When God Seems to Be Taking Too Long

By Arnie Cole 

Waiting has a way of testing us, does it not? Not the short waits, the kind where you know

relief is coming. But the long waits, the kind where days turn into months, months into years, and you start to wonder whether God heard you at all. 

I’ve lived for quite a few years on this Earth now, and I can’t even begin to count the times I waited for answers that didn’t come when I thought they should. I’ve prayed prayers that felt urgent, even obvious, and watched the calendar pages turn with no change. Many times, I’ve wrestled with God: Why now? Why not yet? What are you waiting for? 

Amid this type of trial, we can take comfort in the Bible’s honesty. Scripture doesn’t pretend waiting is easy. It treats it as serious, demanding spiritual work. 

Consider that David writes, “I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living! Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!” (Ps 27:13–14). He repeats the word “wait,” and that repetition matters. David isn’t spewing clichés. He’s bracing his own soul.  

Why Waiting Feels So Hard 

In my experience, our impatience with God’s timing usually isn’t about the clock. It’s about fear. Fear that we’ll miss out. Fear that things won’t change. Fear that we’ll be left behind while others move forward.  

Waiting puts us face-to-face with things we can’t control. And when we can’t control the outcome, we’re tempted to rush God, second-guess Him, or quietly take matters into our own hands. That’s when impatience turns from discomfort into danger. 

Isaiah names this struggle plainly: “Why do you say, ‘My way is hidden from the Lord, and my right is disregarded by my God’?” (Isa 40:27). Put more plainly, Isaiah is saying, Why does waiting make us feel forgotten? 

God Is Not Slow—He Is Purposeful 

One of the hardest truths to accept is that God’s timing is not accidental. Scripture never portrays Him as late or distracted. When He delays, He is doing something deeper than we can see.  

Isaiah reminds us that God does not grow weary or faint. He sees the full picture, even when we can’t. And He promises something remarkable to those who wait: renewed strength. “They shall mount up with wings like eagles… they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint” (Isa 40:31). 

Waiting doesn’t weaken our faith. The things that weaken our faith are cynicism about, or bitterness toward, God in the face of long waits. 

Often, God uses waiting to shape us and strengthen our faith before He changes our circumstances. He works on trust before outcomes, on character before comfort. What feels like delay isn’t delay; it’s preparation. 

The Temptation to Rush Ahead 

You see, many spiritual missteps don’t come from rebellion. They come from impatience. Think about Abraham rushing to fulfill God’s promise (by committing adultery) or Moses rushing to personally mete out justice (by committing murder). Time again, Scripture shows how impatience produces negative consequences that obedience would have avoided. 

Waiting exposes whether we trust God’s wisdom or merely want His results. It asks a hard question: Do I trust Him enough to let Him set the pace? 

I’ve learned that rushing ahead of God often creates problems I then ask God to fix. Waiting, though uncomfortable, usually saves me from myself. 

How to Wait Without Growing Bitter 

Waiting well doesn’t mean doing nothing. It means anchoring yourself in habits that keep fear from taking over.  

First, return to Scripture daily, even briefly. God’s Word steadies the heart when circumstances remain unsettled. Waiting becomes bearable when truth interrupts speculation. 

Second, turn impatience into honest prayer. Tell God exactly where you’re frustrated. Waiting does not require silence. It requires trust. Pray simply: Lord, help me trust You with what I cannot control. 

Third, resist comparison. Nothing fuels impatience faster than watching others receive what you’re still waiting for. God’s timeline for you is not a commentary on your worth. 

Finally, look for faithfulness today, not clarity tomorrow. Waiting becomes lighter when you focus on obedience in front of you instead of answers beyond you. 

God Is at Work, Even Now 

Waiting can feel like absence, but Scripture tells a different story. God works quietly, patiently, steadily—often beneath the surface. Seeds grow in darkness long before they break through the soil. 

If you’re waiting today, hear this: God has not forgotten you. He is not ignoring your prayers. And He is not asking you to wait alone. 

Pray this truth back to Him today: 

Lord, I don’t understand Your timing, but I trust Your heart. Give me courage to wait, strength to obey, and faith to believe that You are working even now. 

And when God meets you in the waiting—and He will—share that encouragement with someone else who’s struggling to be patient. Waiting becomes more bearable when it becomes shared hope. 

Because the God who asks you to wait is the same God who promises His goodness will not arrive a moment too late.