waiting Archives - Sharla Fritz

When You Are Waiting

Sharla December 7, 2021

When you are waiting, time seems to stand still. We wonder what to do and what God is up to.

But when I look in the Bible and see the many stories of waiting, I’m encouraged. We can look at their lives and find clues for our own.

Elizabeth had her own tale of waiting. The story of Christmas rightly centers on the miraculous birth of Jesus, but Elizabeth opens the story with a miraculous birth of her own.

Luke describes Elizabeth and her husband Zechariah as “righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord” (Luke 1:6). Both of them carefully obeyed God’s laws for worship and daily life. But they had a great sadness—Elizabeth was barren. Plus, Luke tells us that she and Zechariah were both advanced in years. Years ago when I was struggling to get pregnant, people tried to comfort me by saying, “Don’t worry. You’re young. You’ll get pregnant soon.” No one was saying those words to Elizabeth any more. Elizabeth waited and waited and waited and still was not blessed with a child. All hope of ever having a child had long faded. It had now become, humanly speaking, an impossibility.

Then one day, Zechariah is surprised by the visit of the angel Gabriel who tells him that God has heard his prayers and that they will soon have a son!

Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John.And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth,for he will be great before the Lord. (Luke 1:13-15)

And if that isn’t enough to knock over Zechariah with a feather, Gabriel goes on to tell the old priest that his son will be the one to prepare the people for the Savior!

This story is so encouraging to me! Elizabeth waited and waited for a baby.

We all wait. Wait for news about the new job. Wait for healing. Wait for the restoration of a relationship. And we hate it. Wait is a four-letter-word that we want to avoid.

But when I look at the stories in the Bible I see that God often made His people wait. It seems to me that often He didn’t work out the answer to the problem right away because the delay made the answer that much more miraculous. The birth of Isaac was that much more remarkable because he was born to ninety-year-old Sarah. Joseph’s rise to power in Egypt was even more amazing after spending years in prison. The Israelites possession of the Promised Land was more astounding after being enslaved in Egypt for 400 years, than if Jacob’s descendants had slowly taken over the region.

And now God drew attention to Zechariah and Elizabeth’s baby through a long delay.Because Elizabeth gave birth when she was “well advanced in years,” it seemed obvious that this child was going to be special.

Not only would the baby John be a significant addition to Zechariah and Elizabeth’s family, he would be important to the whole nation of Israel—because He would prepare the people for the coming of the Savior.

God was doing something bigger than answering a prayer for a baby. He was answering the prayer for a Savior. If John was going to prepare hearts for the arrival of the Savior it meant Messiah was coming soon!

So whatever you are waiting for look for God’s hand in it. He may be working out something even bigger than you can imagine!

Next step: What are you waiting for? Write it down on a piece of paper and then write out a prayer asking God to help you be patient as He works out His will. Ask Him to help you see the bigger thing He is working on through the delay.

Which of those four lessons from Psalm 40 will help you most when you are waiting?

If you want more help for your waiting season, check out my eBook: 7 Words Your Soul Needs in a Waiting Season.

In it, you will discover seven words that can mean wait. Seven words that can give hope and purpose in the middle of delay. Seven words your soul needs in a waiting season.

It’s FREE! Just sign up for my encouraging monthly newsletter and you will receive this devotional eBook with seven lessons on waiting, plus beautiful graphics of my favorite waiting Scriptures that you can print and frame.

Advent Waiting: Waiting in God’s Grace

Sharla December 10, 2019

Advent is a season of waiting. We remember the world’s long wait for a Savior and we anticipate Jesus’ second return.

Often we focus more on the remembering part. Advent means setting up manger scenes, sending out Christmas cards with pictures of Baby Jesus, and singing carols about Christ’s birth. But let’s not forget to prepare for Jesus’ second coming.

The Story of the Ten Bridesmaids

Jesus told a story to encourage His disciples to be prepared and ready for His return.

