Waiting on the Lord Is Not Standing Still: Active Faith in Action

“Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart.” — Psalm 27:14 (KJV)

Waiting on the Lord has never meant folding our hands and stepping out of the story. In scripture, waiting is active trust. It is courage under restraint. It is obedience when outcomes are not yet visible.

Isaiah promised, “They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength” (Isaiah 40:31). Strength is not renewed in passivity. It is renewed in movement—steady, faithful movement—while trusting the Lord’s timing.

In the Book of Mormon, we read, “Ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith” (Ether 12:6). Faith precedes clarity. Action precedes confirmation. We move forward with the light we have, and more light follows.

Russell M. Nelson — world-renowned heart surgeon who later became an Apostle and President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints — taught, “The Lord loves effort.” That single truth reshapes how we understand waiting. The Lord does not ask us to freeze until revelation arrives. He asks us to act in righteousness, to build, to serve, to prepare—while He governs outcomes.

C.S. Lewis, a British scholar, author, and a prominent Christian apologist and literary figure, stated, “Relying on God has to begin all over again every day as if nothing had yet been done.” Daily reliance implies daily action. Waiting is renewed trust, not postponed obedience.

This principle extends beyond church pews into business and daily life. In business, outcomes require work. You do not launch a company and then sit back hoping revenue appears. You plan, refine, market, adjust. You move with intention while trusting the process. In the same way, faith requires effort. “Be anxiously engaged in a good cause” (Doctrine and Covenants 58:27). Anxiously engaged—not anxiously stalled.

Other sacred texts echo this truth. The Qur'an teaches, “Indeed, Allah is with the patient” (2:153), and patience in Islam (sabr) includes perseverance in action. The Bhagavad Gita teaches acting faithfully without attachment to outcomes (2:47). Across traditions, waiting is tied to disciplined effort, not withdrawal.

Waiting on the Lord means:

• Accepting that His timing is wiser than ours.
• Continuing in obedience when answers feel delayed.
• Moving forward with integrity while trusting Him with results.

It is not passive surrender. It is surrendered action.

As we wait for outcomes—healing, growth, provision, direction—we keep building. We keep choosing righteousness. We keep showing up. And in that movement, our hearts are strengthened, our character refined, and our faith made mature.

Waiting on the Lord has never been about hesitation. It is the beginning of disciplined movement under divine timing and, in God’s kingdom, has always meant work.

This principle unfolds across every area of life.

If you have not yet read the opening post, begin there and ground yourself in the broader framework of active faith. Then continue into Waiting for Physical Healing to see how aligned effort shapes restoration in the body.