Only two things are certain in life, said Benjamin Franklin. I'd argue for one more to join the unseemly death and taxes: waiting. Waiting for college, waiting for babies, waiting for healing, waiting for work, waiting for reconciliation, waiting for justice. These are the longings of life on earth, our meanwhiles between one thing and the next, when God has not yet made the path straight from A to B.

In his book Knowing God, J.I. Packer writes, "'Wait on the Lord' is a constant refrain in the Psalms, and it is a necessary word, for God often keeps us waiting." Scripture is filled with the prayers of a people who wait on the Lord, and those who've tried in vain to hurry Him.

From Abraham to Elizabeth, waiting a lifetime for children to fulfill the promise of God, to Jonah, waiting for death by the withered plant after a deflated ministry, we belong to a long line of God-waiters.

It is their testimony that guides us, bearing the fruit of patience, echoing a cry for comfort and illuminating a peace that transcends all understanding. As Packer concludes and our examples in Scripture emulate, "When in doubt, do nothing, but continue to wait on God. When action is needed, light will come."

For waiting
I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord. — Psalm 27:13-14

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. — Proverbs 3:5-6

He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end. — Ecclesiastes 3:11

But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me. — Micah 7:7

For peace of mind
Moses answered the people, "Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still." — Exodus 14:13-14

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. — Isaiah 41:10

And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. — Philippians 4:7

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. — Isaiah 41:10

May the God of hope fill you all with joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. — Romans 15:13

May the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you. — 2 Thessalonians 3:16

For patience
… but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. — Isaiah 40:31

Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord's coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord's coming is near. — James 5:7-8

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. — Galatians 6:9

For comfort
Lord, you have assigned me my portion and my cup; you have made my lot secure. The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance. I will praise the Lord, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me. I have set the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. — Psalm 16:5-8

"The poor and needy search for water, but there is none; their tongues are parched with thirst. But I the Lord will answer them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them. I will make rivers flow on barren heights, and springs within the valleys. I will turn the desert into pools of water, and the parched ground into springs." — Isaiah 41:17-18

"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." — John 16:33

For hope
"Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. For no word from God will ever fail." — Luke 1:36

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. — Romans 12:12

When God made his promise to Abraham, since there was no one greater for him to swear by, he swore by himself, saying, "I will surely bless you and give you many descendants." And so after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised. — Hebrews 6:13-14

This article originally appeared in Vital magazine and has been adapted with permission.