Day 16 — Joy in the Waiting
“Those who look to Him are radiant.”
Psalm 34:5
Summary
Waiting is one of the most challenging places to experience joy. Yet Advent itself is a season built on waiting — waiting for promises, waiting for fulfillment, waiting for the arrival of the Messiah. The people of God waited hundreds of years for Jesus to come… yet their hope did not disappoint them.
Advent reminds us that waiting is not wasted when God is in it.
And because He is with us while we wait, joy is possible even before the answer comes.
Insight for Today — Joy Is Found in Who We Wait With
We often think waiting steals joy, but Scripture repeatedly shows that joy can flourish in waiting when our eyes stay fixed on the Lord.
Those who look to Him are radiant — not because life is perfect, but because their gaze is set on the One who never changes.
Joy in waiting looks like:
trusting God’s timing
believing He is working behind the scenes
expecting His goodness to unfold
letting hope rise again and again
Waiting can be painful, but it can also be holy — a sacred place where God forms something deep, strong, and beautiful in us.
Going Deeper — What Waiting Produces
Waiting produces:
patience — learning to trust God’s pace
faith — believing without seeing
strength — renewing our spiritual endurance
dependence — drawing closer to Him daily
alignment — our desires shaped by His heart
Joy doesn’t come after the waiting is over.
Joy comes in recognizing that God is working in the waiting itself.
The birth of Jesus teaches us that God’s timing is perfect, purposeful, and always worth the wait.
Pointing to Jesus
Before Jesus was born, generations waited in longing — yet joy broke through the moment He arrived. And today, we wait again for His return, living with joyful anticipation.
He is faithful in every season of waiting.
He is near in every delay.
He is working in ways we cannot see.
He knows the right moment for everything He has promised.
Waiting is not joyless when we wait with Jesus.
He is the joy set before us — and the joy with us.
Reflection/Prayer
Lord, teach me to find joy in the waiting. Help me trust Your timing and Your ways. Fix my eyes on You so that my heart becomes radiant with hope. Thank You that You are working even when I cannot see it. Fill my waiting with Your presence and Your joy. Amen.
Application Question
What are you waiting for in this season? How can you shift your focus from the outcome you desire to the God who is with you?
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Thank you for being part of this journey. I pray these Scriptures stir fresh hope, peace, and joy in your heart this season.
