Trust While You’re Waiting

I want to talk to you today about Trust While You’re Waiting. We all have times where we feel stuck, not making progress in our career, and haven’t met the right person, problem is not turning around. It’s easy to live frustrated, wondering why we can’t move forward, and stressed because we’re stagnant. But there are seasons where Allah SWT will on purpose put you on hold, where you feel restricted. No matter how hard you try, it’s like there are forces that have you tied up. We don’t understand it, but it’s all a part of Allah SWT’s plan. He’s getting everything lined up for your destiny: the right people, the good breaks, amazing relationships. And some things if they happen right now, it would keep us from his best.

Allah SWT has a perfect time where everything will come into alignment. He’s already written every day of your life in his book. He knows exactly what you need, when you need it, and where you need to be. If you get there too soon or too late, it’s not going to work. The fact is: Allah SWT is ordering your steps. He’s not going to let you miss your purpose. But when we’re in a growing season, seeing good breaks and new relationships, it’s easy to trust him, that doesn’t take much faith. But when you’re in a holding season where you’re restricted, it’s tempting to feel forgotten, overlooked, like Allah SWT went on vacation. «Friends, I’ve been stuck at this same level». No, Allah SWT is getting you in position for blessings, opportunities, right connections that you’ve never seen.

You have to trust Him while you’re waiting, trust Him when you feel stagnant. If you’ll keep the right attitude in the restricted times, you’ll come to a point where Allah SWT will release you from what’s holding you back. The reason He has you restricted is because what He has planned is much better than you’ve imagined. Instead of resisting the restriction, living sour, rest in the restriction. Instead, we can say, «O Allah SWT, my times are in your hands. I’m going to be my best each day and trust you to get me to where I’m supposed to be».

We have to learn: you can’t open a door that Allah SWT has shut, you can’t move forward when Allah SWT has put you on hold. He loves you too much to let you get ahead of his plan or behind his plan. If you don’t understand that Allah SWT has holding seasons, that it’s a part of what He’s decided, then you’ll live frustrated, trying to force things to happen, when in fact Allah SWT is the one not letting you move forward because it would keep you from the greater things he has for you.

There are times Allah SWT has us, tied up. We don’t understand it, friends are being promoted, co-workers seeing dreams come to pass, and that relative moved into a nice house. We’re working hard, believing in Allah SWT to our best, but doors aren’t opening, things aren’t falling into place. Every time we try to move forward, it’s like there are forces pulling us back. We always think that’s the enemy, but sometimes Allah SWT has us in a holding season. He’s keeping us from what we want only because he has something so much better. You think you are restricted, have a new perspective: you’re reserved. Allah SWT has set you apart for a higher purpose, something you can’t see, that you’ve never planned.

Now, trust Him in the waiting seasons. Don’t live frustrated when you feel stagnant, upset because the door hasn’t opened. What if you knew Allah SWT was holding you back because his plan is so much better? You would stay in peace, you would go through the waiting seasons not sour, «Why am I stuck?» but in faith, «Allah SWT I trust your timing. I know I’m not restricted, I’m reserved. That you’ve set me apart for something amazing, for your decided purpose».

Allah SWT has these destiny moments where he needs you to fulfill the real purpose that he’s already established. You’re not here by accident, you’re here on assignment. The Creator of the universe has plans for you. When you feel restricted, like you’re in a holding season, lies will whisper, «You’re not important. You don’t have anything to offer», that’s where faith works and get tested. No, your time is coming. Keep reminding yourself: you’re not restricted, you’re reserved. Allah SWT has set you apart. There are destiny moments where He will call your name and say, «I have need of Bilal. I have need of Hadi. I have need of Noor». Your name has been written into the story that Almighty Allah SWT pinned before you got here.

When the enemy tries to make you feel insignificant, not worthy, nothing to offer, just answer back, «No, no, the Almighty has need of me. Allah SWT has an assignment for me to accomplish. I’m on His radar. He’s already planned my days».

Allah SWT has the right people already lined up to come to you. You don’t have to go after it, the blessings will come to you: the freedom, the spouse, the health. It’s going to show up unexpectedly, a right connection, a supernatural breakthrough, where suddenly you’re untied. Allah SWT does what you couldn’t do, he releases the restriction.

From obscurity to notoriety, from the background to the foreground, from no one paying attention to all eyes on you. Allah SWT knows how to not only untie you, but to release you into position, opportunity, influence that you’ve never seen.

When you’re in these holding seasons, you feel restricted, the key is to keep being your best where you are. It’s not up to you to bring yourself out, force doors to open, that’s going to cause you to get frustrated. At the right time Allah SWT will make it happen, He’ll bring the right people, He’ll open the doors. In the meantime, stay faithful where you are. Maybe it’s doing a small thing when you know you have so much more in you, working in a position where you’re way over qualified, but the doors haven’t opened. You don’t know what Allah SWT is up to. Pass the test where you are. Maybe it’s believing for a child that’s not improving, you’re praying, standing in faith, seems like they’re getting worse. Can I encourage you? Allah SWT has need of your child. You’re in a holding season now, Allah SWT’s already lined up the time to untie him, to release him into his purpose. In the meantime keep honoring Allah SWT, keep being your best each day. You’re going to come into these destiny moments where things suddenly change in your favor.

A son of friend of mine had a dream to play professional game. He was a quarterback in high school, but he didn’t start. There were other players better than him. His senior year he finally got to play, and he did okay, but not good enough to receive any offers from major colleges. The only one that was interested in was a smaller school. He played there, and again he was the backup until his senior year. He finished college and was hoping to get to the NFL, but nobody drafted him. Later he was given a chance to try out for a famous team, hoping he’d make the team. This door opened, but 3 weeks later he was cut. He went back home and got a job at the local grocery store, stocking shelves, making minimum wage. He could have slacked off, been bitter, but he stocked those shelves with excellence, making sure all the product was perfectly placed, everything lined up. Week after week month after month.

