John 8:31-32
Here are three instances where God will say to you, “Wait and you will see.”
1. When You Are Wondering How God Will Glorify Himself Through Your Trials, He Says, “Wait and See”
Everything that happens in life is meant to be used for the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31).
That is the answer to all our “why” questions. Why does God . . . ? All these questions are answered with “for his glory.” So from a theological perspective, the why questions about God are not hard. It’s the “how” questions that can often be a mystery.
The Bible does promise that God will bring himself glory, but it does not always explain “how” this will happen in each specific situation. This is what happened in John 11 when Jesus intentionally let Lazarus die (John 11:4-6). Everyone knew Jesus could heal people from sickness. So everyone was confused about why Jesus did not go to Lazarus sooner. When Jesus finally decided it was the right time to raise Lazarus from the dead, John 11:39-40 states:
Jesus said, ‘Take away the stone.’ Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, ‘Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days.’ Jesus said to her, ‘Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?’”
Everyone wanted to know why Jesus didn’t heal Lazarus before he died. He basically said, “Wait and see. I will bring God glory through this. Just wait and see.”
Likewise, if you are in a situation that is hard and confusing and you just aren’t’ sure what God is doing, remember the theological truth that God can turn anything for his glory. But we have to be patient. We have to be faithful through the confusion. If we run from God before he reveals his plan, we will miss out on his plan for our lives. We have to wait and see.
2. If You Are Waiting on an Answer that Involves Other People’s Decisions, God Is Saying, “Wait and See”
Life wouldn’t be so complicated if everything was just about you and God. But it’s not just about you and God. There are other people involved in this life too. So when you are waiting to hear back from a job, waiting to hear back from a woman you asked out, waiting to see if a man pursues you, or waiting to know whether someone you like is the one God wants you to marry, oftentimes God is simply saying, “Be patient. Wait and you will see.”
When other people are involved, we should not get mad at God for the delay in the answer. God respects human’s ability to choose. Yes, he controls the final outcomes, but he works through the free choices of people.
This reminds me of what Jesus said in John 21:21-22, “When Peter saw [John], he said to Jesus, ‘Lord, what about this man?’ Jesus said to him, ‘If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me!’”
No matter what is going on as we wait to see what will happen with other people, our focus must remain primarily on the Lord.
3. If You Are Obeying God’s Word but You Are Unsure of the Impact This Is Going to Have on You, God Is Saying, “Wait and See”
Humans love formulas. We feel like if we always do “x”, we should always get “y”. On earth, the Bible doesn’t always work like that. But obeying God’s word on earth will always result in certain eternal outcomes. Notice how Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered the king who wanted to kill them. Daniel 3:17-18 (NIV) states:
If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”
They did not know how their obedience to God would turn out on earth, but they did know how it would turn out for eternity. As John 8:31-32 (NIV) states, “To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, ‘If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.’”
If we do not hold to Jesus’ teaching on earth, we will not see the freedom we crave for eternity. But when we do hold to Jesus’ teachings, we will see the freedom we desire. So if you are obeying God but you are not sure how this will turn out for you, he is saying, “Wait and see.”
