When You’re Tired of Waiting
08/15/2026
There are times when waiting on God feels harder than doing something. We can handle a task. We can make a phone call. We can work a problem. But waiting? Waiting requires us to trust God when we cannot yet see what He is doing. James speaks directly to people who were living in that uncomfortable space between what God had promised and what they could presently see.
“You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.”
James 5:8 — ESV
James is writing to believers who were under pressure. They were experiencing hardship, injustice, and mistreatment. And just before this verse, he gives them a picture they would have immediately understood: a farmer.
A farmer puts seed into the ground and then waits.
That doesn’t mean he does nothing. There is work to be done. But there is also something the farmer simply cannot do, he cannot make the seed grow.
I think that is where many of us struggle.
We want to help God along.
We pray about something, give it to Him, and then about fifteen minutes later we start developing a backup plan just in case God needs some assistance.
We want the answer now.
We want the door to open now.
We want the relationship fixed now.
We want the circumstances changed now.
And sometimes God says, “Wait.”
Not because He has forgotten us. Not because He is indifferent to what we are going through. There are things God develops in us while we wait that could never be developed if every prayer were answered immediately.
But notice what James tells us to do while we wait:
“Establish your hearts.”
That word carries the idea of making something firm, stable, settled.
James isn’t simply saying, Hang in there until things get better.
He’s saying, Get your heart anchored while you wait.
Because when circumstances remain uncertain, our hearts can start wandering.
We begin questioning things we were once confident about. We start interpreting God’s goodness through today’s circumstances instead of interpreting today’s circumstances through what we know about God’s goodness.
That’s dangerous.
A delayed answer does not mean an absent God.
Think about that farmer again. There may be weeks when he walks past that field and sees nothing but dirt. But underneath that dirt, something is happening.
The fact that he cannot see growth doesn’t mean there isn’t growth.
Some of you may be standing in front of what looks like dirt right now.
You’ve prayed.
You’ve been faithful.
You’ve tried to do the right thing.
And nothing seems to be changing.
Don’t confuse “I can’t see anything happening” with “God isn’t doing anything.”
Those are two very different statements.
And James gives us the ultimate reason we can remain steady: “for the coming of the Lord is at hand.”
Our confidence isn’t ultimately that every situation will work out exactly the way we want. Our confidence is that Jesus is coming again.
There is a finish line to this story.
There will come a day when injustice will not have the final word. Pain will not have the final word. Sickness will not have the final word. Loss will not have the final word.
Jesus will.
So James tells believers who are hurting: don’t let temporary circumstances uproot eternal confidence.
Maybe today you don’t need another strategy.
Maybe you don’t need to figure everything out.
Maybe you simply need to plant your feet again and say:
“God, I don’t know what You’re doing, and I don’t know how long this is going to take. But I know who You are. So I’m staying right here.”
That’s an established heart.
Not a heart without questions.
Not a heart without disappointment.
Not even a heart without tears.
It’s a heart that has decided God is still trustworthy while I wait.
Action Steps
* Identify where you’re becoming impatient. What situation are you trying to force because you’re tired of waiting?
* Anchor yourself in what you know about God. Before focusing on what hasn’t changed, remind yourself of where you’ve already seen His faithfulness.
* Do today’s part and trust God with tomorrow’s. Like the farmer, be faithful with what is yours to do without trying to control what only God can do.
Challenge for the Day
Choose one thing you’ve been trying to force, fix, or hurry. Pray about it today and tell God, “I’ll be faithful with what I can do, and I’ll trust You with what I can’t.”
Prayer
Father, waiting is hard, especially when I can’t see what You’re doing. Keep my heart steady when circumstances aren’t changing as quickly as I want. Help me do what You’ve called me to do and trust You with everything beyond my control. Establish my heart in You, and remind me that my hope isn’t in getting every answer I want—my hope is in Jesus. Amen.
