15 Bible Verses About Waiting on God
Waiting isn’t easy for most of us. Today, we’ll explore 15 Bible verses about waiting on God. Then, I’ll share a personal story of how trusting God’s timing recently yielded a small but whimsical blessing for our family.
Bible Verses About Waiting on God and Trusting His Timing
Be sure to read to the end of today’s post for a free devotional to help you trust God while you wait.
15 Bible Verses About Waiting on God
1. Romans 5:3,4
Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope. ESV
It’s not easy to wait on God.
Are you weary from waiting on God? Have you been suffering during this wait?
God is using this time to help you grow in character and maturity. He will use this time of waiting for your good and his glory. Without the work that is taking place in your heart today, you won’t have the character you need to step into your dream when the time is right.
2. Psalm 23:4
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.
The best news in the darkest valley of waiting is that Jesus is still walking with you. He won’t leave your side.
No matter what your season of waiting looks like, rest in the promise that Jesus is with you. He is protecting you, defending you, and loving you. You can trust him to deliver you at the right time.
3. Isaiah 40:31
But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.
Are you tired of waiting? Keep looking to God.
Wait on the Lord, and he will give you strength. Additionally, Proverbs 3:5- 6 reminds us what to do while we wait: We don’t lean on our human understanding or reasoning. Instead, we trust that God’s ways are perfect. We keep looking to him while we wait, and we trust that he will light the paths in front of us.
4. Psalm 27:14
Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!
God’s timing is always perfect. Be strong, take heart, and keep waiting for him. His ways are not our ways, but he will never abandon his children. He also promises to finish what he starts (see Phil. 4:6).
Ask God to give you courage as you wait for him. In the meantime, he will show you how to be strong and keep working while you wait.
5. Isaiah 30:18
Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you. For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him.
Remind yourself that God is looking for ways to show kindness and mercy to you. He might seem silent, but this does not mean he isn’t working in your life. Do your best obey him, and you can trust that he will bring his plans to pass.
6. Galatians 6:9
Let’s not become discouraged in doing good, for in due time we will reap, if we do not become weary. NASB
Several years ago, a close friend asked me to pick a verse she could pray over our family throughout the upcoming year. I was deeply touched by her love and loyalty. Yet, for the life of me, I couldn’t settle on a verse.
As I talked about this with God, I sensed a nudge to ask my friend to pick a verse for our family.
She picked Galatians 6:9.
For an entire year, she prayed these words over our family. Throughout that year, God frequently reminded me to cling to his encouragement in challenging times. I faced setbacks in my writing career and moments that made me question my parenting. Meanwhile, I committed to continuing on God’s path for me.
At the end of the year, I reflected on the many blessings that resulted from simply persevering.
This principle is true for all of us. As we remain faithful to God’s calling, he promises that we will bear fruit.
7. Isaiah 59:1
Behold, the Lord’s hand is not so short that it cannot save; nor is His ear so dull that it cannot hear.
When life is tough, it’s easy to wonder if God has abandoned us. If this is you today, cling to this promise: The Lord’s arm is not too short to save you, no matter how far you have fallen.
When you begin to feel like you might sink, lift your eyes to the One who holds the power to immediately reach out and save you.
Ask him for help. He is waiting to carry you and sustain you. He will give you all you need to continue following hard after him.
God is a good Father, and he wants us to experience his healing, deliverance, and replenishment. Most of us have learned that we cannot heal, deliver, or refresh ourselves; we need God to do this work within us. I invite you to read to the end of this post and find a free copy of my devotional eBook, The Lean Into Grace Devotional: An 8-Day Devotional for Healing, Deliverance, and Replenishment.
8. Philippians 1:6
For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work among you will complete it by the day of Christ Jesus.
God is not done writing your story.
He is not finished with you.
Hold onto this Bible promise when you feel discouraged: God will finish what he starts in your life. Your role is to trust him as you continue to put one foot in front of the other—one day at a time.
If you feel like giving up today, talk to God about your life. He might want to redirect certain areas of your life. Yet if you sense that he is calling you to stay the course, you can trust that he finishes what he starts. He will finish the story he started writing in your life.
9. Isaiah 42:6
I am the Lord, I have called You in righteousness, I will also hold You by the hand and watch over you.
The next time you feel like quitting or feel all alone, hold onto this promise: The God who made you will hold you by your hand. He has not left you.
