Waiting means hope or expectation for something. The Psalmist in Psalm 27:13-14 stated that “I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living……..wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.” 2 Peter 3:9 reads :  “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”

Waiting is of the Lord and is of God. It is a command, you do not have a choice as God is not moved by your deadlines. We are the ones to wait, not God. The only thing God can do is to encourage us and strengthen us. Isaiah 40:31 “But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” If you are unhappy, impatient, frustrated, disappointed, anxious and not peaceful, it means you don’t trust God, you are not waiting on God and that is why we ask many questions. When we focus on things created rather than the creator we are distressed. When we depend on our knowledge than the All Knowing God we tend to be unnecessarily agitated and worried therefore tormented.
It is true God is not late but while you wait for Mr. Right, you may count it for lateness as you believe time is not on your side.  The one that created time knows the right and the best time and He does not work with our timetable. Acts 1:7 says “And he said unto them, it is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.”

WHY DO YOU HAVE TO WAIT?

• .He wants to strengthen your faith. The case of Lazarus in John 11:45 “Then many of the Jews which came to Mary, and had seen the things which Jesus did, believed on him.” He always ignore our deadline to increase our faith.

• He wants you to focus on Him not on your mockers and present circumstance: In the story of Jairus daughter in Mark 5:40-42 the bible says “And they laughed him to scorn. But when he had put them all out, he taketh the father and the mother of the damsel, and them that were with him, and entereth in where the damsel was lying. 41 And he took the damsel by the hand, and said unto her, Talitha cumi; which is, being interpreted, Damsel, I say unto thee, arise. 42 And straightway the damsel arose, and walked; for she was of the age of twelve years. And they were astonished with a great astonishment.”

• To increase your testimony: Testimony of marriage of less than two years with a baby will not hit the town like a woman that waited for twenty years,

• That His name may be glorified: In the case of the man that was born blind, the disciples asked: who has sinned, he said none, but that His name may be glorified when his sight is restored. In John 9:3 “Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.”
  I have a sister that God gave her husband at the age of 45 and it was like what happened?, Why did God have to wait for this long?  The Holy Spirit answered me immediately, and said “I am the Lord, I created and can repair or replace, I created her I can decide to reduce her age and make her to live 100 more years.” I immediately humbled myself, repent, ask for mercy and gave Him praise.

• To use your unique testimonies to draw souls into the kingdom: John 12:10-11 “But the chief priests consulted that they might put Lazarus also to death; 11. Because that by reason of him many of the Jews went away, and believed on Jesus.” The miracle of Lazarus turned many to Christ

• He wants to bring change in to your life through a process: His ways are not our ways, He has His own timing. There some things He needs to take care of first that will make your testimony endure. Orderliness is of God. Isaiah 55:8-9 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. 9. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

• He directs your path to ensure you are not hurt: Jeremiah 10:23 “O Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps.”  Also in Proverbs 14:12 ”There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.”

WHAT YOU DO WHILE YOU WAIT.

• Focus on God: Jesus Christ says in Matthew 6:22 “The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.”

• Pray and praise Him, before the door opens:  In Acts 16:25-26 “And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. 26 And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one’s bands were loosed.

• Invest your life in positive things, invest in personal development, read book on some interesting topics. Many of the epistles were written in the prison, the kings were prepared in a place before the palace.

• Enjoy yourself: Explore, travel the world, you have only one life to live. There are something’s that you may not have time to do after marriage.

• Recognize He is in control: Even when it seems everything is out of control. Matt.14 Jesus sure was in the boat when the storm was raging, His disciples did not perish with the storm. He rebuked the wind and there was a great calm.

• Renew your confidence in God through the testimonies of others that have waited: Study the word from the testimonies of others that had held on to God.

• Be ready and prepare for it: Read books on marriage and relationships, Be ready for marriage while waiting.

I will summarize with the stories of my two friends trusting God for marriage partners. We ministered to them and they were able to have good investments before marriage. One of them invested so much and had a very robust Domiciliary account, she eventually got married, had three kids, she resigned and travelled out of the country,  she said she wants to give her children the best. More importantly, whether you are married or not you will give account of your life before God. How much of the investment of God upon your life you have utilized will matter at the end of your life. Give your life to Christ, work while it is possible, pray & praise and wait on His promises. God’s timing is the best.
My prayer is that God shall meet you at the very point of your need in Jesus name.
God bless you richly in Jesus name.

Bunmi Adelugba is a Chartered Accountant, community organizer and philanthropist as well as a Pastor with the Redeemed Christian Church of God.