The characters in the story are ten bridesmaids who are waiting for the bridegroom to take them to the wedding feast. It’s evening and they all have brought lamps to light their procession through the dark city streets. The bridegroom is delayed. All ten of the bridesmaids get drowsy and fall asleep. In the middle of the night, the bridegroom finally comes. His delay was so long that all of their lamps have gone out.

Five of the bridesmaids are prepared for this problem. They have brought extra oil. In a moment, their lamps are relit. The other bridesmaids are forced to go to the oil sellers and cannot go with the bridegroom. Later, when they arrive at the feast, they are not allowed in. (Matthew 25:1-13)

Through the story, Jesus reminds us all that we need to rely on the oil of His grace as we wait for His return.

Waiting is Not a Waste of Time

When I put myself in the story, I think my reaction as one of the bridesmaids would have been, “What is taking this guy so long? Doesn’t he realize my time is important? I could be doing something significant. Instead, I’m just sitting here!”

But maybe, a wiser bridesmaid would have gently reminded me, “But waiting here is exactly what we are supposed to be doing. Waiting for the bridegroom is our role. It is an honor to be chosen as a member of the bridal party. When we get to the amazing feast the Bridegroom is preparing, we won’t even remember the agony of the wait. The love of the Bridegroom is worth waiting for.”

If you are in a waiting season–waiting for healing, waiting for a solution to a problem, waiting for an answer to prayer–remember that even when waiting seems like a waste of time, waiting is often our role as God’s chosen people. During that delay, the Holy Spirit teaches us patience, hope, and trust.

When waiting seems like a waste of time, remember that during the delay, the Holy Spirit teaches us patience, hope, and trust. Share on X

So while you are waiting–waiting for help, healing, and Christ’s return–wait in the strength of God’s grace. Don’t let your lamp go out. Find a fresh supply of the oil that fuels your faith in the means of grace: God’s Word and the Lord’s Supper.

Next step: Find encouragement in the words of Psalm 27:14, “Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!” Post those words somewhere you’ll notice them often today and when you read them, remember that waiting is the privilege of the chosen bridesmaid!

If you would like to learn more about waiting well, check out my book: Waiting: A Bible Study on Patience, Hope, and Trust.

The book studies the lives of:

Sarah
Hannah
The Widow of Zarapheth
Esther
Anna
The Woman with a 12-year Hemorrhage
Martha
Ten Virgins

Through their examples, we find hope for the delays in our lives. We learn how to wait well.

Find the book on Amazon or CPH.org

Advent Waiting: Waiting Without Preconceptions

Sharla December 3, 2019

Advent is a season of waiting. A time of anticipation. A period of preparation.

For many in our culture, the preparation for Christmas is limited to planning get-togethers and buying gifts. Children anticipate opening those gifts. Everyone is waiting for holiday programs, plays, and parties.

But for believers in Christ, Advent also means waiting for His coming. It is a season of remembering the long wait of the world for the coming of a Savior and a time of anticipating His second return.

In Scripture, we read many stories of waiting. Sarah, Hannah, and Rachel were among the women who experienced long periods of delay before they were blessed with babies. Joseph waited years in a lonely prison. The Children of Israel waiting 400 years to be released from Egyptian slavery.

Anna’s Waiting Story

In the New Testament, we read another story of waiting. Anna was waiting for the Savior:

And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived with her husband seven years from when she was a virgin, and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. And coming up at that very hour she began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem. (Luke 2:36-38)

This dedicated woman of God only gets three verses in the Bible, but her story gives us so much wisdom for our seasons of waiting.

Even though Anna was “advanced in years” she was one of only two people who recognized that the infant son of two Galilean peasants was the Messiah. During Anna’s lifetime, most of the nation of Israel was waiting for a savior, but they were expecting one that would save them from the tyranny of Rome. A powerful political leader. Not a helpless baby.

Perhaps Anna recognized the infant as the Son of God because she didn’t have preconceived expectations. Instead, she was open to God’s ideas. She didn’t insist on her own vision or plan. She knew God often works in mysterious ways.

