THREE ANGELS BROADCASTING NETWORK DEVOTIONAL.
Wait.

By Tim Parton

March 30th, 2026

“But those who wait on the Lord will find new strength. They will fly high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.” Isaiah 40:31 (NLT)

I recall sitting in my parent’s car in our driveway, my mom in the driver’s seat with her fingers pressing the horn. I felt a sense of anxiety as the blaring noise sounded my mother’s impatience. When it was time to go and Mom announced, “We’re leaving!” there was zero tolerance for waiting. With my eyes fixed on the house door, tension built until my sister darted out and scrambled to the car with a handful of excuses for her delay.

Wait. How can only four letters make up such a long word?

There are jobs created explicitly for people who wait—waitstaff. Rooms are built in offices and hospitals for waiting—waiting rooms. We wait for the bus; wait for our name to be called at a busy restaurant, wait in line at the grocery store. There are mind-blowing statistics for how much time we spend waiting.

But waiting time doesn’t always equal wasting time, especially if we will learn to do what some Bible translations recommend, by replacing “wait” with “hope” or “trust.” That small change will revolutionize your concept of waiting, specifically when we’re referring to waiting on God.

Waiting on God is like a jogger at the stoplight. He jogs in place, waiting for the green light—the go-ahead to continue his course. Waiting is to live in confident expectation of God’s action on our behalf. It is to refuse to run ahead of Him and trying to solve our problem, ourselves.

And why wouldn’t we wait on God? Isaiah 40:28 and 29 remind us, “Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might, He increases strength.”

The few times I’ve tried to bulk up and gain muscle, I was told I must lift heavier weight. To be strong people of God, we must lift heavier “wait;” we must hope and trust God. He knows what He’s doing, and when He’ll do it. Don’t try to run ahead while the light is still red. Wait for it. Enjoy and learn from these moments of waiting, hoping, and trusting. And when the time comes and your wait is over, you will soar, you will run, and God will be cheering you on!

So, go ahead; don’t be afraid to gain some “wait.”