Waiting Well: God’s Timing for Promises, Healing, and Justice

Waiting is rarely easy. Whether we’re longing for a breakthrough, praying for healing, or pleading for justice in an unjust world, the waiting season stretches our hearts in uncomfortable ways. Yet Scripture reminds us that how we wait matters just as much as why we wait.

Charles Stanley once said, “Our willingness to wait reveals the value we place on the object we are waiting for.”

So how do we patiently wait? Let’s explore three areas of our lives where the waiting is most challenging—waiting on God’s promises, healing, and justice—through biblical stories that give us hope and practical steps for today.

1. Waiting on God’s Promises – Abraham’s Promised Child

Imagine Abraham staring up at the night sky. God had told him, “Look up at the sky and count the stars—if indeed you can count them… so shall your offspring be” (Genesis 15:5 NIV). Yet year after year, his tent remained quiet and empty. He and Sarah grew older, their bodies weaker, and the promise of a son seemed more like a distant dream.

Abraham wasn’t naïve—he knew his situation was impossible. Romans 4:19-20 says he “contemplated his own body, now as good as dead… yet he did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith” (NASB). In other words, he looked reality in the face and still chose to believe God.

He worshiped in the waiting, reminding himself that if a child came, it would have to be by miracle. Even when he stumbled—fathering Ishmael through Hagar—God’s promise held firm, and in his perfect timing, Isaac was born.

From Abraham’s story, we learn to:

• Deal with doubt honestly, but don’t let it define your faith.
• Feed our faith by reading and confessing God’s promises daily.
• Give God glory in worship, even when nothing has changed.
• Eagerly expect God to move, because He always keeps his word.

👣 Faith in Action: Write down one promise of God you’re holding onto. Each morning, read it aloud as a declaration, just as Abraham gave glory to God before Isaac was born.

2. Waiting on God’s Healing – The Woman with the Issue of Blood

Picture the scene: a crowded street, dust rising as people press against one another, voices calling out for Jesus. In the middle of it all, a frail woman pushes through. For twelve long years, she had been bleeding—physically weak, financially drained from endless doctor visits, and socially ostracized as “unclean.”

By law, she should have been hidden away, but desperation drove her forward. She whispered to herself, “If I just touch his garments, I will be healed.” She stretched out her trembling hand, brushed the edge of Jesus’s cloak—and immediately, she felt strength flood back into her body.

Jesus stopped. In the chaos of the crowd, He turned and asked, “Who touched me?” The disciples laughed at the question, but Jesus knew power had gone out from him. The woman fell at his feet, trembling, confessing all. And in that moment, Jesus not only healed her body but restored her dignity: “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace” (see Mark 5:25-34).

From her example, we learn to:

• Persevere through disappointment—don’t stop pressing toward Jesus.
• Act in faith, even when weak—her small step of reaching out brought a big miracle!
• Expect more than physical healing—Jesus restored her spiritually and socially as well.

👣 Faith in Action: If you’re waiting for healing, pray boldly while also tending your body and soul. Journal each small way God sustains you today—strength, encouragement, provision—trusting He is at work even before the full healing comes.

3. Waiting on God’s Justice – Habakkuk’s Watchtower

The prophet Habakkuk looked around his nation and felt his heart ache. Violence, corruption, and wickedness filled the land. Judges accepted bribes, the righteous were oppressed, and God’s law was openly ignored. In anguish, Habakkuk cried, “How long, LORD, must I call for help but you do not listen?” (Habakkuk 1:2 NIV).

It’s a cry we might echo today when we see injustice thriving in the world. But God’s answer to Habakkuk was unexpected. He told him judgment would come—but through the Babylonians, a nation even more ruthless than Judah. Confused and unsettled, Habakkuk climbed to the watchtower, waiting for God to explain.

And God did. He told Habakkuk, “Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay” (Habakkuk 2:3 NIV). Justice may seem slow, but it is certain. By the end of the book, Habakkuk’s tone changes. Instead of complaining, he sings: “Though the fig tree does not bud… yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior” (3:17-18 NIV).

Habakkuk shows us how to wait for justice:

• Stand watch—stay prayerful and attentive to God’s response.
• Trust his timing—justice delayed is not justice denied.
• Rejoice in faith—praise even when you don’t see change yet.

👣 Faith in Action: When injustice weighs heavily, turn it into worship. Make a habit of ending your prayer not only with petitions but also with praise, as Habakkuk did, declaring God’s faithfulness before you see his justice unfold.

Living Patiently in the Waiting

Waiting is never wasted time. It is often a training ground for our faith. Whether you’re waiting for a promise, healing, or justice, you can posture yourself with expectancy, faith, and joy.

• Stay rooted in God’s Word—it anchors your heart.
• Pray with expectancy—not demanding, but trusting.
• Worship through the waiting—joy grows when you give him glory.
• Stand firm against discouragement—delay does not mean denial.

Isaiah reminds us:

“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” (Isaiah 40:31).

Coming Up: Next week, we will wrap up the month with 5 benefits that patience brings to our lives!

Do you want to learn how to walk in freedom and cultivate this kind of enduring patience?
Learn more about the fruit of patience and explore additional thought-provoking posts on our Fruits of Faith Blog. Interested in going deeper in your faith? Consider joining our BibleSpot S.T.A.R.s Discipleship Program, a 90-day intensive study and coaching program beginning in January 2026. We hope to be an encouraging part of your spiritual journey!