Waiting Without Expectations

God invites me to be like Anna when I’m in a waiting season. To let go of my own expectations. To stop insisting on my own way.

When I let go of my preconceived, self-made plans that I am more able to recognize God design for my life. It’s then I’m able to wait with a bit more patience because I realize that the delay might be part of the plan.

Anna was waiting for the Savior. You, also, may be waiting for rescue. Rescue from a desperate financial situation or from an impossible-looking health crisis.

One thing you can do in this waiting period is to let go of your expectations and preconceived ideas about how God should answer your prayers. Reaffirm your trust in a loving Father who always knows best.

Let go of your preconceived ideas about how God should answer your prayers. Reaffirm trust in His plans. Share on X

Next step: Write a prayer, giving God all of your self-made plans and preconceived ideas about what is best. Tell Him you trust His wisdom and His goodness.

If you would like to learn more about waiting well, check out my book: Waiting: A Bible Study on Patience, Hope, and Trust.

The book studies the lives of:

Sarah
Hannah
The Widow of Zarapheth
Esther
Anna
The Woman with a 12-year Hemorrhage
Martha
Ten Virgins

Through their examples, we find hope for the delays in our lives. We learn how to wait well.

Find the book on Amazon or CPH.org

Why Suspense is a Necessary Element in Our Waiting Stories

Sharla July 11, 2017

Have you noticed that your favorite novels have the necessary element of suspense? that you like the book a little less when you can guess how the story ends from the very first chapter?

God is writing an excellent story for your life, and suspense is a necessary element. Because it’s during our waiting periods that God develops our patience, molds our character, and teaches us our most crucial life lessons.

I love to read. And in my favorite stories, the hardships the heroine experiences make her stronger or smarter. The obstacles in her way guide her to deeper relationships. Overcoming problems leads to unexpected rewards.

At the end of the book, you discover each plot twist had a purpose. Every ordeal finally makes sense.

The novels I like the least are the ones where the ending feels . . .unfinished. The protagonist strives to rise above her problems. She works to surmount the barriers in her way. And she almost succeeds. But in the end, nothing is resolved. After chapters and chapters of searching for the love of her life, the heroine of the story never finds him. Or the lawyer works to overcome big bad corporations but loses his law practice, and the battle must continue without him. Nothing makes sense.

While some literature may favor the more “realistic” ending, those plot conclusions make me want to throw the book at the wall. Reading a dissatisfying story seems like one big waste of time.

And maybe that is one reason we hate it when God asks to wait for an answer to prayer. We’re afraid the prolonged time spent in a suspenseful chapter of our lives will culminate in one big disappointment.

That’s when we need to remember that God is the author of our stories. Even though we can’t see how all the twists and turns in our plotline are going to work out, He can. Because God is at work in our lives, all of our hardships can strengthen our faith in Him. The obstacles in our lives can drive us to a deeper relationship with our loving Father. As the Spirit helps us overcome problems, we see the rewards of peace and contentment.

Waiting well means trusting that God is at work even in long chapters of uncertainty or heartache. The Lord can give purpose to our lives even in the middle of delay. God-given purpose comes in all shapes and sizes, and it is not granted solely to those with prominent positions or hefty bank accounts. We wait well when we are waiting for Christ, because it is only through the Messiah that any of us can have a happy ending to our story.

You might wish to write a predictable story for your life, but be confident that in every plot twist, God has a purpose. Every agonizing difficulty can be transformed in God’s hand. And while you’re still in this confusing middle-of-the-story time, remember: God is leaning in. He sees you as you wait. He hears your cries. He reassures you that He has the ending of your tale all worked out.

Every suspenseful plot element has purpose in your magnificent story.

Next step: Write a prayer thanking your Heavenly Father that He has a purpose for every plot twist in your life story. Ask Him for strength and peace as you wait.

This post is an excerpt from my new book Waiting: A Bible Study on Patience, Hope, and Trust.

