Waiting On God – A Short Spiritual Story

Has God ever spoke to you “through” another person? I would venture to say that most of us have experienced this, although some of us may not have been aware of what was happening. This recently happened to me as I was in the process of responding to an e-mail sent to me by a dear sister in my church.

She was concerned about how hard it is to wait on God. I usually use events from my own life to help in ministering to other people. I told her that one of the hardest things in my life is also waiting on God. It's not quite as hard as it used to be because of what God has taught me. The biggest mistakes of my life have happened because I got ahead of Him. I just wanted to help Him out a little; I'm sure you know what I mean. Almost always, this is a recipe for disaster. These particular mistake not only affected me, but others as well, especially my immediate family.

I allowed other well-meaning people to sway my thinking, but ultimately I was to blame.

This thought came to me as I was answering the above-mentioned e-mail. You've heard the old saying: “If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it's a duck”. This is not always true, especially when you're dealing with the things of God. Looks can be very deceiving, so we must be ever vigilant, always on guard because the devil will do anything in his power to destroy us. We can be fooled by the devil, and we can even be fooled by our own selves.

So how can we know if it is really God that is speaking to us? One thing we can know for sure is that God will never, ever, advise us to engage in anything that is the tiniest bit wrong or sinful. Waiting on God is not just waiting. He is teaching us, growing us, loving us, and allowing us to know more about Him during the wait. There is another problem that we sometimes encounter during our wait for God. Sometimes we know that whatever it is that we are praying for is all right with God, but the timing is not right. We are supposed to wait some more. This is the area in which I have probably made the most mistakes.

To personally be in fellowship with Him is the answer.

Larry is a 56 year old beginning writer of spiritually based or themed short stories and articles.

If you liked this story, you'll love this! We've compiled a list of the top 10 spiritual stories that our readers love. You can read them here.

What Is the Meaning of the “Waiting On God” Story?

Like the gentle whisper of the wind or the subtle rustle of leaves, God speaks through the lips of our fellow journeyers, guiding us in ways we may not fully comprehend. It is in the gentle cadence of shared experiences that the first spiritual moral of our story unveils itself: the recognition of God's voice through the symphony of human connection.

In the delicate dance of waiting on God, we encounter the transformative power of patience, an artistry of the soul that transcends the mere passage of time. Waiting is not a passive act but a sacred pilgrimage, a journey of profound significance. As we linger in the anticipation of divine unfoldings, we become apprentices to the divine rhythm, allowing our spirits to attune to the celestial melodies of growth and revelation. The second spiritual moral reveals itself: waiting as a transformative process, a sacred curriculum authored by the Divine.

The narrative invites us to reflect on the dance between our desires and divine timing, a cosmic ballet where every step is choreographed by the hand of God. This dance unfolds not in the realm of arbitrary happenstance but in the sacred theater of divine orchestration. The third spiritual moral takes center stage: an acknowledgment that even in our certainty of God's approval, there exists a higher wisdom, a celestial clock whose ticking requires our patient synchrony.

The tale teaches us to recognize the subtleties of God's voice amid the cacophony of competing narratives. The world, with its dazzling array of illusions, can often deceive us, clouding our discernment with mirages of the temporal. In the fourth spiritual moral, we delve into the essence of spiritual vigilance – a call to be watchful, discerning the authentic resonance of the divine amidst the illusions that seek to lead us astray.

Guided by the compass of spiritual discernment, we navigate the labyrinth of our existence, discerning the true from the false. The fifth spiritual moral unfolds: the acknowledgment that our capacity to be deceived is not limited to external influences but extends into the intricacies of our own consciousness. The mirror of self-reflection becomes a sacred tool in discerning the divine guidance from the illusionary whispers that seek to divert us.