He is watching over you, and he hasn’t missed a moment of the journey you are facing. Keep drawing near to him. Continue talking to him and opening your Bible. He is present with you. He wants to encourage you to keep pressing forward.
10. Hebrews 10:35-36
Therefore, do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised.
Instead of giving up, ask God to give you endurance. Ask him to show you what you can do to encourage yourself.
This might include reaching out to someone who can build you up, connecting with like-minded friends who can offer inspiration, or calling an older mentor who can speak into your situation.
11. Psalm 118:6
The Lord is for me; I will not fear; what can man do to me?
Do you feel tempted to walk away from an endeavor as a result of interactions with other people?
During these times, God invites you to turn toward him and trust him. When the fear of man is overpowering, remind yourself that you serve God first. He will defend you and stand with you.
12. Psalm 46:1
God is our refuge and strength, a very ready help in trouble.
God invites us to turn toward him and find refuge and protection in his presence. When life feels defeating, run to the Lord. Rest in his love. Imagine him holding you and giving you strength.
He wants to help you in times of trouble and defeat. He can lift your head and give you hope.
13. John 16:33
These things I have spoken to you so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.
We all face trouble in life.
Turn to Jesus in times of trouble and remember that he stands above every power and authority. He fights for you and wants to carry you and defend you.
14. Isaiah 43:2
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, nor will the flame burn you.
Perhaps you feel like you’re walking through a refining fire.
If so, cling to this promise: God is using this fire to purify you and help you grow.
Affliction is God’s primary tool for helping us grow into emotional and spiritual maturity. We miss the gifts hidden in affliction when take offense toward God for permitting difficulties.
Ask God to help you keep a soft heart. He uses life’s fires and floods to transform us into the image of his Son.
15. Psalm 34:18
The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.
Never forget that God is with you.
This Psalm reminds us that he is near to those who are brokenhearted and crushed. He wants to be your source of comfort.
Above all else, remember that God will never leave your side.
I now invite you to join me as I share a story of God’s blessings when we wait on him.
Applying these Bible verses about waiting on God to our lives:
I walk past the mums every week on my way into the grocery store. Perfectly positioned on bales of hay, like the image of everything that’s right and good about autumn, it takes everything I have not to splurge on a burgundy mum for the front stoop.
Walking past the autumn décor at the grocery store week after week, I resist the temptation to splurge on what isn’t essential on our tight budget, and I try to ignore the rainbow of mums as they whisper my name from the hay bales.
In some ways, it feels like I’m waiting for more than just a mum.
I’m waiting on God to show up and provide in abundance.
I’m waiting for these warm autumn days to usher in frost and twinkling lights on the fir trees and promises in so many areas of life, promises that have felt so long in coming.
Even so, walking past the mums each week is a reminder that I trust God, even while I wait.
Are you waiting on God?
Most of us are waiting for something.
We’re waiting for loved ones to return, healing to come, nurseries to be filled with life, husbands to appear on the stages of our lives, promotions to come through, or we’re plain old waiting for God to arrive on the scene and usher us into something that feels like the abundant life Jesus promised.
My trouble is that I’ve made the assumption that God’s idea of abundance is the same as mine.
I tend to see abundance as good health, a flourishing ministry, a thriving career, a full freezer, and a number on the checking account statements that makes me feel comfortable.
God speaks differently of abundance.
He tells us that if we want to find our lives, we’ll need to lose them first. He tells us that the first will be last, the greatest will be servants, and following Jesus means denying ourselves and carrying our crosses.
These words are familiar to us, so familiar that some of us gloss over them.
Let’s pause to consider what they actually mean in the nitty-gritty places of our everyday lives: putting our husbands’ desires ahead of our own when we don’t feel like it, serving our children through the long hours of the night, forgiving that one friend who never says sorry or thanks, loving the family member who has never once been even a little bit like Jesus in return for all of the kindness.
When Waiting on God Opens the Doors for Blessing
It’s a clear Monday morning when my dear friend offers a gesture that speaks my language of love.
She hands me a white gift certificate for a free flower from the local greenhouse.
It’s a card good for one free mum, and I smile and tell her about walking past the mums at the grocery store and how I’d been holding back.
She smiles and says, “I figured you’d been doing that,” and I’m thankful for the kind of friend who just knows.
