God Is Never in a Hurry

“I waited patiently for the LORD's help; then he listened to me and heard my cry.” Psalm 40:1 (GNT)

God isn’t in a hurry with my spiritual growth. I may think he’s in a hurry, but he’s not. He’s using my current circumstances to develop my character and make me stronger. He’s patient.

Most people, including myself, are impatient. Many of our problems are caused by our inability to wait. We get into debt because we don’t know how to delay gratification, buying things we don’t need with money we don’t have to impress people we don’t even like. We buy all we can, can all we get, and then sit on the can. 

The good news is that, with prayer, I can recover from problems caused by my impatience. The Bible says, “I waited patiently for the LORD‘s help; then he listened to me and heard my cry” (Psalm 40:1 GNT).

Remember: God is never in a hurry. There isn’t an example of Jesus running anywhere in the Bible? In fact, it took him three days to go a mile and a half to get to his friend, Lazarus, who was very sick. And by the time Jesus got to him, it was too late—Lazarus had already died. 

But Jesus had a bigger plan in mind. He didn’t just want to heal Lazarus—he wanted to raise him from the dead. He wanted to do a miracle. And that’s exactly what happened. Jesus walked up to Lazarus’ tomb, told them to roll the stone away, and said, “Lazarus, come out!” (John 11:43 NLT). And Lazarus did! 

Sometimes, a situation can get so bad that I feel tempted to take matters into my own hands. But don’t take shortcuts. Instead, trust in God’s perfect timing and expect a miracle! The Bible says, “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer” (Romans 12:12 NIV).

God already knows what he’s going to do in my life next month, next year, and in the next decade. His timing is perfect, and his plan for my life is good and worth waiting for.

In summary:

God isn’t in a rush with our spiritual growth—He works patiently and purposefully, using our current challenges to build character and strength. While we often struggle with impatience, trying to force outcomes or take shortcuts, God invites us to trust in His perfect timing. Psalm 40:1 reminds me that when I wait patiently for the Lord, He hears me. My impatience can lead to poor decisions and unnecessary stress, but prayer and faith can help me recover and stay grounded in God's process.

Jesus Himself modeled this divine patience—He didn’t hurry, even when His friend Lazarus was gravely ill. Instead, He arrived after Lazarus had died and performed a greater miracle by raising him from the dead. This shows that delays are not denials, but opportunities for God to work in unexpected and powerful ways. Rather than rushing ahead, I'm called to be joyful in hope, patient in difficulty, and faithful in prayer (Romans 12:12). Trusting in God's timing leads to deeper growth and even greater miracles.