How do we ascertain if the voice we hear is indeed the voice of God? The sixth spiritual moral offers a simple yet profound criterion: the voice of God will never beckon us toward the path of wrongdoing or sin. In the echoes of divine guidance, there resides an unblemished purity, a luminous truth that refrains from leading us astray. By aligning ourselves with this criterion, we navigate the labyrinth of choices with the unwavering certainty that the divine compass points only towards goodness and righteousness.

Waiting on God transcends the mere passage of time; it is an intricate process of revelation, a cosmic unveiling of divine mysteries. In the seventh spiritual moral, we explore the multidimensional nature of waiting. It is not a stagnant pause but a dynamic interlude where God, in His infinite wisdom, unfolds the chapters of our lives with meticulous care. Waiting becomes a sacred classroom where the curriculum is the deepening of our connection with the Divine, an education in the language of love and spiritual maturation.

The narrative introduces a poignant reflection on the challenges of waiting, specifically when we are certain that our prayers align with the divine will. The eighth spiritual moral invites us to contemplate the paradox of divine timing. In this revelation, waiting extends beyond the alignment of desires with divine approval; it delves into the realm of celestial orchestration, where the cosmic clock ticks to the rhythm of a higher wisdom.

In the tapestry of our spiritual journey, personal fellowship with the Divine emerges as the ultimate key. The ninth spiritual moral unfolds: the answer lies not just in waiting but in the sacred communion with God Himself. As we engage in this divine dialogue, our spirits resonate with the harmonies of love, and our waiting becomes a sacred pilgrimage, an intimate journey with the Divine.

In the grand symphony of life, the spiritual significance of this story echoes through the chambers of our hearts. It beckons us to recognize the divine cadence in human connections, embrace waiting as a transformative process, synchronize our steps with divine timing, exercise spiritual vigilance, discern the true from the false, follow the unblemished purity of divine guidance, engage in waiting as a multidimensional revelation, contemplate the paradox of divine timing, and, above all, foster personal fellowship with the Divine. In these spiritual truths, we discover the luminous path that leads us toward a deeper connection with the Divine and a more profound understanding of our sacred journey.

Personal Reflection Questions

Spiritual stories are an opportunity to reflect on your own life. Here are 10 questions you can use to go deeper with the teachings in this story:

1. Reflect on a time when you received guidance or insight through another person's words, as the author did in response to the sister's email. How did that experience impact your understanding of God's communication in your life?
2. Consider the author's admission about the challenges of waiting on God. Have there been moments in your life when impatience or a desire to “help” God led to unforeseen consequences? How might these experiences have shaped your approach to waiting on divine timing?
3. Explore the concept of learning from personal mistakes, as the author acknowledges the repercussions of getting ahead of God. In what ways have your own missteps contributed to your growth and understanding of God's guidance?
4. Reflect on the influence of well-meaning people on the author's decision-making process. How do external opinions and advice impact your own decision-making, and how do you discern between well-intentioned counsel and divine guidance?
5. Ponder the author's caution about being deceived by appearances in matters related to God. Are there instances in your life where appearances were deceptive, and how did you navigate through those situations?
6. Consider the old saying mentioned in the story: “If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it's a duck.” How does this saying, when applied to matters of faith and divine guidance, challenge your understanding of appearances versus spiritual discernment?
7. Reflect on the author's assertion that God will never advise engaging in anything even remotely wrong or sinful. How does this principle guide your decision-making and discernment of God's voice in your life?
8. Explore the idea that waiting on God is not merely about waiting but involves learning, growth, and deepening one's connection with Him. How can you embrace the process of waiting as an opportunity for spiritual development and intimacy with God?
9. Reflect on the challenge of discerning when the timing for prayerfully sought outcomes is not right. Have there been instances in your life where patience in waiting for God's timing led to positive outcomes, and how did you navigate through those periods of waiting?
10. Consider the author's ultimate solution to discerning God's voice: being in fellowship with Him. How do you nurture your personal connection with God, and what practices or moments help you foster a deeper, more intimate relationship with the divine in your life?