Joel Osteen Devotional September 29 2021 – In the Waiting Room

James 1:4, NKJV

But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

We all have things we’re waiting for–a dream to come to pass, a problem to turn around. When it’s taking longer than we thought, it’s easy to get impatient and think, “When is it ever going to happen?” Sometimes it’s not happening because we’re not prepared for what God has prepared. If you could see what God has in mind, you’d realize you can’t handle it right now. You need more time to develop, to grow, to gain experience.

When you’re in God’s waiting room, you may not see anything changing, but something is happening–patience is working in you. Patience is building you, getting you prepared so you can sustain what God has coming. Your spiritual muscles are getting stronger. Don’t discount the waiting period. Don’t get discouraged because it’s not happening as fast as you like. The longer it takes, the more God has in store. When God knows you’re ready, what you give birth to is going to be much bigger than you think.

Father, thank You that there is a purpose for keeping me in the waiting room, whether I understand it or not. Thank You that patience is doing its work preparing me, making me stronger, and growing me up. I declare that I will trust You as I wait. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.