When Caleb and I arrive at the greenhouse to pick up our mum, I’m astounded by what I see. Tables filled with enormous lush mums of every color dazzle our eyes.
Caleb picks a burgundy beauty, and we waste no time getting it home and positioning it in front of the door. It’s a gift that was so simple and yet so perfectly in tune with a quiet little desire I had never once verbalized.
We’re admiring it from the lawn when the thought dawns on me: Sometimes our willingness to wait on God is the very act that opens the doors of abundance in our lives. #waitingonGod #encounteringGod Share on X
Sometimes what feels like gritting our teeth and rolling our eyes while God “holds out on us” is really just an opportunity to wait for God to show up in ways exceedingly more abundant than we ever could have imagined.
Encouragement as you apply these Bible verses about waiting on God to your life:
Had I settled for a grocery store mum, our front landscaping would hold a spindly purple plant, half the size of the beautiful mum God provided.
In waiting and trusting and sticking to our prayed-through budget, God showed up and provided an enormous, lush, luxuriant blessing, and he allowed my friend to be a part of the sweet blessing of it all.
I don’t know what you’re waiting for today, but I do know that waiting isn’t easy.
It’s not easy to trust that God will show up while you wait for your circumstances, relationships, and finances to improve. May today be a day of encouragement. Don’t give up just yet. There is a promise for healing somewhere along this road.
There is a promise for restoration, and sooner or later, redemption will come. Don’t lose heart. This season of waiting might be the key that unlocks the door to the kind of abundance you’ve been craving.
Calling All Parents (and Grandparents)!
As the parent of two sons and a daughter, I have a heart for helping parents develop deeper relationships with their children and with God. Our kids, ages 6, 11, and 15, share this vision. They have helped me write three family devotionals for parents or older relatives to read with the children and teens they love. You can find all three books here or read more below.
Calling All Boy Moms (and Dads)!
God’s Warrior: Devotions for Boys Who Want to Grow in Courage and Strength helps young boys, ages 5-13, learn what it means to trust God and become strong warriors for his kingdom. Now, more than ever, our world needs men who are willing to boldly carry God’s love into the world. I wrote this boys’ devotional book with our two young sons, Aiden and Caleb, ages six and eleven! You’ll enjoy their honesty as we teach boys how to be strong warriors for the Lord. Find this life-changing devotional book here.
Mother-Daughter Devotionals by a Mom and Daughter
Girl to Girl: 60 Mother-Daughter Devotions for a Closer Relationship and Deeper Faith is written for girls ages 7-12. It includes 60 devotions with Scripture, conversation starters, and a shared journaling section for moms and daughters after each devotion. I wrote this book with the help of our daughter, Bekah, when she was eleven. Find this one-of-a-kind shared devotional here.
Heart to Heart: A Mother-Daughter Devotional With 50 Devotions for Teen Girls is for teenage girls ages 13-20. It includes 50 devotions, each with a shared journaling section to help moms and daughters connect through writing. This is a great book for moms who want to communicate about awkward topics—like dating, sexuality, peer pressure, and more—but don’t know where to start. Bekah and I will help you right here.
Find Our Family Devotionals Here
Find all three books right here. They are also free on the Kindle Unlimited plan, which you can enjoy with a free three-month trial! These books make great gifts, and you don’t need to be the parent of young children to read them. Share them with your grandchildren, nieces, nephews, or the young ones you love.
Learn Why Willpower Doesn’t Work and Experience God’s Deliverance and Healing
God wants to work in your life to accomplish what you’ve been unable to do through willpower alone. Lean Into Grace: Let God’s Grace Heal Your Heart, Refresh Your Soul, and Set You Free shares practical ways to experience God’s freedom, healing, power, and presence in your life. Find this life-changing book as a free eBook on Kindle Unlimited or for 12.99 in print right here. (If you do not have Kindle Unlimited, you can try it out with a free three-month trial!) This book will transform your life and revitalize your relationship with the Lord!
A Free Devotional to Help You Connect With God
If these Bible verses about waiting on God blessed you, I have a gift for you today. God is a good Father, and he wants us to experience his healing, deliverance, and replenishment. Most of us have learned that we cannot heal, deliver, or refresh ourselves; we need God to do this work within us. I invite you to create space for God to transform your life by downloading a free copy of my devotional eBook, The Lean Into Grace Devotional: An 8-Day Devotional for Healing, Deliverance, and Replenishment. Find it for free here. 
