Goodness in the Land of the Living: Encouragement for the Woman Waiting on God’s Timing

There are seasons when life feels like winter.

Everything around you seems still, quiet, or slow. The days feel long, your prayers feel small, and your heart feels like it is waiting for something you cannot quite put into words. You are hoping, praying, dreaming, longing, searching, and waiting again.

And it can feel like nothing is changing.

Yet what looks still is not empty. What feels silent is not abandoned. Winter may appear barren on the surface, but beneath what your eyes can see, God is doing the kind of work that takes place in the hidden places of the heart.

Roots deepen there. Faith strengthens there. Dependence grows there. God forms you there.

God at Work in the Hidden Seasons

Scripture often reveals that God’s most meaningful work happens out of sight. Before fruit appears, roots must grow deep. Before strength is visible, faith is tested and refined. Seasons of waiting are not pauses in God’s plan but purposeful moments of preparation.

Throughout the Bible, God repeatedly works in ways that feel slow to us but are intentional in His wisdom. Waiting stretches trust. Silence teaches dependence. Delay trains the heart to hope in God rather than outcomes.

This is why David’s confidence in Psalm 27 is so striking.

Seeing the Goodness of the Lord in This Life

Psalm 27:13, ESV, declares, “I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.”

David writes these words while surrounded by opposition, fear, and uncertainty. He is not speaking from a place of comfort or resolved circumstances. He is anchoring his confidence in who God is, not in what he sees.

This promise is not reserved only for eternity. It is not limited to women who seem farther ahead in their faith or life stages. It is not postponed until everything is figured out.

God’s goodness is for you here, in your real, present, imperfect, waiting life.

His goodness is not dependent on your strength. It is not delayed by your weakness. It is not withheld until the next season arrives. God’s goodness meets you in the middle of winter like seasons and reveals itself through small, steady mercies that whisper reassurance to the heart.

God’s Goodness Is Not Delayed by Waiting

Even when you feel stuck, God is moving. Even when you feel buried, God is planting. Even when everything feels slow, God’s goodness is not.

Scripture consistently reminds us that waiting does not mean abandonment. It often means formation. God’s timing is not random, and His delays are never empty. What feels like inactivity to us is often divine preparation beneath the surface.

Waiting refines faith, clarifies trust, and deepens intimacy with the Lord. God uses these seasons to shape the heart in ways that quick answers never could.

Waiting with Strength and Courage

David closes Psalm 27 with an invitation meant especially for the weary heart.

Psalm 27:14, ESV, says, “Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord.”

This kind of waiting is not passive. It is active trust. It leans forward with expectation, believing that the God who holds your heart is faithful to bring His goodness into your story.

Waiting in Scripture is often paired with strength and courage because it requires both. It takes courage to trust God when answers are delayed. It takes strength to remain faithful when circumstances feel unchanged.

Take Heart in God’s Perfect Timing

You will see the goodness of the Lord.

In the land of the living. In this life. In God’s perfect timing.

Your waiting is not wasted. Your story is not stuck. God’s goodness is not distant or delayed. It is already at work, even now, beneath the surface.

Take heart today. The God who is forming you in the waiting is the same God who will reveal His goodness in due time.

Meet the Author
Reanna Hoffman

Reanna is a writer, speaker, coach, and host of the Not Just Waiting Podcast, where she equips women to wait well and actively pursue Jesus in every season. A former teacher who followed God’s call into new adventures, Reanna is passionate about reminding others they are seen, valued, and deeply loved by God. Whether she’s writing, coaching, or baking something sweet, she believes the Lord is the best adventure guide—and she’s just getting started.

Connect with her on Instagram here.