Have you ever struggled through a season of waiting—feeling stuck between God’s work in the past and His promise for the future?
Two years ago, I faced a particularly difficult situation I couldn’t solve on my own. At the time, I was stunned. I wondered, “How could this be?” I prayed, and I waited. Today, I am still praying and still waiting. While my circumstances haven’t changed, God has done a mighty work in me through this season.
Because God works while His people wait.
As Christians, we wait for God to answer our prayers and meet our daily needs. We wait for Him to give us direction. We wait on Him to change the hearts of those we love. At times, the entire Christian life can feel like one big season of waiting—and that’s because it is.
The tension of “not yet,” “hold on,” and “there’s more to come” stretches far beyond our daily circumstances because we are living in the gap. We are placed between God’s work in the past and His promise for the future.
John’s Gospel reminds us to seek the truth, keeping our eyes fixed on the finished work of redemption through the cross. Revelation encourages us to wait in hope, focusing on the certain day when Jesus will return and make all broken things new.
So how do we remain steadfast while we wait?
Seek the Truth
Through John’s Gospel we get a clear view of who Jesus is. We see both His compassion and care as well as His power and glory. We reflect on His words and marvel at His miracles. We realize that Jesus was more than merely a teacher or a prophet.
When we seek the truth in God’s Word, we discover more than facts about Jesus; we discover Jesus Himself.
John 1:14 tells us, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
Jesus alone has the power to fortify our faith and steady us while living in the gap.
He said, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).
When life’s storms threaten to distract us from the truth of who God is, a deep knowledge of what God has revealed in His Word anchors our faith and identity in Christ. When we seek the truth in God’s Word, we discover more than facts about Jesus; we discover Jesus Himself.
“Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me'” (John 14:6).
I am convinced that one of the greatest dangers for our culture today is settling for the shallow end of Scripture. We begin to view personal Bible study as optional, when in fact, it is essential. While we live in the gap, waiting on God, we must remain anchored in Christ—and our surest way to remain in Him is to remain in His Word.
Wait in Hope
When we seek the truth found in Christ alone, we discover a hope greater than we could ever imagine. In this year’s BSF study, Revelation: The Hope, we will read about an eternity so wonderful that the trials of this life pale in comparison.
Revelation 5:9b-10 tells us, “…because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth.”
Imagine that beautiful reality. A kingdom of priests from every tribe and language and people and nation united by the blood of Jesus. Today, we weep and mourn. In eternity, “He will wipe every tear from their eyes” (Revelation 21:4a).
We endure today because our hope rests in a certain tomorrow.
When we truly believe there is something worth waiting for and Someone who can deliver all that He promised, we find the strength to persevere.
In Christ, our hope is secure because the price of eternity has already been paid. Victory is sure for those who place their faith and hope in Jesus.
“He who was seated on the throne said, ‘I am making everything new!’ Then he said, ‘Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true'” (Revelation 21:5).
In this year’s BSF study, Revelation: The Hope, we will read about an eternity so wonderful that the trials of this life pale in comparison.
In John’s Gospel, we see God’s glory revealed in Jesus, the humble servant. In Revelation, we see God’s glory complete in Jesus, the conquering king.
As we seek the truth and wait in hope, we see glimpses of His glory as He continues to work in and through His people today.
When we feel stuck between God’s work in the past and His promise for the future, we remember that God always works while His people wait. When God answers, “not yet,” He strengthens our faith and increases our reliance on Him. While we wait, He calls us to action—to make Jesus known and share the hope wherever He has placed us.
God is our stability in the fiercest storms and trials. Jesus Himself is our truth and hope as we long to experience the full measure of His glory as revealed in Revelation.
“The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp” (Revelation 21:23).