“And therefore will the Lord wait, that He may be gracious unto you… blessed are all they that wait for Him.” — Isaiah 30:18
Waiting can be one of the most difficult experiences in our Christian journey. We pray, we seek God, and sometimes we wonder why He seems silent. We may ask:
“Lord, why haven’t You answered?”
“Why didn’t You come when I needed You?”
“Why does it feel like You are late?”
But the Bible reveals a beautiful truth: sometimes, while we are waiting for God, God is also waiting for us.
Isaiah 30:18 tells us that the Lord waits so that He may be gracious to us and show us mercy. God’s waiting is not neglect. His silence is not rejection. His delay is not a lack of love.
He waits because He is merciful. He waits because He loves us.
God’s Character Is One of Patience
God has been patient with us through days, months, and even years. Many times, we have moved away from Him, ignored His voice, or allowed other things to take His place in our lives.
Yet, He continues to wait.
He does not immediately judge us. He does not quickly give up on us. He patiently waits for us to return to Him.
Sometimes we misunderstand God’s silence. We may think:
“God has forgotten me.”
“God does not care about my situation.”
“God is not listening to my prayers.”
But God’s silence does not mean His absence.
He may be working in ways that we cannot see.
Jesus and the Family of Lazarus
One of the most powerful examples of this truth is found in John chapter 11.
Lazarus, the brother of Mary and Martha, became seriously sick. The sisters sent a message to Jesus:
“Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick.”
They expected Jesus to come quickly.
After all, Jesus loved Lazarus. Jesus had healed many sick people. Surely, He would come and help His friend.
But Jesus did not immediately go.
By the time Jesus arrived in Bethany, Lazarus had been dead for four days.
Martha went to meet Jesus and said:
“Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.”
Behind those words was pain.
Perhaps she wondered why Jesus had not come sooner.
Perhaps she asked:
“Why were You late?”
“Why didn’t You answer us?”
“Why didn’t You come when we needed You most?”
Yet, even in her pain, Martha still believed that Jesus had power.
Jesus then gave her one of the greatest declarations in Scripture:
“I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live.” — John 11:25
Jesus was about to reveal something greater than what Martha expected.
Jesus Was Waiting for Mary
There is another beautiful part of this story.
After Martha spoke with Jesus, she returned home and secretly called her sister Mary.
She said:
“The Master is come, and calleth for thee.” — John 11:28
Mary had remained at home.
Perhaps her heart was broken.
Perhaps she was disappointed.
Mary loved Jesus deeply. She had spent time sitting at His feet and listening to His words. She had devoted herself to Him.
But now, during one of the most painful moments of her life, Jesus had not come when she expected Him.
Maybe Mary was asking:
“Why didn’t Jesus come when Lazarus was sick?”
“Why did He wait?”
“What is the purpose of coming now?”
Yet Jesus was still waiting for Mary.
Before performing the miracle, Jesus wanted Mary to come to Him.
He had not forgotten her.
He had not stopped loving her.
He was waiting for her.
The miracle was not only about Lazarus receiving life again. It was also about Mary coming back into the presence of Jesus.
Sometimes God is waiting for us to come closer to Him before He reveals what He has prepared for us.
When Grief Creates Distance
Life can sometimes create distance between us and God.
Pain can make us withdraw.
Disappointment can weaken our faith.
Unanswered prayers can create misunderstanding.
We may still attend church physically, but spiritually we may feel far away.
Perhaps there was a time when you loved God deeply.
You prayed regularly.
You read the Word of God.
You enjoyed being in His presence.
You had a strong relationship with Him.
But along the journey, something happened.
Pain came.
Disappointment came.
Failures came.
Loss came.
Misunderstandings came.
And slowly, your love for God began to fade.
You may feel spiritually empty today.
But here is the good news:
Jesus is still waiting for you.
The Master Has Come and Is Calling You
The message given to Mary is still meaningful for us today:
“The Master is come, and calleth for thee.”
Jesus is calling you.
No matter how far you have gone.
No matter how disappointed you may feel.
No matter how many years have passed.
No matter how much pain you have experienced.
Jesus is still calling you.
He is waiting to be gracious to you.
He is waiting to show you mercy.
He is waiting to restore your relationship with Him.
You may think that something in your life is already dead.
Perhaps your faith feels dead.
Perhaps your prayer life has disappeared.
Perhaps your spiritual passion is gone.
Perhaps your hope has faded.
Perhaps your relationship with God feels distant.
But Jesus is still the same.
He still says:
“I am the resurrection and the life.”
What seems impossible to us is still possible with God.
God Can Restore What Was Lost
When Mary finally came to Jesus, everything changed.
Jesus revealed His power.
Lazarus was raised.
A family that was filled with grief witnessed the glory of God.
The tears were turned into testimony.
The place of death became a place of resurrection.
In the same way, God can restore what has been lost in your life.
He can restore your spiritual passion.
He can restore your faith.
He can restore your prayer life.
He can restore your joy.
He can restore your relationship with Him.
Nothing is too dead for the One who is the Resurrection and the Life.
A Call to Come Back to Jesus
Today, Jesus is waiting for you.
Maybe you once loved Him deeply.
Maybe you once had dedication.
Maybe you once made promises and covenants with God.
Maybe you once spent time in prayer and in His Word.
But many things may have come between you and Jesus.
Today, He is calling you again.
You do not have to remain distant.
You do not have to remain in spiritual emptiness.
You do not have to remain in disappointment.
Come back to Jesus.
Like Mary, respond to the call.
Like Martha, believe in His power.
And like Lazarus, experience the resurrection power of Christ.
The Master has come. He is calling for you.
A Prayer of Surrender
Lord Jesus,
Today I understand that You have been waiting for me.
Through days, months, and years, You have waited patiently for me to return to You.
There was a time when I loved You deeply. There was a time when I prayed, read Your Word, and enjoyed Your presence.
But many things came between us.
Pain, disappointment, fear, distractions, and the challenges of life have caused me to move away from You.
Lord, today I am coming back to You.
Restore my love for You.
Restore my faith.
Restore my spiritual life.
Remove every emptiness, every misunderstanding, and every experience of spiritual death from my life.
You are the Resurrection and the Life.
Bring new life into every area of my life that feels dead.
Lord Jesus, I surrender myself to You.
Thank You for waiting for me.
Thank You for Your grace.
Thank You for Your mercy.
Today, I hear Your call.
Master, You have come, and You are calling me.
And today, Lord,
I am coming to You.
Amen.
Final Reflection
If you feel that God has been silent, do not assume that He has forgotten you.
If your prayer has not yet been answered, do not assume that God does not care.
Sometimes His waiting has a purpose.
Sometimes He is preparing something greater.
And sometimes, while you are waiting for God to move, He is lovingly waiting for you to come closer to Him.
The Master has come. He is calling you.
Will you come to Him today?