Check it out! The book studies the lives of:

Sarah
Hannah
The Widow of Zarapheth
Esther
Anna
The Woman with a 12-year Hemorrhage
Martha
Ten Virgins

Through their examples, we find hope for the delays in our lives. We learn how to wait well.

Find the book on Amazon or CPH.org

When You’re In the Waiting Room of Life

Sharla September 22, 2015

Are you in a season of waiting?

One of my friends feels like she is in a state of limbo right now. She and her husband are considering moving away from cold Illinois winters to a warmer climate. But because they have not yet made the decision to move to a new location, my friend also feels like she can’t move forward in life. Should she avoid getting involved in activities here because they will be moving soon? Or should she dive into new experiences because they are staying?

The waiting room of life is an uncomfortable spot. As we sit, waiting for a door to open to our next phase of life, we wonder, “What now?” and “What next?”

And just like in a doctor’s waiting room, when we are forced to wait we are at a loss of what to do. How many times can you read the same 6-month-old Golf Digest magazine? How many times can you pray the same prayer for direction?

One of the verses I hang onto when I’m in the waiting room of life is Psalm 5:3:

In the morning, O Lord, you hear my voice, in the morning I lay my request before you and wait in expectation.

I love the last phrase, “Wait in expectation.” When we’re waiting on God we can expect Him to do something wonderful. He promises you that He has “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11). He assures you and me that He can rearrange all our rotten circumstances because He “works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28).

The problem comes when I place my expectations in something other than God. I get in trouble when I expect life to be free of disappointment. Jesus told us to expect life problems, “In this world you will have trouble” (John 16:33). I will often be disillusioned when I expect people to fill all my needs.

So when I’m in the waiting room of life I need to go back to God. Like the psalmist, I need to bring my request every morning, trusting that He will hear my voice. I need to hang onto His promises. I need to believe in His goodness.When I'm in the waiting room of life, I need to hang onto God's promises and trust in His goodness. Share on X

And then I need to wait in expectation. Hang onto His promised plan. Trust in His amazing love. Relax in His enveloping peace.

Wait in expectation.

Finding Purpose in the Wait

Sharla March 27, 2014

Seasons of waiting and delay frustrate us–especially if we have trouble finding purpose in the wait.

Elizabeth had a long wait.

The Bible tells us that the mother of John the Baptist was “advanced in years” when she gave birth to him.

Elizabeth waited a long time to be a mother. She probably questioned her purpose in life from time to time. But when she received the mission of bringing the forerunner of the Savior into the world, she was also given the task to mentor and encourage the mother of the Messiah.

The angel Gabriel told Mary that Elizabeth was six months pregnant. (Read the story in Luke 1.)Don’t you love it? God knew that Mary would need someone to encourage her and help her on this new journey. So He provided Elizabeth.

And if you think about it–Elizabeth was the perfect person to encourage Mary.

Elizabeth lived away from Nazareth. Commentators speculate that Elizabeth lived in Hebron—which was about 80 miles from Nazareth—a four-day journey for Mary. It was a bit of a trek, but far enough away from the prying eyes of neighbors.
Elizabeth was pregnant. Elizabeth and Mary could commiserate over morning sickness and swollen ankles. Mary didn’t have “What to Expect When You’re Expecting.” It was helpful to have someone share what was ahead in this exciting new experience.
Elizabeth was experiencing her own miracle. She wouldn’t laugh in disbelief at Mary’s preposterous story about an angel and a miracle birth because her husband had also had a visit with an angel. Elizabeth was pregnant even though humanly speaking it was impossible.
Elizabeth knew the sting of reproach even though she had done nothing wrong. She was upright in the sight of God, but the first thing she does when she finds out she is with child is thank God for taking away her disgrace among the people. She would be able to give Mary advice on how to deal with the gossip and criticism that were sure to come.

