Trusting God in the Meantime: Faith in the Waiting

Living in the “in the Meantime”

I talk often to several people who are in a place classified as “in the meantime.” The majority of us spend an overwhelming amount of our spiritual walk in this place. We wait for leaders to call us back, for events to come forth, for the Lord to speak through us, for His elevation, revelation, and the fullness of manifestation. When we are in “in the meantime,” we see part of what God has for us – It’s not the fullness of what God has promised us, but it’s not where we started out. Instead, “in the meantime” is a place spent somewhere in between where we’ve been and where we will be; it is the essence of the spiritual sojourn.

I’ve been asked many times why believers spend so much time “in the meantime.” This period often doesn’t make sense to modern believers. It seems to conflict with the idea that we can have things on demand, which we find throughout culture. As with all things spiritual, “in the meantime” has its unique purpose, both building character and spiritual endurance. It is a time where we learn what we are made of, what is to come, and what is right now. It is a time when we tap into God’s empowerment within us and the Kingdom comes to reality. In it, we operate in silence and seek God for what’s next as we learn to trust Him in a deeper way.

A Spiritual Type

Deuteronomy 8:2-4 speaks of Israel’s “in the meantime:”

And you shall [earnestly] remember all the way which the Lord your God led you these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you and to prove you, to know what was in your [mind and] heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not. And He humbled you and allowed you to hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you recognize and personally know that man does not live by bread only, but man lives by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord. Your clothing did not become old upon you nor did your feet swell these forty years. (AMPC)

“In the meantime” is a type of our reality. It represents our spiritual journey through this world. Here, we see it in the 40 years the Israelites spent in the wilderness before entering the Promised Land.

When we come to know the Lord, we come out of Egypt. Egypt represents this world and all the things in it that keep us away from the Lord. It seems to have its benefits – especially in hindsight – but there is a severe spiritual void in this world. Once we are free from Egypt, we spend our spiritual journey “in the meantime:” Officially out of Egypt, but not yet reached the Promised Land (heaven or the return of Christ).

Philippians 3:20 tells us we are “citizens of heaven.” Walking with God gives us a longing for Him and for spiritual things beyond this world. Nothing of this world will ever satisfy the spiritual things we seek. In this way, the believer can find themselves with a severe emptiness if they are not Spirit-filled and walking in His presence.

Are You Victorious…

There are two ways people approach “in the meantime.” The first is to walk powerfully in the Spirit through each dry period, recognizing such as an instruction between now and the fullness of God’s glory. We understand each answered prayer and spiritual growth to be victory (God’s salvation working this side of heaven). They walk in and with the Spirit through their daily lives. Do they falter? Sure, but they get back up. When bad days arise, they take rest and comfort in faith.

The just live by faith, not believe by it. That makes all the difference as this group takes the road less traveled. They make it through, walk in powerful victory, and are able to see God’s promise. Those who walk with the Spirit receive what they need “in the meantime,” akin to the Israelites in the wilderness. God provided manna, quail, and water; their every physical need was met; and God met with His people, directing them. They had His direct intervention in their lives, guiding them by day, night, and through leadership.

…Or Have Doubts?

Then there are those who approach “in the meantime” without the Spirit. They call themselves believers, but they deny the Spirit. Their “in the meantime” periods drive them to the things of this world, because they live with a spiritual emptiness. Here, we see a type of the world: those people who received something that was not of God, which leaves them to seek and satisfy elsewhere. They do not find what they need because their spiritual journey lacks the Spirit. These die in the wilderness, because they fail to see what God is doing. They cannot see the victory – that promise of salvation this side of heaven – in everything God does for them.

A Reminder to Wait

“In the meantime” isn’t easy, no matter how it comes. It reminds us we are still in this world. The waiting, longing, and growing are all reminders that we have not attained the fullness of what God has promised us. We are still here, in the world and not of it, as a testimony and ensign of what is to come if we remain steady and faithful in Him. As we remain faithful, we develop excellent fruit: patience, endurance, a deeper relationship with Him, and steady conviction which no one can take away from us. “In the meantime” develops truth in the inward places, where God’s truth is more than just a musing. In this place, it permeates to the very essence of our being. Those who waiver in the desert never see the Promised Land because they live with unbelief, even if we never see it on the surface.

Yet as hard as it is, it is worth the wait. The victory we find at the end of it all is greater than anything we can imagine.

Walking to Victory

“In the meantime” reminds us that our walk with God is more than skin-deep. If it is to last, it will last through both trials and victories. In these times, we are tested unto obedience: Will we believe, even if we don’t have what we want? While we wait on God, we learn more about God and ourselves. Anyone can stand in the midst of an incredible spiritual outpouring and believe…but not everybody can stand with God and believe “in the meantime.” When we stand with God through such times, we will have something nobody can take away from us, walking to the Promised Land with eternal victory.

If you’re “in the meantime” right now (and I suspect most reading this are) step back and see it as a bigger illustration of God’s instruction through and within you. Allow God’s timing to empower you. When it’s time to walk right into the promise, you will not fall back with unbelief, having to be left behind.