Sometimes God shows us a promise. He shows us His will for our lives. We often are eager to get to that promise. But God knows what’s best for us and takes us through a waiting period.

As a result, he develops our character. God teaches us the lessons we need to rightly glorify Him and handle the responsibilities he has called us to.

For many of us, we get frustrated and impatient. We are not in a position for what God wants to do in the current season.

Thankfully, the Lord has helped me to learn how to handle the waiting season.

 Here are three ways to trust God in your waiting season:

1. Have a laser focus on Jesus and the responsibilities He has put before you in the current season.

When I sensed that the Lord was calling me to become a teacher, I wanted to make sure that I kept the Lord first. In every season, I had to be faithful to what God gave me. After a year-and-a-half, the Lord led me to become a substitute teacher. I had to be faithful during that time. I did my best to glorify God wherever I was.

This involved showing the love of God to the students, teachers, parents. And praying for my students, praying over their chairs every morning, and just keeping Jesus at the center of why I do everything. 

During this time, I made it a priority to spend time with God in the morning before work, pray every day, study the word of God, and serve in the body of Christ. It was hard, and I failed at times, but the Lord kept me going.

In this time, He was helping me build a foundation in Him. The Lord was training me. He knew in the future, I was going to need this foundation. This was necessary for what Jesus had for me. God has been faithful to me and has blessed me with many things; Not just material things, but spiritual blessings.

Matthew 6:33 Seek first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness and all these things will be added on to you.

Matthew 6:33 is a wonderful verse. As I was seeking the Lord, he took care of everything that I needed. Not everything that I wanted, but everything that I needed for the season.

Hebrews 11:6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who diligently seek him.

It is impossible to please God without faith. It took faith to continue to endure, and trust God through everything I was going through. God was helping me. I started to believe in God and who he said he was. And then I got to see God move in my life and reward me with more of Himself.

2. Don’t idolize the destination, but be present with God in the journey

Most of us love to idolize the destination. We want to skip the process and get straight to the blessing. But it doesn’t work like that. You have to walk with God step by step in the journey. We have to learn how to enjoy God in every moment.

The truth is we don’t know what will happen in the future. But we serve a God who does know. God will show you the next step to take in every moment. He will make things clear as you are seeking him, and as you are leaning on him for guidance and instruction. He will guide your path.

In 2020, I lost my job as a substitute teacher. I didn’t have a job for months, and I didn’t know what God wanted me to do next. So, I took a few months to just rest and seek the Lord.

He ended up putting me in a completely different career field; it was very hard. I didn’t want to work in the restaurant business, but I needed to be faithful and present with what God wanted to teach me in that season. He blessed me tremendously and helped me learn spiritual lessons that are so precious to me now.

Proverbs 3:5-6 Do not lean on your understanding, and all your ways acknowledge God and he will make your paths straight.As we acknowledge God and are sensitive to His leading, He will show us which way to go next.

Psalm 32:8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you. 

The Lord has been faithful to guide me not only through other people but through the word of God. Everything we need to guide us is in scripture. 

3. Continue to deny yourself, carry your cross, and endure the trials to come. 

During the waiting process of my becoming a teacher, I faced many trials and delays. God was asking me to deny myself and to carry my cross. This looked like continuing to study when I was tired late at night. (I had to wake up early every morning for work), dealing with a lot of pressure from all the responsibilities I had, Not feeling adequate to be a teacher, and other personal trials I went through.

It would have been easier to give up and find a job at a call center or as a waitress. But the Lord had a better plan for my life, and I trusted God and decided to persevere until the end.

I can personally say how faithful God has been as I am now a certified Kindergarten teacher. I did not know it would take four years to prepare me. But I wouldn’t have changed anything. I needed to go through that process.

1 Peter 1:6-7  In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials,  so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

As we face many trials, it tests our faith and helps us to grow in our faith. Overcoming trials proves to us and others that our faith in God is real and unwavering. This brings Glory to Jesus Christ. 

What has God placed before you to be faithful? Never give up. Continue to trust God as He is preparing you through this season.