While I’m Waiting, God Is Working

In Galatians 6:9 I read, “Let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessings if we don’t give up.” (NLT)

The Bible tells me that there are seasons in life. Ecclesiastes 3:1 says, “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens” (NIV).

The fact that life is made up of seasons means that life also includes times of waiting. Between the “then” and the “now”—or the “now” and the “what’s coming next”—there is always a delay. This irritates most, including myself at times. It can be frustrating to make a deposit, investment, or plan and not have it instantly come to fruition.

But fruit ripens slowly. Would I rather eat a vine-ripened tomato or one that has been picked green and then gassed to turn it red? There’s no comparison between a vine-ripened tomato, which was allowed to grow slowly, and a tomato that was picked prematurely. If I pick too soon, I’ll miss the flavor.

In money management, I’ll always reap in a different season than I sow. And, by the way, not all fruit ripens at the same time. When peaches grow, they’re not all ripe at once. They come in little by little; you can pick a few a day. When I start planting and following God’s money management principles, I’m not going to get a windfall tomorrow. It’s going to come in over time. I’m going to have to wait to reap in a different season.

But while I’m waiting, God is working. When I’m waiting for the fulfillment of the efforts or money or energy that I’ve put into something, I may think or assume nothing’s happening.

But, oh, it’s happening! While that seed is hidden in the ground, it is slowly germinating. And when that seed bursts with God’s blessing on it, it will continue growing and growing. One day a little shoot will stick up out of the ground, and then you will see that it’s working. 

But until then, I need to trust that God is working—even when I can’t see the fruit of my labor. 

Plants take time to grow. There’s no such thing as instant maturity. No farmer goes out, plants the seed in the ground, comes back an hour later, digs it up, and expects it to have grown. I’ve just got to let it be, and let God grow it in his time.

Galatians 6:9 says, “Let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up” (NLT).

In summary, there are seasons in life. “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens”. The fact that life is made up of seasons means that life also includes times of waiting. There is always a delay. This irritates most, including myself. It can be frustrating to make a deposit, investment, or plan and not have it instantly come to fruition. But fruit ripens slowly. If I pick too soon it won’t be good, I'll miss the flavor. In money management, I’ll always reap in a different season than I sow. Not all fruit ripens at the same time. When I start planting and following God’s money management principles, I’m not going to get a windfall tomorrow. It’s going to come in over time. I’m going to have to wait to reap in a different season. But while I’m waiting, God is working. When I’m waiting, I may think or assume nothing’s happening. But, it is. While that seed is hidden in the ground, it is slowly germinating. And when that seed bursts with God’s blessing on it, it will continue growing and growing. Until then, I need to trust that God is working—even when I can’t see the fruit of my labor. Plants take time to grow. There’s no such thing as instant maturity. I’ve just got to let it be, and let God grow it in his time. So “Let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessings if we don’t give up”.

It is discouraging to continue to do right and receive no word of thanks or see no tangible results. But Paul challenged the Galatians and myself to keep on doing good and to trust God for the results. In due time, I will reap a harvest of blessings.