From Dreams to Dungeons to Destiny: The Strength in the Wait

“Hope deferred makes the heart sick…” (Prov 13:12)

That familiar sting when dreams feel just out of reach can be overwhelming, especially when the wait is much longer than we had thought it would be.  

There are things in my life I feel God laid on my heart many, many years ago that have yet to come to fruition. Sometimes I wonder if maybe I didn’t hear Him correctly, or am tempted to believe maybe the dreams were just in my head. 

There are other times I just cannot shake them and believe in the very core of my soul they were placed there by God. I just must continue to wait. But the waiting, the deferred hope, truly does make the heart sick. 

We start to question the journey, wonder if we’re on the right path, and ask God why the delay.

But I am learning firsthand that delay is not denial—it is, in fact, the breeding ground for something much deeper, much more profound. When God asks us to wait, He’s not punishing us. He is not condemning us. He is not absent.

No. 

He’s very active and very present as He goes about the work of building us, strengthening us, and maturing us. A delayed dream produces endurance, and endurance leads to a strength of character that nothing else can forge.

If you are like me and are in a season of waiting I want to encourage you.

1. Don’t Fret.

It’s easy to get wrapped up in anxiety when things aren’t happening on our timeline. But the truth is, anxiety is rooted in pride. I know, that’s a hard pill to swallow, but it’s true. When we stress, we’re essentially saying, “I have to make this happen. It’s all on me. I need to do something because I feel out of control.” 

But 1 Peter 5 reminds us, “God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Humility is realizing that it’s not on you or me to make anything come to pass—it’s in God’s hands. Trusting him and laying down our need for control bring a peace that surpasses all understanding. When many say it’s time to give up or it’s time to panic, instead cast your burdens on the Lord, for his yoke is easy and his burden is light. 

Every day, we clothe ourselves physically, but what if we also made it a priority to clothe ourselves spiritually…in humility? That intentional act of surrender each morning is a declaration that God is in control, not us. Psalm 37 tells us to“delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.” That’s a promise. But it’s also paired with a challenge—wait patiently for Him to act. Don’t get caught up envying those who seem to have it all now. Quick success often lacks the depth of endurance that God is cultivating in you. 

2. Don’t Faint.

Don’t grow weary in the wait. I know how easy it is to feel like giving up, especially when it feels like you’ve been waiting forever. I have often wondered how long Joseph had to wait between the time he had the first dream about his brothers bowing down to him and the time when that was actually fulfilled. I listened to a podcast this morning that mentioned it was 21 years! In that time he was taken from his family, sold into slavery, put into prison, falsely accused and left alone…for so many years! Joseph is one of the people I am most excited to meet in heaven. I wish there had been more written about his emotional and spiritual journey as he lived in the in-between.,,waiting on the Lord to fulfill his promises. 

I also think of David, when just a young boy was told he would one day be crowned king. And then spent years running for his life, hiding in caves and sleeping on rocks for pillows. In Psalm 143 he pleads with the Lord to act on his behalf…”Hear me. Answer me. Come to me. Show me. Rescue me. Teach me. Lead me. Preserve me. Bring me out.”

And the Lord does…much later than david would have preferred…and yet right on time in light of eternity. 

The bottom line is this: Lord is faithful. He is in control, and He loves you and I deeply. So, don’t faint— our endurance matters. We often think we’re waiting for one thing, but God is always planning something greater, something deeper, something far beyond what we could ask or imagine. Wait on his perfect timing. Wait on the Lord.

Hope deferred may make the heart sick, but we don’t stay there. We allows ourselves to feel that ache and then choose to get back up and remind ourselves where our strength comes from. Our strength is the joy of the Lord. And our joy is rooted in the power of His Word and the truth that He has never and will never fail us. Don’t give up—trust Him in the waiting.

3. Don’t Forget.

One of the most powerful tools we have in seasons of waiting is to remember. Feed on His faithfulness. Just like we feed on food three times a day, we must return to remembering and do so often. Feed on His promises. Feast on His character. Remember who the Lord is. 

Write them down, because, if you’re anything like me, when I am weary I tend to forget. Keep a journal and revisit it often. It’s amazing how much strength we can draw from looking back at all God has done in the past. When you’re tempted to doubt, remind yourself who He is. When you’re tempted to give up, remind yourself of all He has already done. 

The ending chapters in the book of Job paint such a detailed and beautiful picture of God showing up and declaring His power—His sovereignty over all creation. Job may have questioned his suffering, but God’s response was so powerful and yet so simple: “I am in control.” 

You and I weren’t there when He laid the earth’s foundations; we have no idea where he stores the snow or how he specifically told the waters in the seas exactly where to start and stop. We don’t know where the bear cares for her cubs, and we can’t explain how the eagle soars…but He does. He has always been in charge, and He always will be. When you are tempted to forget read the ending chapters of Job and recall each and every bit of creation God has dominion over. And remember that our lives are no different. He is in control. And we can trust Him. If all He chooses to do made sense to us, mere humans, He would cease to be God. 

So, friend, the next time you feel the ache of a deferred dream, the sting of hope deferred…don’t fret. Don’t faint. And don’t forget who is holding your destiny in His hands. He is faithful, and His timing is perfect. Endure well. Run your race with grace, always keeping the end in sight.

And remember—you are being shaped, transformed day by day into the very image of Jesus Christ. We can endure in the waiting because we know our hope is secure. The dungeon may feel dark, but it’s the place where your destiny is being forged.

God is in control, and He is good. Always.