Intentional 21 Devotional: Day 7 - Pastor Michel Espinoza

Waiting on the Lord

Lamentations 3:25–26

The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.

Waiting is not something we as humans like to do. Our society is all about instant results. We often come across new diet trends that guarantee astonishing weight loss and drastic results all within a week. Same-day delivery. Easy answers with AI. We do not like to wait. We want the results now! This isn’t just our society either—this has always been the case for humans. We simply do not like to wait. Even with God, we don’t like to wait. We want our prayers answered

quickly. Maybe you’re single and wanting God to bring you that girlfriend or boyfriend who will be the one you’re going to marry. “God, what is taking so long?”

As I have learned to wait on the Lord, I have realized that waiting is a good thing. God isn’t punishing us while we wait for Him. He isn’t mad and refusing to talk to us. No—He is a good God. He isn’t a wasteful God. He knows what He is doing. He has a plan, and in His timing, God will move when it’s the right time. You might say, Well, that’s nice, but what if I’m not waiting for something small—something like dating, what school I should go to, what job I should apply for,

or what ministry I should join? I don’t think these prayers are trivial when I say “small,” but what if you’re going through a really hard season? Someone just died. Someone you know is sick, or maybe even you are sick, and you don’t know if you’re going to get better or not. Maybe you’re at rock bottom and don’t see a way out. Maybe 2025 was the worst year you’ve experienced, and you don’t have hope for 2026. Maybe—just maybe—you are suffering. “God, why are You

letting me go through this? Why are You not saving me from this?”

Is waiting still good when I am suffering?

Lamentations 3:25–26

The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.

The context of this verse is that Babylon had just destroyed Jerusalem. The Israelites were taken into captivity, and many of them were killed. The temple of God—which, to them, represented the very presence of God on earth—was destroyed, and the city was on fire.

Even in this, the prophet Jeremiah knew, “The Lord is good to those who wait for Him...” He knew that God could turn even this horrible situation into something good, that God could even bring them back from captivity. We see this in Ezekiel 37, the valley of dry bones—literally a dead nation coming back to life. God is awesome in power and can take dead things and give them new life. God can take a bad situation and turn it around.

Now here is the key to waiting on the Lord:

“The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him.”

To the soul who seeks Him.

Waiting isn’t passive. Waiting isn’t sitting around doing nothing. No—waiting is intentional.

Waiting is seeking the Lord through prayer and worship, by spending time in His Word, and by serving one another. This type of waiting—this intentional waiting—helps us take our eyes off ourselves and place them on Jesus. Jesus, who is God, humbled Himself and came to earth not to be served, but to serve—not just those who loved Him, but even His enemies. Even the one who would betray Him: Judas. Jesus also suffered, and He willingly carried out the will of the Father and carried His cross.

Hebrews 12:2–3

Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

Consider Him who endured from sinners such hostility against Himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.

I don’t know what you’re going through. I don’t know if you’re on the mountaintop or in the valley—if you’re in a good season of life or a hard one. But I believe with everything in me that God is good, and that your waiting on the Lord will not be in vain. You may have to keep waiting today, tomorrow, and maybe even longer. I don’t know how long you will have to wait. What I do know is this: God is good, and He is the best at bringing dead things back to life.

Engagement:

Remember, biblical waiting isn’t passive, it’s active. Meaning, you don’t sit with your arms crossed and tap your foot white you wait for results. Ephesians 2:10 reminds us that God has already prepared good works for us to do. So, take some time today to put your faith into action.

Find a way to serve a family member or a friend, do something kind for a stranger, or even find someone to share your testimony with. These are the things we are called to do as we wait!

With love, Pastor Michel