Think about it. If God had answered Zechariah and Elizabeth’s prayer for a baby sooner, she would not have fulfilled the role of Mary’s mentor so perfectly. Sure, she could have given birth to John the Baptist when she was twenty—but that would not have been as miraculous as having a baby at fifty or sixty. Perhaps she would have doubted Mary’s tale of an angel and a virgin pregnancy. She would not have had experience with the neighborhood gossip mill.

Our own experiences of waiting can connect us to other people going through similar situations. Just like Elizabeth and Mary, we can become connected in the waiting. We can use what we learned in our waiting times to encourage those who are traveling a similar path.

Wherever you are in life, remember that everything you are going through right now matters. All the waiting that Elizabeth went through prepared her for her most important role. All the years of waiting for an answered prayer drew her closer to God.

While we may never grow to like it—waiting serves a purpose. We can grow closer to Him when we expect God to accomplish something bigger than we can imagine. And we can connect to others by using the wait as a course in encouragement.

Next step: Think back to some of your most difficult waiting times. How can you use what you have learned during those times to encourage others?

If you would like to learn more about waiting well, check out my book: Waiting: A Bible Study on Patience, Hope, and Trust.

The book studies the lives of:

Sarah
Hannah
The Widow of Zarapheth
Esther
Anna
The Woman with a 12-year Hemorrhage
Martha
Ten Virgins

Through their examples, we find hope for the delays in our lives. We learn how to wait well.

Find the book on Amazon or CPH.org

How to Wait Well

Sharla March 25, 2014

Hold up your hand if you like waiting. Although I can’t see your hands through the computer screen, I would venture that no one raised her hand. And yet, because we often need to wait, we want to learn how to wait well

I hate the word wait. It’s a four-letter word that should be banned. I get impatient. I despise delays.

Recently I’ve been studying the life of Elizabeth. This woman had a very long wait for her most important role in life. Luke 1:5-7 tells us:

In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, of the division of Abijah. And he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. And they were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord. But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were advanced in years.

Elizabeth and Zechariah were waiting and waiting for a baby. But now they were both “advanced in years” and all hope of having a child had faded.

While I was thinking about Elizabeth’s long wait, I observed a pattern in Scripture. When I look in the Bible, I see that God often put His children in a waiting room.

And when I zoom in a little closer, I see that often God didn’t work out the answer to a problem right away because the delay made the answer that much more miraculous. The birth of Isaac was that much more remarkable because he was born to a ninety-year-old mother. Joseph’s rise to power in Egypt was even more amazing after spending years in prison. The Israelites’ possession of the Promised Land was more astounding after being enslaved in Egypt for 400 years, than if Jacob’s descendants had slowly taken over the region.

And now God drew attention to Zechariah and Elizabeth’s baby through a long delay. Because Elizabeth gave birth when she was “well advanced in years,” it seemed obvious that this child was going to be special.

When God makes us wait, it is often because He wants to do something bigger in our lives—something even bigger than what we prayed for. And if I remember this, my waiting is a little less difficult if I expect God to answer my prayers in a bigger way than I can imagine.

Now this doesn’t always mean that the answer to the prayer—when it finally comes—will look spectacular to the world around us. It might not always be recognized as a miracle by the people in our lives.

Sometimes the spectacular—the miraculous—is what happens in our hearts. The bigger thing that God wants to do is to transform us. Maybe the prayer is never answered the way you would like, but God gives you a peace and a joy that can only be explained by the power of His Spirit.

So when you are waiting for that new job, or a diagnosis for your child’s illness, or for a relationship to be healed, remember that even in the waiting we can be connected to God when we trust His goodness and expect Him to act in a way that is best for us.

We can become more connected to God by waiting if we stop fighting the pause in our plans and expect the delay to accomplish something wonderful in God’s purpose for our lives.

Next step: What are you waiting on God for right now? Turn it over to God. Expect Him to do something wonderful.

This post is an excerpt from my presentation “Christ-Connected Women: Elizabeth and Mary” which teaches about waiting on the Lord and accepting His plan for our lives. For more information about this talk and my other presentations check out my Speaking Topics page.

