Still, Jehovah expects us to wait patiently for him to act at his appointed time. Why does he expect that of us? What can help us to be happy while we wait?

WHY DOES JEHOVAH EXPECT US TO WAIT?

The Bible says: “Jehovah is waiting patiently to show you favor, and he will rise up to show you mercy. For Jehovah is a God of justice. Happy are all those keeping in expectation of him.” (Isa. 30:18) These words of Isaiah were originally directed to the stubborn Jews. (Isa. 30:1) But there were some faithful ones among the Jews, and these words offered them hope. These same words offer hope to Jehovah’s faithful servants today.

So we must wait patiently because Jehovah is waiting patiently. He has an appointed time for when he will bring this system to an end, and he is waiting for that day and hour to arrive. (Matt. 24:36) At that time, it will be absolutely clear that the Devil’s charges against Jehovah and those who serve Him are false. He will then remove Satan and any who side with him, but He will “show [us] mercy.”

In the meantime, Jehovah may not remove our trials, but he assures us that we can be happy while waiting. As Isaiah stated, we can be happy while we long or hope for something good to happen. (Isa. 30:18) a How can we gain that happiness? Four steps can help us.

HOW TO BE HAPPY WHILE WAITING

Focus on the positive. King David had seen much wickedness throughout his life. (Ps. 37:35) Yet, he wrote: “Keep silent before Jehovah and wait expectantly for him. Do not be upset by the man who succeeds in carrying out his schemes.” (Ps. 37:7)  David himself took that advice to heart by fixing his attention on his hope of salvation. He also took note of every blessing he received from Jehovah. (Ps. 40:5) If we too focus on the positive aspects of our situation without being consumed by the negative things that are happening around us, we will find it easier to wait for Jehovah.

Stay busy praising Jehovah. The writer of Psalm 71, apparently David, said to Jehovah: “I will continue to wait; I will add to your praise.” (Ps. 71:14) How would he praise Jehovah? He would tell others about Jehovah and sing praises to him. (Ps. 71:16, 23) Like David, we can find joy while waiting for Jehovah. We praise him through our ministry, our daily conversations, and our songs for worship. The next time you sing a Kingdom song, why not pay careful attention to its uplifting message?

Draw encouragement from your brothers and sisters. When David faced challenges, he said to Jehovah: “In the presence of your loyal ones, I will hope in your name.” (Ps. 52:9) We too can draw encouragement from loyal fellow worshippers, not only at our meetings and in the ministry but also during social occasions.​—Rom. 1:11, 12.

Strengthen your hope. Psalm 62:5 says: “I wait silently for God because my hope comes from him.” Strong hope includes confident expectation​—which is crucial if we have to endure this system longer than we imagined. We must be convinced that Jehovah’s promises will become realities no matter how long we may have to wait for them. We can strengthen our hope by studying God’s Word​—the prophecies, the internal harmony, and the details Jehovah reveals about himself. (Ps. 1:2, 3) Also, we need to continue to “pray with holy spirit” to keep our good relationship with Jehovah while we wait for his promise of everlasting life to be fulfilled.​—Jude 20, 21.

Like King David, be confident that Jehovah watches over those waiting for Him and expresses His loyal love to them. (Ps. 33:18, 22) Keep waiting patiently for Jehovah by focusing on the positive things in your life, by praising him, by drawing encouragement from fellow Witnesses, and by keeping your precious hope strong.