Waiting on God When It Feels Like He’s Late

March 4th, 2025.

As a Christian business leader, especially a leader in a hustle-and-grind culture, the concept of patience can seem foreign. Understanding when to go and knowing when to wait can feel difficult to discern, even when we’re faithful in trying to listen to God. Often, our “get it done” drive lives in conflict to God’s “wait on me” instructions. When God seems slow, we take matters into our own hands. We want to microwave our results and have them delivered to our door in 24 hours or less.

This is exactly what we see happening to Saul in 1 Samuel 13.

Saul found himself in an impossible situation. His army, dwindled down to a mere 600 men, was facing a Philistine force that was equipped with superior weapons and military technology. Imagine seeing the Philistines gathered with thirty thousand chariots, six thousand horsemen, and an army as numerous as the sands on the seashore. Fear spread rapidly among Saul’s troops and as men deserted him and fled, Saul’s confidence crumbled. The people who remained alongside him were uncertain, discouraged, and waiting for leadership.

He had to do something.

In this tense moment, Saul had clear instructions from the prophet Samuel… Wait seven days for my arrival at Gilgal before making any moves. Samuel was not just a prophet but also his role in offering sacrifices was vital in seeking the Lord’s favor before battle. Saul just needed to wait for him.

As the days passed and Samuel did not appear, Saul’s anxiety grew. Yours and mine would have as well – and that’s when Saul broke. The pressure of watching his army shrink, along with the looming Philistine threat, pushed him to take matters into his own hands. Rather than trusting God’s timing, he reacted out of fear and impatience, offering the burnt offering himself—something only a priest was permitted to do. And, just as he finished, Samuel arrived. In that moment, the weight of Saul’s disobedience became clear.

We read about this moment in 1 Samuel 13:11-14…

“What have you done?” asked Samuel.

Saul replied, “When I saw that the men were scattering, and that you did not come at the set time, and that the Philistines were assembling at Mikmash, I thought, ‘Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not sought the Lord’s favor.’ So I felt compelled to offer the burnt offering.”

“You have done a foolish thing,” Samuel said. “You have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you; if you had, he would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time. But now your kingdom will not endure; the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him ruler of his people, because you have not kept the Lord’s  command.”

Does this sound familiar? What should have been a moment of faith became a moment of failure. Saul’s decision, though perhaps logical from a human perspective, revealed a deeper issue: He trusted in his own actions more than he trusted in God. This single act set the course for his downfall, with Samuel declaring that Saul’s kingdom would be taken from him and given to a man after God’s own heart, David.

Read that again. What should have been a moment of faith became a moment of failure.

I have had my own share of moments like that in my life. Truth be told, I have always struggled to wait on the Lord. Often, I will pray for something for a few days or maybe a week, and if I don’t see God’s hand in action or feel Him moving, I take matters into my own hands. It’s only lately, looking back on these instances, that I can see that the results I’ve created alone pale in comparison to the ones God has created for me. More often, the results I create on my own, apart from God, lead to more pain and challenges.

When we face uncertainty, waiting on God can feel like doing nothing—but in reality, waiting is an act of trust. A practical way to practice patience and waiting on God is to develop the habit of seeking Him before taking action. This means regularly spending time in prayer and scripture, even when answers aren’t immediate. Instead of reacting to pressure, we need to remind ourselves of God’s past faithfulness and lean into His timing.

In practical terms, a simple but powerful practice is to pause before making a big decision—especially when you feel rushed or anxious. Ask yourself, am I moving forward because I trust God, or because I’m afraid of what might happen if I wait? Saul rushed ahead because he feared losing control. We, too, can feel tempted to force things when God seems silent. But true faith trusts that even in the waiting, God is working.

Patience isn’t passive—it’s an active choice to trust God’s plan and timing over our own strength and impulses.

…

John Gamades, Author

WAR: A Tactical Guide for Christian Men

Conquer: Daily Devotions for the Christian Man