Why God is in the Waiting

Sharla December 3, 2013

I despise waiting. I hate the word wait.

I don’t like being put on hold on the telephone. I hate slow service in a restaurant. I despise long lines in the grocery store.

I especially hate delays when I come to God with desperate prayers.

But it seems to me that God loves the word wait.

He made the world wait thousands of years for the Savior. And during this time of the year, as we anticipate Christmas, we remember that long wait. During Advent, we think about when God tarries.

Why did God wait so long to send a Savior? Why is He delaying His return to judge the world? And why, oh why, does He wait to answer my prayers?

I believe one of the reasons for delay is that waiting draws us to Him.

I have to admit it. When everything is going well I am tempted to rely on myself–think I have everything under control.

It’s when I’m desperately praying for better health for a family member or for a change in our finances or for direction for my life that I am on my knees. When I don’t have everything under control, I turn to God.

Waiting makes me see all my efforts are useless. Waiting on the Lord makes me see that I need to trust God’s goodness.

Waiting pushes me to the heart of God.

Psalm 27:14 says:

Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.

Waiting isn’t for sissies. It takes strength and patience and unremitting devotion to God’s way.

But if we let the waiting draw us closer to God, if we allow the delay to pull us closer to His heart–we can realize there is a purpose in the wait.

Remember–even while you are in one of life’s many waiting rooms--God is there holding your hand.

Next step: Are you in a waiting season? Remember waiting can draw you closer to God. Post Psalm 27:14 where you will see it today to remind you to wait on the Lord.

If you would like to learn more about waiting on God, check out my book: Waiting: A Bible Study on Patience, Hope, and Trust.

The book studies the lives of:

Sarah
Hannah
The Widow of Zarapheth
Esther
Anna
The Woman with a 12-year Hemorrhage
Martha
Ten Virgins

Through their examples, we find hope for the delays in our lives. We learn how to wait well.

Find the book on Amazon or CPH.org

Are You Still Waiting?

Sharla September 10, 2013

Are you still waiting for something?

Last month I got a little good news. A magazine that I had sent an article to, notified me that they were going to publish it. Woo-hoo!

I was excited and surprised.

Surprised because I had sent the article more than three years ago.

It took three years to get the article published! Truthfully, I had pretty much given up any hope that they would actually use the article.

Shortly after I sent it to the magazine, they sent me a message saying they liked it, but after one year I was still waiting to see it in print. After two years I was still waiting. After three I was still waiting.

Lately, God has been teaching me more about waiting. This time He is using the words of Psalm 62:

My soul waits in silence for God only; From Him is my salvation. Psalm 62:1 NASB

I looked up that little word wait. In Hebrew the word is duwmiyah which means “silence, still, repose, still waiting.” That last phrase got my attention because I’m not very good at waiting. And if I do any waiting at all it’s drumming-my-fingers waiting. It’s tapping-my-toes waiting. It’s sighing-loudly waiting.

But duwmiyah is still waiting. Duwmiyah is waiting in quietness and stillness. This kind of waiting I am totally unacquainted with.

If I have to wait for an answer to prayer, I am restless until the answer comes. I don’t wait in stillness. If something I yearn for is a long time in coming, I tend to complain to God–constantly. I don’t wait in silence.

But God wants me to experience still waiting. He wants me to wait in quietness and repose because He assures me that He is going to come through: “From Him is my salvation.”

So what does still waiting look like? Believe me, I’m no expert, but I think:

Still waiting means trusting God to give me what I need when I need it.

Still waiting means picturing all of God’s goodness stored up for me for exactly the right time.

Still waiting means resting in God’s love.

Are you still waiting?

Next step: A prayer for today, “Father, I’m tired of waiting. I’m not very good at this waiting in stillness. I’m much better at waiting while complaining. But I do trust that You love me and want what is best for me. Help me to rest in that love while I’m still waiting.”