He had bigger dreams in his heart, he believed he could play in the national team, but he’s restricted. Every time he tried the door closed. «Allah SWT has an allotted time to bring the dream to pass». When things aren’t going your way, and you’re in one of these holding seasons, you have to trust that Allah SWT knows what he’s doing. Trust Him while you’re waiting. You don’t have to force doors to open, manipulate, strive, strain. Just keep being your best where you are. Allah SWT is ordering your steps. Sure there’ll be things we don’t understand, don’t seem fair, «Friends, if my steps are ordered, why am I still tied up? Why am I in this holding season? Why can’t I make any progress»? Maybe it’s because Allah SWT has something planned for you that you don’t see coming. You’re thinking ordinary, but Allah SWT is thinking extraordinary. You think you’re restricted, when in fact you’re reserved. Allah SWT has closed doors and stopped relationships, not let things work out because what He has planned is exceeding, abundantly, above and beyond what you can imagine.

Now, don’t get sour over the stagnant seasons, trust Him while you’re waiting, stay in peace when you’re not making progress. And I’m not saying to accept mediocrity, settle there, but every closed door is not the enemy, every delay is not the opposition. Allah SWT has holding seasons, times where we feel restricted, but it’s all serving His plan. If you don’t understand this, you’ll fight everything that doesn’t go your way, get discouraged because you’re stagnant, sour because things aren’t changing. Come back to a place of peace. Allah SWT knows what He’s doing. His plans for you are for good. But some of those plans will feel like delays, and holding seasons, times where you’re doing the right thing, but not making progress.

Working at this grocery store, son of my friend got a call to play for a new football league. Not the national team, but a much smaller league they were starting. He played there and did very well, the next season the famous teams invited him to play. He made the team, but was the third string quarterback, again two players in front of him. Didn’t look like he’d get to play, but the first string quarterback got hurt, then the second string quarterback was injured. Much to his surprise, he was the starting quarterback, his dream had come true, made it to the National team. But what Allah SWT has planned will exceed your expectations. That next season, son of my friend threw over 40 touchdown passes, and led his team to the great level. In the biggest game of the year, the last second he threw another touchdown pass, and they won the game of the year. He broke the record for the most passing yards, and was awarded «The most valuable player of the national game».

Who would have ever thought, stocking shelves at a grocery store, that a few years later he would be the MVP of the Super Bowl? That’s like that those holding years, then all of the sudden he went from making $15.50 an hour from grocery store to making 40 million a year playing football. Some of you are thinking, «O Allah SWT, I’ll go stock some shells», but all these holding seasons, delays, we feel stuck, «Friends, I’m not making any progress», you can’t see what Allah SWT is doing. You don’t know what he’s already lined up for you. Sometimes He has to close doors to keep us in His perfect will. He has to hold us back, so we don’t miss the greater things he has in store.

Don’t fight the stagnant seasons, times where you can’t see it get ahead, others being promoted, you’re being left out. Allah SWT has already set the time where he’ll say, «Untie them. Loose them and let them go». You are coming into a time of release, where like that player, Allah SWT’s going to release you into uncommon favor, release you into uncommon success, uncommon influence. Look like you were stuck, that sickness had you tied up — Allah SWT’s about to release you into recovery. Look like that child would be always off course, tied up compromising, tied up in addictions — Allah SWT’s about to untie some things, He’s about to release them into freedom, into purpose, into success.

This is what happened to Hazrat Dawood AS. He was a teenager out in the shepherd’s fields, taking care of his family’s sheep, looked like he was stuck, no opportunity, alone, boring, same thing every day: feed the sheep, clean up their waste, make sure they’re not harmed. What could that lead to? Hazrat Dawood AS had big things in his heart, he could feel seeds of highness, but he was in a holding season, nothing changing, no sign of doors opening. Thoughts whispered, « Allah SWT’s forgotten about you. This is as good as it gets». Hazrat Dawood AS didn’t get bitter, he didn’t slack off, he trusted Allah SWT in the waiting seasons. He kept being his best even though nothing was changing.

One day the prophet of the time came to his house and announced him as the next king. Hazrat Dawood AS didn’t go after that, it came to him. It looked like he was restricted, the truth is: he was reserved. Allah SWT had him on hold for a purpose. These times you feel stuck, if you’ll just keep doing the right thing, like with Hazrat Dawood AS, like many other cases, at the allotted time Allah SWT will send someone to untie you.

Hazrat Dawood AS was massaged, but he didn’t go to the palace he went back to the shepherd’s fields. You can be massaged, but not appointed yet. You know Allah SWT gave you the dream, but you’re in a holding season. Well, Hazrat Dawood AS eventually went to the palace, but already influential king was jealous of him, tried to kill him. He had to flee for his life, and he spent years in the desert on the run, hiding from the king, stuck in the caves. Another holding season, not making any progress. But the people did not wait for Allah SWT’s plan to unfold. They were impatient, they complained about the delays, got discouraged because doors weren’t opening, when in reality Allah SWT was protecting them, he was keeping them from opposition that was too big for them to handle at the time.

If you’re going to see the fullness of what Allah SWT has for you, you have to go through these waiting seasons, these times where you feel restricted, it’s not working out, thoughts telling you «It’s always going to be like this». No, you’re not restricted, you’re reserved. Allah SWT is working out his plan for your life. At the right time He’ll say, «I have need of you». He’ll release you into new levels of your purpose.