No one likes to wait. 

Advertisements try to produce immediate urgency (you need this now!) and promise immediate satisfaction (get this today!). They do this because it raises sales and revenue. The biggest online store, Amazon, provides same day or next day delivery for this very reason. 

However, God often calls us to wait. He gives us promises and tells us to be patient until he fulfills them. This goes against our human nature. During the wait, God teaches us about his divine nature, to rest and hope in his love and provision, producing sanctified character. 

We must first realize waiting on God isn’t passive. God is never passive. As Jesus said, his Father is always working (John 5:17). At the same time, God is always at peace and rest (1 Thessalonians 5:23). Peace, rest, and intentional work all coexist within God’s eternal nature. Therefore, as his followers and children, we intentionally participate in active waiting. 

Here are seven things to do while you wait. 

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Jesus wasn’t a ghost or mystical being but real flesh and blood. By expressing his thirst, Jesus shows he experiences physical needs and sufferings just as any other human would. This moment emphasizes the reality of the Incarnation — God becoming flesh and dwelling among us.

The book of Job has been passed down to us to encourage us and strengthen our faith, not despite its tragic elements but because of them. So what lessons can we learn from Job’s daughters dying?

This statement seems general and vague. Yet when placed in context, we can understand the depth and importance of this verse.

As Christians, the Olympics reflect a heavenly idea where all peoples and nations live as one in submission to Christ. The dignity and cooperation between different groups inspires us, as well. These athletic games have practical and spiritual applications for Jesus followers.

God doesn’t need to change his mind due to sin. And yet he does seem to either repent or stay his actions due to certain reasons. brbrHowever, it is important to understand these instances in the context of God’s unchanging nature. 

Unlike fleeting happiness, which depends on external circumstances, biblical joy is a profound and enduring state of being that arises from a relationship with God.

Christian fasting is primarily about humbling oneself and seeking a deeper relationship with God. It often accompanies prayer, allowing believers to focus more intently on their spiritual life and tune out distractions.

While Damaris may seem like a random name at the end of a New Testament story, how she gets highlighted in the story of Paul’s evangelism in Athens tells us something key about God, women, and ministry.

While obscure and violent, Elisha’s encounter with these boys teaches us about the role of Old Testament prophets, and even has principles for us today.

God loves weddings.

Jesus showed up for a wedding and performed his first miracle. The host ran out of wine for the celebration, something of a crisis, and Jesus proceeded to turn water into wine, keeping the party going a bit longer. 

God instituted marriage at Creation, before the Fall, an idea of relationship and purpose untouched by corruption. Marriage continues today. The Old and New Testaments regard the relationship between God and his people as like the husband-and-wife relationship. The Apostle Paul famously regards Christ as husband and the Church as the Bride, something of a mystery (Ephesians 5).

Therefore, God takes marriage seriously. And so should we. They are causes for celebration and sober contemplation. Our modern culture rejects God’s idea of marriage more and more, however. In our lives, we will be invited to weddings along the way. Here are five questions to ask yourself before attending a wedding.

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Our modern culture has minimized the idea that extramarital sex is a problem. Yet God finds it so serious he discussed the problems with “committing adultery” in the seventh commandment.

We may be familiar with places like Rome or Jerusalem, but when the Bible mentions cities like Corinth or Laodicea, it takes more research and effort to understand the context. However, the people of that era would not only know the places but also associate certain reputations with those cities, like we do with Los Angeles or New York City today. 

Jesus talks about fulfilling everything from the law, the prophets, and the writings. So what does that mean, for his audience and for us today?