By Rev. Joe Hoem
Waiting is never easy. Whether you’re a child excited to open a birthday present, an adult longing for a loved one to return, or facing life’s many challenges, waiting tests our patience. At times, it can feel as though life has slowed to a standstill while the world continues to move around us.
But here’s some hope: Even in the quiet, God is at work. When we wait on Him, we are not idle or forgotten. God is always faithful and always working for our good, even when we cannot yet see it.
LENT’S INVITATION TO HOPEFUL WAITING
As Lent draws to a close and we anticipate the joy of Easter, the church offers us a simple yet powerful word: wait. It’s not meant to frustrate us; it’s meant to shape and strengthen us. Waiting teaches us to trust God more deeply. Most of us want answers, clarity, and progress. We want life, and those around us, to move on our schedule.
Psalm 27 reminds us that waiting isn’t wasted time when the Lord is the One who promises to act. Lent shows us that even the quiet, challenging moments of life are full of God’s presence.
This Lent, we’ve waited in repentance, under the cross, and while saying prayers that sometimes feel unanswered. God’s Law humbles us, pointing us to our need for a Savior. Lent reminds us that our waiting is not empty; instead, it is an invitation to trust God’s timing and His faithfulness.
TRUSTING WHILE WE WAIT
Think of a child who scrapes a knee. The child doesn’t heal the wound by trying harder. They wait, hurting and helpless, until a parent comes. The strength isn’t in the child; it’s in the parent. The child’s waiting is full of hope and trust.
That’s exactly how God invites us to wait. Life may leave us scraped, bruised, or uncertain. Yet we are reminded that we cannot fix ourselves. But we can place our trust in the Lord. He comes to bind what is broken, heal what is hurt, and restore what sin has damaged.
“Be strong, and let your heart take courage.”
This strength doesn’t come from within. Christ went to the cross because we are weak, and He rose to give us courage and hope. Even when life feels overwhelming, Lent reminds us that God is our strength.
GOD IS STILL AT WORK
Waiting can feel slow, even invisible, yet Lent reminds us that God is never idle. On Good Friday, everything seemed finished. The Son of God lay in a tomb. Silence and sorrow filled the world. However, even then, God was at work.
The waiting of the church is never empty because the Lord is always working. Even when we feel weak, unseen, or uncertain, Christ is accomplishing our salvation.
On Holy Saturday, nothing appears to happen. The tomb is sealed. Death seems victorious. But God is still working. What looks like a delay is a victory waiting to unfold. Easter proves it: The crucified One is raised! The promises of God are real and fulfilled. The hope we’ve been waiting for is already alive.
LIVING IN JOYFUL HOPE
Until Easter fully arrives, we continue to wait, not anxiously, but faithfully. We wait at the font, remembering that we have been buried and raised with Christ. We wait at the altar, trusting that the risen Lord comes to us through His Word and promises.
“Wait for the LORD; be strong and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD!”
Even when life feels uncertain, God is at work. Even in the struggles of this life, Christ brings hope. Even when the path is unclear, His promises are sure. Because of this, we can face each day with courage, peace, and joy, as we wait for His return.
This month’s study text:
The LORD Is My Light and My Salvation Of David.
7 Hear, O LORD, when I cry aloud; be gracious to me and answer me!
8 You have said, “Seek my face.” My heart says to you, “Your face, LORD, do I seek.”
9 Hide not your face from me. Turn not your servant away in anger, O you who have been my help. Cast me not off; forsake me not, O God of my salvation!
10 For my father and my mother have forsaken me, but the LORD will take me in.
11 Teach me your way, O LORD, and lead me on a level path because of my enemies.
12 Give me not up to the will of my adversaries; for false witnesses have risen against me, and they breathe out violence.
13 I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living!
14 Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD!
Psalm 27:7-14 (ESV)
Reflection Questions:
How does it feel to know that God is at work even when you cannot see it?
Where have you seen God bring hope or strength into your life recently?
How can you “be strong” and let your heart take courage while waiting on His Easter promise?
How does the hope of Easter fill you with encouragement and joy in your waiting?
A PRAYER FOR WAITING
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank You that You are always at work, even when we cannot see it. Help us to wait for You with hope and confidence, trusting that You bring healing, forgiveness, and new life. Strengthen our hearts and give us courage, especially when life feels heavy. Let us see Your salvation unfolding, even in quiet moments, and remind us that Christ, who died for us, now lives for us, working all things together for our good. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
The Rev. Joe Hoem is a pastor at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Fort Wayne, Ind.