When Waiting Becomes Your Greatest Victory

For the vision is yet for an appointed time; But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; Because it will surely come, It will not tarry. -Habakkuk 2:3

Dear friend,

I want to share something with you that has been stirring in my heart—a truth that might just shift how you see the very challenges that seem to be blocking your path forward.

Have you ever felt like you're ready for that next level, that promotion, that breakthrough, but it feels like invisible forces are working against you? Like every door you approach seems to have someone standing guard, determined to keep you from stepping through?

I've been there too. And I want you to know that what feels like opposition might actually be God's loving protection over what He's preparing to establish in your life.

The Dangerous Rush of Premature Promotion

Here's something I've learned: promotion before God deals with your enemies can be dangerous. I know that might sound discouraging when you're eager to move forward, but stay with me. When we're elevated before the foundation is secure, we become vulnerable to attacks that could topple everything God wants to build through us.

Think about the story of Esther. Haman plotted against Mordecai and his people, but God had a different plan. God had a sleeper cell in place, Esther, He ‘Psalm 18ed’ the enemy. It wasn't until after Haman's downfall that the king remembered Mordecai and promoted him. That promotion was sustainable—no longer under threat from jealousy or schemes, because God had already dealt with the opposition. God promotes us to elevate others, not only does He deal with opposition, He is on time with it.

Daniel's story mirrors this perfectly. Time and again, God made an open display of Daniel's enemies, and with each victory, Daniel's reputation was established more firmly. Each new king added to his rank of authority because his foundation in God was unshakeable.

During hardships and sufferings, is your foundation in God unshakeable? Or do you weave between solid rock and shifting sand?

In my distress I called upon the Lord, And cried out to my God; He heard my voice from His temple, And my cry came before Him, even to His ears. Then the earth shook and trembled; The foundations of the hills also quaked and were shaken, Because He was angry. Smoke went up from His nostrils, And devouring fire from His mouth; Coals were kindled by it. He bowed the heavens also, and came down With darkness under His feet. And He rode upon a cherub, and flew; He flew upon the wings of the wind. He made darkness His secret place; His canopy around Him was dark waters And thick clouds of the skies. From the brightness before Him, His thick clouds passed with hailstones and coals of fire. 
Psalm 18:6-12

And Mordecai told them to answer Esther: “Do not think in your heart that you will escape in the king’s palace any more than all the other Jews. For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” 
Esther 4:13-14

That night the king could not sleep; so he ordered the book of the chronicles, the record of his reign, to be brought in and read to him. It was found recorded there that Mordecai had exposed Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king's officers who guarded the doorway, who had conspired to assassinate King Xerxes. 'What honor and recognition has Mordecai received for this?' the king asked.
Esther 6:1-3

Now Daniel so distinguished himself among the administrators and the satraps by his exceptional qualities that the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom. 
Daniel 6:3

Your Enemy: An Unexpected Tool

I know this might sound cliche, but your enemy is actually a tool in God's hands to prepare you for what's coming. Through opposition, God is teaching you about your identity in Him. He's helping you understand humility and the characteristics that truly promote Christ in your life.

And here's a secret that might surprise you: praying for your enemy moves things along swiftly.

But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. 
Luke 6:27-28

Does not the potter have power over the clay, from the same lump to make one vessel for honor and another for dishonor? What if God, wanting to show His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, and that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had prepared beforehand for glory,
Romans 9:21-23

It is a snare for a man to devote rashly something as holy, And afterward to reconsider his vows. A wise king sifts out the wicked, And brings the threshing wheel over them. The spirit of a man is the lamp of the Lord, Searching all the inner depths of his heart. 
Proverbs 20:25-27

The Power of Love Over Vengeance

When you truly understand how deeply God loves you—when you really grasp that He demonstrated this love by dying for you—something beautiful happens. You stop praying for vengeance because you know He's got you covered. You align yourself with His perfect love, learning to love others with wisdom.

This shift is profound. You move from being self-focused (self-preservation to survive) to being Christ-centered (total trust thriving in God). Instead of praying primarily about your own affairs, you find yourself praying for matters of His kingdom, His heart towards others. When you pray for your enemies, you're giving God room to work—to quench the fiery darts and extinguish the flames so His construction can happen in your life. This is often why it feels like your best isn’t good enough, because it’s about God’s best being built up.

You're also giving your enemies the opportunity to yield, to choose a different path. Whether they take that opportunity is between them and God. Your job is to maintain your position as a good soldier, knowing that through it all, victory belongs to God.

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
Romans 8:28

The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. 
2 Peter 3:9

For everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. 
1 John 5:4

You're Part of Something Bigger

As you shift your focus from constantly watching what the enemy is plotting and all the attacks that led to overwhelm, you begin to see something beautiful: God is constructing a wall of protection and purpose around your life. What once seemed like obstacles become building blocks. Your enemies become stepping stones as He leads you upward, promoting you in His perfect timing.

You're like Nehemiah, working on something far bigger than the mind games of those who reject Christ. Even when attacks get personal, you can rejoice because you rest in the finished work of Christ. Nehemiah knew God’s desire to spiritually establish the wall for His people—he was simply tasked with completing it, with enduring. The work was already secured by God's faithfulness. What God purposes, comes to pass.

They were all trying to frighten us, thinking, 'Their hands will get too weak for the work, and it will not be completed.' But I prayed, 'Now strengthen my hands. 
Nehemiah 6:9 

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.
Philippians 2:3-4

Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. 
1 Corinthians 15:58

You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. 
Hebrews 10:36 

You're Not Walking This Alone

Beloved, remain steadfast. You aren't alone in your enduring. Those mini-promotions and small victories you experience along the way? Those are God's way of renewing your hope and trust, keeping your faith strong for the journey.

God is doing a mighty work in your life. He sees every moment of your faithfulness during these challenging seasons. He's not slack concerning His promises, and He has absolutely set you up for success.

The King of Kings remembers your good deeds through hardship. Your promotion is coming, and when it arrives, it will be established on a foundation that cannot be shaken.

So take heart. What seems like delay is actually divine preparation. What feels like opposition is actually God's protection. And what appears to be your enemy's victory is actually setting the stage for your greatest breakthrough.

What is coming up for you after reading this? I'd love to hear from you in the comments below. Your story matters, and I believe God has incredible things ahead for you.