Pastor Jeff
#LoveGod #LovePeople #FindFreedom #FindYourDesign
There are times when waiting on God feels harder than doing something. We can handle a task. We can make a phone call. We can work a problem. But waiting? Waiting requires us to trust God when we cannot yet see what He is doing. James speaks directly to people who were living in that uncomfortable space between what God had promised and what they could presently see.
“You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.”
James 5:8 — ESV
James is writing to believers who were under pressure. They were experiencing hardship, injustice, and mistreatment. And just before this verse, he gives them a picture they would have immediately understood: a farmer.
A farmer puts seed into the ground and then waits.
That doesn’t mean he does nothing. There is work to be done. But there is also something the farmer simply cannot do, he cannot make the seed grow.
I think that is where many of us struggle.
We want to help God along.
We pray about something, give it to Him, and then about fifteen minutes later we start developing a backup plan just in case God needs some assistance.
We want the answer now.
We want the door to open now.
We want the relationship fixed now.
We want the circumstances changed now.
And sometimes God says, “Wait.”
Not because He has forgotten us. Not because He is indifferent to what we are going through. There are things God develops in us while we wait that could never be developed if every prayer were answered immediately.
But notice what James tells us to do while we wait:
“Establish your hearts.”
That word carries the idea of making something firm, stable, settled.
James isn’t simply saying, Hang in there until things get better.
He’s saying, Get your heart anchored while you wait.
Because when circumstances remain uncertain, our hearts can start wandering.
We begin questioning things we were once confident about. We start interpreting God’s goodness through today’s circumstances instead of interpreting today’s circumstances through what we know about God’s goodness.
That’s dangerous.
A delayed answer does not mean an absent God.
Think about that farmer again. There may be weeks when he walks past that field and sees nothing but dirt. But underneath that dirt, something is happening.
The fact that he cannot see growth doesn’t mean there isn’t growth.
Some of you may be standing in front of what looks like dirt right now.
You’ve prayed.
You’ve been faithful.
You’ve tried to do the right thing.
And nothing seems to be changing.
Don’t confuse “I can’t see anything happening” with “God isn’t doing anything.”
Those are two very different statements.
And James gives us the ultimate reason we can remain steady: “for the coming of the Lord is at hand.”
Our confidence isn’t ultimately that every situation will work out exactly the way we want. Our confidence is that Jesus is coming again.
There is a finish line to this story.
There will come a day when injustice will not have the final word. Pain will not have the final word. Sickness will not have the final word. Loss will not have the final word.
Jesus will.
So James tells believers who are hurting: don’t let temporary circumstances uproot eternal confidence.
Maybe today you don’t need another strategy.
Maybe you don’t need to figure everything out.
Maybe you simply need to plant your feet again and say:
“God, I don’t know what You’re doing, and I don’t know how long this is going to take. But I know who You are. So I’m staying right here.”
That’s an established heart.
Not a heart without questions.
Not a heart without disappointment.
Not even a heart without tears.
It’s a heart that has decided God is still trustworthy while I wait.
Action Steps
* Identify where you’re becoming impatient. What situation are you trying to force because you’re tired of waiting?
* Anchor yourself in what you know about God. Before focusing on what hasn’t changed, remind yourself of where you’ve already seen His faithfulness.
* Do today’s part and trust God with tomorrow’s. Like the farmer, be faithful with what is yours to do without trying to control what only God can do.
Challenge for the Day
Choose one thing you’ve been trying to force, fix, or hurry. Pray about it today and tell God, “I’ll be faithful with what I can do, and I’ll trust You with what I can’t.”
Prayer
Father, waiting is hard, especially when I can’t see what You’re doing. Keep my heart steady when circumstances aren’t changing as quickly as I want. Help me do what You’ve called me to do and trust You with everything beyond my control. Establish my heart in You, and remind me that my hope isn’t in getting every answer I want—my hope is in Jesus. Amen.
Pastor Jeff
#LoveGod #LovePeople #FindFreedom #FindYourDesign
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