December 8, 2025
Worth the Wait
JENNY WHEELER
Lee en español
“So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison …” 2 Corinthians 4:16-17 (ESV)
When I was young and quite ambitious, one day I decided it would be fun to stand on the back of my home’s glider swing. Feeling pretty sure of myself, I pushed higher and higher, leaning back each time.
Eventually, I closed my eyes and decided swinging one-handed would be even better. It was awesome, and I was dominating!
Then it happened.
In the revelry, I lost my grip. Within seconds, I was flat on my back, gasping for air, with the swing careening mere inches above my face. I couldn’t scream, move, or get up. I was frozen. I was alone. And it felt like I was going to die.
I don’t know how long I lay there, tears streaming, looking up at the Carolina blue sky. While my lungs felt seemingly incapable of doing what they were created to do, all I could do was wait for the swing to stop.
Waiting on a promise can feel a lot like that too. Waiting for the answer to come … Waiting for good test results … Waiting for God to show up and save the day … With bated breath, weak-kneed and weary from the fight and suffering, all we can do is wait.
Yet even when waiting makes us feel like the breath has been knocked out of us, this is also a sacred space. We have the opportunity to give God full authority to breathe life into our weary souls again. Sometimes the very things that knock us off our feet also cause our knees to bend in prayer and our faith to rise.
I have found that there are gifts to be discovered in the waiting. It can be a motivation purifier and vision clarifier, revealing our weaknesses and strengths. Will we grow in faith or find an excuse to quit?
The God-breathed words of Scripture remind us that when we’re forced to wait, we can trust the Lord’s supernatural strength to renew us day by day. Every “light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison” (2 Corinthians 4:17).
And, friends, that’s not a weight that weighs us down. It’s the weight of God’s glory that actually lifts us. His majesty overshadows everything we go through. Our willingness to wait well will produce “eternal weight” that is well worth it all.
God, I surrender my impatience to You today. I surrender my timeline and expectations, trusting that this season of waiting will produce growth in me that will strengthen my resolve. I place my trust in You for all of my days. Waiting with You, I know I will find You faithful. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
OUR FAVORITE THINGS
This Christmas season doesn’t have to be defined by busy schedules and endless to-do lists. It can be marked by something greater — keeping Jesus at the center of it all. Join us in the free First 5 app for our brand-new Advent study, More Than a Manger. Each day will help you pause, seek God’s presence, and remember this truth: For every broken place, chaotic day, and weary heart … Jesus came so you don’t have to carry it all alone. Start your Advent journey in community with us. Download the First 5 app today, and discover the peace your heart has been longing for.
ENGAGE
You can find Jenny’s original worship, inspirational, and Christmas music on YouTube, iTunes, and other music platforms.
If you’re in a season of waiting and need some extra support, Proverbs 31 Ministries has put together a resource that might be helpful: “While We Wait: 5 Devotions to Find Purpose in the Midst of Waiting.”
FOR DEEPER STUDY
Isaiah 40:31, “but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint” (ESV).
Think of a time when you’ve had to wait. How did God redirect or grow your faith during that season? What lessons did you learn that might encourage someone today?
We’d love to hear from you! Share your thoughts in the comments.
© 2025 by Jenny Wheeler. All rights reserved.
Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/MixMedia
Proverbs 31 Ministries
P.O. Box 3189
Matthews, NC 28106
www.Proverbs31.org
