To The One In A Waiting Season
When I was younger I used to think that once I got past a certain milestone, life would feel complete. But what I’ve come to realize is that life is one big waiting season. There will always be something we’re waiting on—the next opportunity, the next relationship, the next breakthrough.
Maybe you’re waiting for a family member to be healed, for friendships to come and stay, or for the next phase of your life to begin. If that’s you, you’re in good company. Even some of the greatest leaders in the Bible had to endure waiting seasons—including King David.
David’s life is a powerful example of how to navigate waiting seasons with faith. It’s a reminder that the waiting is not wasted. He faced years of waiting before he became king, and during that time, he learned valuable lessons that we can apply to our own lives. Here are five key things we can learn from David’s journey:
1. Focus on Today
It’s easy to fixate on what’s next, but what about what’s right in front of you? When David was anointed as king it was when he was just a shepherd boy. He didn’t immediately step into the throne. You know what he did instead right after being anointed? He went right back to tending sheep.
Imagine that—being told you’ll be king one day and then heading back to the pasture. But David didn’t waste that time. Those days of fighting off lions and bears to protect his sheep? They prepared him for the day he’d face Goliath.
Matthew 6:34 says, "So don't worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today's trouble is enough for today."
There’s purpose in today. Don’t miss it by always looking ahead.
2. Let Go of What You Can’t Control
David had to serve King Saul—the very man he would eventually replace. And not only that, but Saul was struggling with mental health issues, relying on David to play the harp to calm him down. Can you imagine the weight of that? Being responsible for someone else’s peace while knowing you were next in line for their job?
David couldn’t control Saul’s actions or emotions, but he could control his own. He remained faithful in what he was called to do and trusted God with the rest. The same goes for us—we can’t control how others react, what happens next, or how long we have to wait. But we can control our response.
We can control what we say, what we do, and how we respond.
A good prayer to pray is this: "God, help me to control what I can and let go of what I can't."
3. Protect Your Heart
1 Samuel 19:9-10 tells us that Saul attempted to kill David by throwing a spear at him. David loved Saul. He was loyal to Saul. And yet, Saul still threw a spear at him, trying to take his life. Sometimes, the people closest to us are the ones who hurt us the most.
So David had to make a choice—stay and keep getting hurt, or create space to protect his heart. He chose to step away. David had to flee and change his environment to protect himself.
While most of us aren’t dodging literal spears, we do face situations where our hearts and souls are under attack. If you’re in a waiting season and feeling drained, you might need to shift your environment. That could mean setting boundaries, stepping away from toxic relationships, or simply making time for things that refresh your soul.
4. Trust God and His Timing
*Cue eye roll. I know. This one is hard. When we’re in a waiting season, it’s frustrating to hear, “Just trust God.” But David’s story teaches us the power of surrendering to God’s timing.
David had multiple chances to take matters into his own hands—he could have killed Saul and claimed the throne. But he didn’t. He chose to wait on God’s perfect timing. In 1 Samuel 24, after sparing Saul’s life, David tells him, “May the Lord reward you well for the way you treated me today. I know that you will surely be king and that the kingdom of Israel will be established in your hands.” (v. 19-20)
David knew that rushing the process wasn’t worth stepping outside of God’s plan. Rushing a season doesn’t mean we’re ready for it. But how often do we try to force things to happen instead of waiting for God to move? Trusting His timing will always bring more peace than trying to make things happen on our own.
Trust that God knows what He’s doing, even when it doesn’t make sense.
5. Every Season is a Waiting Season
Even after David became king, his trials didn’t end. His own son tried to overthrow him. The waiting never truly stops; it just shifts to something new.
If we’re not waiting to graduate, we’re waiting for a job. If we’re not waiting for a relationship, we’re waiting for marriage. If we’re not waiting for kids, we’re waiting for the next big thing. Life is a continuous cycle of waiting.
That’s why we have to learn contentment now. If we’re always focused on what’s missing, we’ll never be fully living in the present. God has given us glimpses of paradise here on earth, but we miss them when we’re too busy longing for the next thing.
So wherever you are today—whether you’re tending sheep, playing the harp, or facing a Goliath—remember that your waiting season is not wasted. Be like David:
Focus on today.
Let go of what you can’t control.
Protect your heart.
Trust God’s timing.
Recognize that waiting seasons are part of every season.
And remember: Your waiting isn’t wasted.