:

“Even now,

as history unfolds

in ways we know only in part,

we are assured

that God is with us in our world,

holding all things in tender embrace

and bending them to his purpose.

The confidence that the Lord is faithful

gives meaning to our days

and hope to our years.

The future is secure,

for our world belongs to God.”

from “Our World Belongs to God”

Contemporary Testimony Statement #12 by

Christian Reformed Church

Lean into this season with hope.

The adjustments we need to make in seasons of waiting includes the fact that we live in real time that is still unfolding. We are still in process of becoming like Christ.

Because we only know in part, adjust from trusting your feelings to trusting the truth of God’s word. Your feelings may feel real, but they are not always true in times of persevering.

Because God holds all things in his tender embrace adjust your grip in trying to hold onto the control of situations. Change to an open-handed lifting and casting of cares on a daily basis. Do not focus on the length of time. Rather, focus on the Savior’s loving work and presence in the days he gives meaning and the future that He is securing for you.

Boma:

Trust in the LORD with all thine heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths. [ Proverbs 3:5–6, KJV ]

I was going to become something and change the world one day.

These days, I just want food to eat, clothes to wear, somewhere to lay my head, and to make it to heaven after all has been said and done.

It took a long time to get to this place.

We've been told that the longest word in the Bible is wait — because when God tells you to wait, you might be waiting for a really long time.

But the thing with walking with God is that the visions and blueprints He imprints on our hearts don't lie — you cannot deny or ignore them.

For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it, because it will surely come, it will not tarry. [ Habakkuk 2:3, KJV ]

Twenty years is a long time to wait for a promise but Abraham waited — for as long as He had to — and Sarah received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child because she judged Him who had promised faithful. [ Hebrews 11:11 ]

Hannah waited.

Elizabeth and Zachariah waited.

Simeon waited.

Anna waited.

Job waited.

And what was the harvest of their season of waiting?

Sometimes, our frustration with this season is not because we have lost faith. It is the beauty of the promise that makes it hard to wait. We are like the child who would not stop asking, "Are we there yet?"

Keep your eyes on the promise and, especially, on the One who has promised.

When nothing makes sense, you must lean in the more and live out your professed faith and trust in God.

Live in expectation.

Do not lose the wonder of that expectation — you will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. [ Psalm 27:13 ]

Do not let your heart get cold and hard by opening the door to apathy and complacency.

Even when you cannot hear Him, do not stop talking to God — even if all you can say is "Are we there yet?"

Maybe one day I will become something and fulfill those divine visions and imprints I cannot deny and ignore.

But until then, I'll be where God has planted me, doing my honest best to fully experience the seasons He has allowed for me, reminding myself as often as I can that He knows best and He will not fail me — I suppose this is what it means to trust.

Coming Up in Part 4

In the next post, we’ll look at what it means to experience joy—not just when life is good, but when it’s hard. Each writer will reflect on how they’ve found joy in Christ through grief, trial, or discouragement.

Stay tuned for Part 4: Cultivating Joy When Life Is Hard.

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