Have you ever started to wonder whether waiting means you did something wrong? You prayed. You tried to take the next faithful step. And now you are looking out the window, wondering what the Lord is going to do. Maybe it is a decision about your career? Maybe you feel stuck in your marriage? Maybe you have been asking God to change something for so long that you have almost stopped asking?
Genesis 8 meets us there. The crisis of the flood is passing, but Noah and his family are still inside the ark. The rain has stopped. The water is going down. And they are waiting.
God Is Working Before Noah Can See the Whole Picture
The chapter begins with these words: “God remembered Noah” (Genesis 8:1). God had not forgotten where He left him. He acts faithfully toward Noah, his family, and the animals with them. A wind passes over the earth. The waters begin to recede. Creation is emerging again. But Noah does not receive a daily explanation of the process. He opens the window. He sends out a raven, then a dove. The dove returns because there is nowhere to rest. Imagine that moment. You are hoping for a sign that the waiting is over, and the bird comes right back.
I can relate. There have been moments in our church family when I have walked around the room praying, “Lord, what are You going to do?” Sometimes that was about all I could say. Waiting can feel like nothing is happening. Genesis 8 invites us to consider that the Lord may be working around us and in us before we can recognize what He is doing.
The Olive Leaf Was Not the End of the Waiting
Eventually the dove returns with a freshly picked olive leaf. Vegetation is growing. There is life beyond the ark. What an encouragement! And then Noah waits another seven days. The olive leaf was a reminder that God was working. It was not permission to rush ahead. We want a little progress to mean the whole process is finished. One good conversation, one promising opportunity, one encouraging answer—and we are ready to move.
But the Lord is deepening our trust. We are learning to bring Him our fears, listen to His Word, and depend on Him when we cannot control what happens next. Sometimes we recognize that growth only when we look back over months or years.
We Wait on the Lord With the Lord
This does not mean every job works out, every relationship changes, or every prayer receives the answer we wanted. Our hope in Jesus cannot rest on a particular outcome. Our hope is that we have Jesus. He came to give us Himself. He lived a perfect life, died on the cross for our sin, and rose from the dead. Through faith in Him, we receive forgiveness and new life. We need that deeper rescue. Even after the flood, Genesis 8:21 tells us the problem of the human heart remains. A changed landscape cannot give us a new heart. Jesus can.
We are waiting for Him to return and finish what He started. In the meantime, we are not waiting alone.
Be Ready When He Says, “Go”
When God finally tells Noah to leave the ark, the answer brings another challenge. The ark has become familiar. It has been home for more than a year. Now Noah must step into something unfamiliar. I feel that tension myself. My wife and I were ready to move anywhere when we first got married. In our fifties, I can feel the pull to hold on to what I know. I still need God’s Word to open my heart to what He is doing.
Waiting on the Lord includes becoming ready to respond. Ephesians 2:8–10 reminds us that we are saved by grace through faith, and we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works. The Lord who saves us continues His work in us. Noah’s first response outside the ark is worship. Before building a house or setting up a farm, he builds an altar. The Lord is worthy in the waiting, and He is worthy when the next season comes.
One Step for This Week
Name one place where you are waiting. Bring it honestly to Jesus in prayer today. Then tell one trusted person what you are asking God to do, and invite them to pray with you. Ask the Lord to show you one faithful step you can take now, even while the larger question remains unanswered.
We worship Him while we wait, because we trust He is working in us and around us—so that we will be ready to respond when He moves.
North Village Church
This article was written by Pastor Michael Dennis, Lead Pastor at North Village Church. North Village Church is a non-denominational church in North Austin, TX, near the Domain and serving the 78757 community. Established in 2009, we are built around Jesus and Bible teaching. If you are looking for a church in North Austin, we would love to meet you. We worship together every Sunday at 10:30 a.m., encourage Christ-centered fellowship through groups, and offer opportunities such as Theological Training so that we can be rooted in God’s Word.
North Village Church is made up of professionals, married couples, singles, and families who want to experience the life-transforming power of Jesus. Families can connect through our Kids Ministry and Youth Village.
NVC Online
Unable to attend our Christian church in Austin in person? NVC Online streams worship every Sunday at 10:30 a.m. Central Time. You can also watch sermons on demand and follow North Village Church on Instagram for Christ-centered encouragement.
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