Learning to Move When God Has Spoken
We often tell ourselves we are being patient. We say we are waiting on God, trusting His timing, being wise instead of impulsive. Sometimes that is true. Other times, what we call patience is actually fear asking for permission to stay comfortable.
I have lived in that space. I told myself I was waiting on clarity, when what I really wanted was certainty. I believed more time would make obedience easier. I framed hesitation as wisdom, when deep down, I already knew what God was asking.
Scripture reminds us that waiting on God is not passive avoidance. “If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the good of the land” (Isaiah 1:19). Obedience comes before outcomes. Movement often comes before understanding.
Delayed obedience rarely feels like rebellion. It feels responsible. Thoughtful. Careful. But God does not continue repeating what He has already made clear. Sometimes the silence we experience is not God withholding direction, but God waiting for us to trust what we already know.
Fear has a quiet way of disguising itself as patience. It convinces us we are being discerning, when we are really protecting ourselves from discomfort, loss, or change. We wait until we feel ready, forgetting that readiness often comes after the step, not before it.
Scripture speaks directly to this tension. “Do not merely listen to the word and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says” (James 1:22). Faith is not proven by how long we wait, but by whether we respond when God speaks.
Waiting on God carries peace, even when the timing is unclear. Waiting on ourselves feels heavy. It circles the same questions. It keeps us stalled at the edge of obedience, measuring risk instead of trusting God’s presence in the process.
There comes a moment when waiting stops being faithful and starts being avoidant. Not because we are disobedient, but because obedience would require release. Or courage. Or letting go of control.
God is patient, but He also invites us forward.
What would change if you moved with what you already know? Not with what would make you feel safer. Not with what would remove all uncertainty, but with what God has already placed in front of you.
Sometimes you are not waiting on God at all. You are waiting on yourself. Today may be the invitation to step.
Reflection & Journaling
Where have I labeled fear as patience?
What do I already know, but keep postponing?
What would obedience look like if I stopped waiting for perfect clarity?
Quiet Prayer
God, help me recognize the difference between waiting on You and waiting on myself. Give me the courage to move with what You have already made clear. Quiet the fear that keeps me stalled and strengthen my trust in you. Teach me to walk in obedience, even when I do not see the full path ahead. Amen.