Waiting on the Lord: How God Gives Us Strength Through Life's Storms

Trusting God and waiting on the Lord when circumstances don’t improve has always challenged me.

“Wait on the LORD; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the LORD!” — Psalm 27:14

As a Type-A overachiever who took pride in being recognized for my fortitude, I had always problem-solved my way out of most difficult situations.

We often think we should be strong enough to weather life’s storms, especially if we’ve had a successful track record and others expect us to be strong.

But God’s word tells us to stop grasping for control to stay afloat and confidently, courageously wait on the Lord because we aren’t strong enough—He is.

Waiting on the Lord When Strength Isn’t Enough

In 2012, I experienced a panic attack for the first time.

This event snowballed into a year of anxiety-related health challenges that crushed me physically and emotionally.

For months, I avoided medical intervention because I was sure I was “strong enough” to overcome whatever was causing the chronic, often debilitating anxiety symptoms.

On the outside, I was a self-sufficient, business-owning, blogging, homeschooling mother of three who never let a ball drop, even though my husband regularly traveled for work and I managed the household on my own much of the time.

But inside, I felt responsible for maintaining my peace amid life’s storms.

I thought I should be strong enough to make my nervous system conform to the scriptural truths I’d grown up believing—truths that should have kept me on firm footing.

Admonitions from Biblical authors like King David assured me that God would ultimately rescue me before fierce storms wiped me out.

So, I pleaded with God to provide relief from my anxiety symptoms without the use of medication.

However, I was limiting my prayers to this solution because I was afraid that turning to medication would mean I was giving up on God to heal me or that my faith wasn’t strong enough.

Scriptures that should have provided comfort, such as Palm 27:14 (one most Christians are well acquainted with), seemed to refute that fear.

Yet I battled internally to prove to God that I could free myself from anxiety’s grip.

Waiting on the Lord Starts with Trust

In Psalm 27, King David gives us an honest example of this struggle.

I like to imagine he’s preaching to himself to bolster his confidence in what he knows is true but isn’t tangibly evident, as I tried to do when anxiety was spiraling out of my control.

David asked the Lord to help defeat his flesh-and-bones enemies, but the immediate situation didn’t look hopeful.

Those enemies surrounded him, and his life was in jeopardy.

Yet David reminded himself through this prayer that although he faced physical danger, he would not be afraid.

Why? He knew from experience that his salvation was coming, and its source was the source of protection—the LORD God. (See Psalm 27:1-2.)

I was afraid to accept the diagnosis of generalized anxiety because I didn’t want to lose a physical battle with my nervous system.

I prayed for God’s intervention, but my mind swirled constantly with ideas and solutions to troubleshoot the symptoms myself.

Instead of recalling past examples of God’s protection and provision to remind me that I could trust Him to provide the lifeline I needed, I was trying to white-knuckle my way through with sheer willpower alone.

As a result, I wasn’t experiencing God’s peace that “surpasses all understanding” (Phillippians 4:7) at a time when I truly needed it.

In His mercy, God helped me realize that even though I had prayed for His help, I hadn’t stopped relying on myself for a solution.

God didn’t expect me to overcome these physical anxiety symptoms without medical help, but I did.

I realized that I needed to trust Him to sustain me with His strength and provision—and it wouldn’t be a failure of faith if medication were part of the solution.

The Turning Point: From Self-Sufficiency to Seeking God

 Instead of dwelling on his inability to solve his crisis, David savored the opportunity to seek the Lord and dwell in His presence while waiting on the Lord (Psalm 27:4,8).

David wasn’t passively waiting on the Lord in that cave; he was actively seeking the Lord for rescue through this prayer.

However, he was also focused on what he knew to be true: God was his source of light, salvation, and protection (Psalm 27:1-2). This was the foundation for his confident prayer.

To address my fears of losing this battle with my nervous system, I turned to God’s word to transform my thoughts.

I began memorizing scripture passages that addressed my fears, eventually creating a list of “transforming truths” on my phone for easy access.

I would refer to this list whenever I needed to combat the enemy’s lies, who told me I was at fault.

As I meditated on this growing list of key verses, I realized I had not diligently sought the Lord by spending consistent time in Scripture.

As a result, my actions didn’t reflect courage or confidence in His ability to work all things—including this battle—for my good and His glory.

I had to decide if I was going to trust God and wait on the Lord’s provision so I could maintain peace in the process—or continue drowning on my own.

Courage Begins With Surrender

If self-preservation has become your way of life, you likely have a successful track record of problem-solving independently.

And, like me, you probably base your rational decisions on what you’ve learned by reading topical books and researching every possible solution.

Isn’t that how we come to conclusions we can count on?

David was a strong, victorious, and mostly admired king, yet even he knew he could be wiped out if he didn’t completely surrender his will into God’s hands.

To find courage when our circumstances stir up fear, we must first surrender our role in the outcome.

David was notably considered a man after God’s own heart. Yes, David—a man on a roller coaster ride of ups and downs—was still known for this trait in the apostle Paul’s days (Acts 13:22).

The reason, as Paul explained, is that he was willing to do whatever God wanted him to do. And in the cave, hiding from his enemies, what God wanted him to do was wait.

Waiting on the Lord is only possible if you trust He will be faithful to His promises. But that trust doesn’t appear overnight.

Your saving faith should lead to steps of sanctification, and the key component of sanctification is surrender.

I learned that I had to stop living with the expectation that God’s goodness had anything to do with what I wanted.

He will always accomplish His purposes (Psalm 19:21), but His ways are not like ours.

Walking at God’s Pace: How Surrender Brings Peace Amid Anxiety

To this day, I am not completely free of physical anxiety symptoms.

I have been able to take breaks from medication, but I also know that if those symptoms become chronic, I can manage them with medication.

God has also provided wise counsel through various medical professionals who continue to help me address the symptoms through nutrition, supplements, essential oils, exercise, and counseling.

However, I don’t fear anxiety symptoms like I used to. As much as I would appreciate it, I also don’t expect God to heal me permanently if that’s not part of His plans.

My ability to wait on the Lord’s provision to get through one day, the next, and the next is the result of His transforming work in my life.

I experience peace because I know that God is actively protecting and defending me from being wiped out by this affliction.

Are you struggling to understand why God won’t pull you out of the overwhelming storm you’re in the middle of right now?

What fears are holding you back from relinquishing control and clinging to the lifeline of trust that God is offering you?

Friend, I know how it feels to be stripped of the “superpowers” you were known for, only to find yourself in a dark place, completely crushed, alone, and afraid.

I invite you to take this page out of David’s prayer book and start seeking the Lord for a way out—without expectations.

Release the pressure to “fix it” yourself—you don’t need to prove your faith is strong enough.

Because you have faith, you can entertain the idea of surrender.

With a surrendered heart, you can trust God’s transforming truths, knowing He will sufficiently equip you for whatever lies ahead.

Are you Waiting on the Lord? Join the conversation:

Are there areas in your life particularly challenging to wait on the Lord for direction?

Have you experienced any trust breakthroughs along the way?

Share your reflections on waiting on the Lord during life’s storms in the comments section—we’d love to hear from you!

Author

Renee Gotcher

Renée shares her journey to relieve anxiety, restore peace, and revive hope by stepping outside for sacred walks with her Savior on her blog, The Pace of Grace. Her latest published work appears in the recently released devotional book “Life Changing Stories: A Devotional Collection Revealing God’s Faithfulness and Transforming Power.”