“Tarry Here Just a Little While Longer”
There have been several moments in my life when I’ve found myself stumped by “just one more” unexpected life event that tested both my patience and my understanding. Have you ever asked yourself, “Why now, Lord?”
It’s interesting how quickly we praise God when He provides unexpected blessings, opens doors, or supplies the means to meet a sudden need. We rejoice when His favor seems visible and immediate. Yet sometimes, shortly after thanking Him for one blessing, we find ourselves struggling to trust Him through another season that feels overwhelming, inconvenient, or painfully timed.
Whether it involves a vehicle breaking down, a failing home appliance, an unfavorable medical report, spiritual strain, or relational difficulties within family, hardship rarely arrives according to our preferred schedule. Most of us would gladly choose a life filled only with celebrations, victories, and upward progress. Yet life often reminds us that God’s timing and our timing do not always coincide. It has become increasingly clear to me that there are seasons when Abba Father calls us to “tarry.” Biblically, the word tarry means to wait, linger, or remain in a place. More importantly, it carries the idea of patiently abiding in God’s presence until His purpose, promise, or instruction is fulfilled. Tarrying is not passive resignation; it is active trust. It is remaining anchored in Christ while God accomplishes something deeper within us.
Psalm 27:14 reminds us: “Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.”
To tarry in Christ means we resist the urge to run ahead of God’s will. It means we remain spiritually present, prayerful, and surrendered even when we do not fully understand the process. Jesus Himself taught His disciples to abide in Him, for apart from Him they could do nothing (John 15:4-5). In seasons of waiting, abiding becomes essential. There are also times when we tarry unproductively—lingering in fear, frustration, bitterness, or fleshly reactions rather than faith. When we insist upon our own timing, perspective, or control, we often diminish our ability to experience the fullness of what God desires to produce through the situation. Some of life’s most overwhelming experiences become the very threshing floors where God separates fear from faith, pride from humility, and self-reliance from dependence upon Him. Though difficult in the moment, these seasons often prepare the ground for abundant spiritual harvest.
Perhaps the lesson is not always about escaping the hardship as quickly as possible, but about learning how to remain faithful while God works within it. Tarrying in Christ teaches us endurance, deepens our trust, and reminds us that God is still present even when the process feels uncomfortable. So when life does not unfold according to your expectations, do not lose heart. Stay anchored. Remain prayerful. Trust His timing. For often the place where God asks us to tarry becomes the very place where He develops our greatest strength, clearest vision, and most fruitful growth.