This Is the Way: A 30-Day Journey Through the Book of ActsSample

Why Wait?

By Adana Wilson

After two years went by in this way, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus. And because Felix wanted to gain favor with the Jewish people, he left Paul in prison. —Acts 24:27

I hate to wait! I’m the one in traffic who changes lanes (safely, of course, but quite possibly multiple times) to find the shortest route to my destination. I book appointments at the earliest time available in hopes my wait will be as short as possible. And when I microwave food, I multitask, so in my mind I’m not wasting time.

We live in a culture that hates to wait as well. We can instantly order things to be delivered the same day, cook a frozen meal quickly with an Instapot, or know the weather anywhere in the world in a matter of seconds. We live in a hurry-up, need-it, got-to-have-it-now culture.

I can look back on my life and see many times when the Lord asked me to wait. One of the hardest seasons occurred about ten years ago. It was a season of adversity. My personal life was hard. I was navigating health challenges, and my husband had multiple changes in his job that caused him stress and extended time away. Two of my sons had car accidents, leading to additional bills. My professional life wasn’t much better. We were going through leadership changes that caused concern and even hurt for the staff and congregation, and I was trying to navigate it all. It seemed like everything in my life was hard, and I was desperate for the Lord to act. I wrestled daily with God, knowing He could bring immediate change and relief if He wanted to, but days, weeks, and months continued to go by with no breakthrough.

We find a similar situation in Acts 24. It’s a fascinating chapter that details Paul’s trial before the Roman governor Felix. Paul is imprisoned due to false accusations by the Jewish leaders who hope it will end in his death. Already, one murderous plot has failed (see Acts 23:12–15), and now Paul is taken to Caesarea, the Roman center of government in Judea, so the Jewish leaders can bring their false accusations against him. They enlist Tertullus, a gifted speaker, to present the leaders’ case before the Roman governor. They hope due to the large Jewish population, the Roman governor will rule in their favor. This would allow the Jewish leaders to continue in their persistent and pre-mediated plan to kill Paul. Talk about a difficult season!

As they come before the Roman governor Felix, the Jewish leaders continue to press their argument against Paul, but he refutes each allegation point by point. He uses his defense as an opportunity to witness for Christ. Paul spends more than two years in prison defending himself, witnessing for Jesus, and waiting for God to move. He had a word from the Lord to preach the gospel in Rome (see Acts 23:11), and yet he spent more than two years in prison waiting for God to rescue him (see Acts 24:27).

As Acts 24 concludes,it illustrates that even when it seems like justice is delayed or we’re stuck in difficult situations, God is sovereign and has a plan. Paul’s imprisonment under Felix’s governance and his eventual transfer to Festus highlights God’s perfect timing. (Paul also had the time to write four of his letters—Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon—while he waited in prison. I wonder if we would have these letters today if Paul had not been forced to wait?) We may not understand why certain things happen when they do, but we can trust God is in control and He’s working it out for His purposes.

Trusting in God’s sovereignty is paramount. When we know we have a word from the Lord or when we know God’s will according to Scripture, we often expect God to move swiftly. When we find ourselves in difficult circumstances we didn’t create and God doesn’t intervene on our timetable, we can become discouraged, disappointed, or even angry at the Lord’s slow response. We don’t want to wait. We want God to move immediately. Just like Paul, we want to be delivered from difficulty so we can move to where we want to go, and yet, many times in the Bible and in our life, God chooses for us to wait.

Few things can test our patience more than having to wait. It’s in these seasons that we have a choice to make. Will we become discouraged and angry because we feel unloved or overlooked by the Lord? Or will we choose to trust Him in the waiting because we know the character and nature of our good God? Waiting is not passive but active. If we wait with hope, our trust in the Lord grows. As we draw nearer to Him to understand the “why” of the wait, we line up with His heart’s desire, and we enjoy the fulfillment of His purposes as they unfold.

That hard season ten years ago taught me in a greater measure about the faithfulness of God. I learned to draw strength, hope, and peace from Him in ways that only difficulty can teach. If you’re in a season of waiting, I encourage you to not grow weary or disillusioned. Wait peacefully, knowing God is working all things for your good and His glory (see Romans 8:28). The Lord’s hand is not short but mighty to rescue you, and He hasn’t forsaken you or forgotten you.

There’s purpose in your waiting. Instead of being crushed, be curious. Ask God what He’s up to. He created the world in six days, so if He’s asking you to give Him more time, He must be up to something wonderful.

Prayer

Lord, I know when You call me to wait, it’s with purpose. Thank You for the example of Paul’s unwavering faith and courage. Use every difficult situation in my life as an opportunity for me and for others to witness Your grace and truth. Give me patience and trust in Your perfect timing. I choose to trust You no matter how long things take because You’re a good God. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Activation

• Write down the times the Lord has been faithful to take care of you. Reminding ourselves of times when He’s been faithful gives us hope that He’ll be faithful again.
• If you have waited on God in the past or are currently in a season of waiting, write down how you felt (feel), and ask the Lord to minister to you with His truth, revelation, and healing.
• Make a choice today that in the waiting time, you will focus on the character, nature, and faithfulness of God. Write a statement of your trust in Him, put the date on it, and post it where you can see it daily.

For Further Study

Acts 24; Psalm 27:14; Isaiah 40:31; Romans 8:28

Holy Spirit, what are you saying to me?