Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.—Philippians 4:5-7 (NIV)

My anxious eyes skimmed through the daily digest from USPS Informed Delivery. Disappointment settled in when I realized my long-awaited letter would not be delivered that day. My wait had been extended—again.

Whether it’s for a diagnosis, a job offer, or a prayer response from God, waiting is hard. It reminds us how little control we have over circumstances in our lives. And for a reformed control freak like me, waiting is agony. I’ve learned a lot about waiting during my walk with the Lord, and I’ve written many blog posts about it. (You can read one of them here.) The Scriptures continuously encourage us to trust God and to be patient while we wait. 

God often repeats themes —and for good reason. During my days as an Instructional Coach, I was introduced to the rule of seven. The concept is rooted in a marketing strategy discovered in the 1930s by filmmakers. They learned people needed seven exposures to their film’s advertising before they would go see the movie. This principle now asserts that people need to “hear” a message seven times before they believe it. 

The Scriptures often use the number seven as a symbol of completeness or maturity. Since God created us, I’m sure He knows we need to hear this message about waiting many times.  This week as I studied the book of Philippians, the following verses stood out—and reminded me of how we can have peace in times of waiting:

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:4-7 NIV)

The Apostle Paul understood suffering; he wrote this letter while in prison. Yet he reminds us we can always rejoice—not in our circumstances, but in the Lord. The Greek word translated as gentleness, epieikés, can also mean gracious or yielding. Even in difficult situations, we can have a gracious spirit as we yield to the Lord’s will. 

Then Paul explains how we can do this: the Lord is near. I used to think this meant the Lord will come soon and bring us to our heavenly home. But the Greek word here is eggus, which means to be near in either time or place. In other words, we can have a gracious attitude because the Lord is right here with us, during our time of waiting. 

Paul then encourages us to present every situation and every request to God in prayer. In Hebrews 4:16 we read a similar instruction, “Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” 

We can be confident that the Lord is always near and ready to help. When we turn to Him, He promises us peace—even as we wait for answers. I love how Paul explains this is beyond our understanding. Thankfully, we can believe the promise without knowing how it works. True peace comes, not from the answers, but from surrendering to the One who holds the answers. 

Dear Lord Jesus, Sometimes it’s so hard to wait for answers. When we begin to feel anxious, help us remember You are near and ready to help us. As we surrender to Your will and trust in Your timing, grant us the peace that transcends all understanding. We pray in Your name. Amen.