One of the bittersweet moments of sourdough bread baking is the time you spend waiting. This step in the sourdough baking process has taught me so much about waiting on God.
I love how the waiting period allows me to work on other things in my kitchen or other homemaking tasks throughout the house.
But then there are times when I want the waiting period to be over so I can hurry up and get through the process.
As you can probably tell, I want the waiting time to revolve around what I want to do.
But dough doesn’t work like that.
And thankfully, God doesn’t either.
A lump of dough rises on its own time. The conditions have to be right to get that classic rise us bread bakers know and love.
The gluten has to have been properly developed. Gas has to build during fermentation. Then you simply have to let time do its thing.
Waiting on God often feels very similar.
I honestly wish God were as predictable as a loaf of bread.
During the waiting seasons of our lives, all kinds of things are happening that we may never immediately recognize.
But just like a loaf of bread, rising beneath the surface, there comes a day when you look back and see the beautiful work God has been doing all along!
God Is Working Even When You Can’t See It
After mixing the ingredients, there isn’t much to see…yet.
The dough is shaggy.
Nothing appears to be happening.
No dramatic change.
No instant results.
If someone didn’t understand the sourdough process, they might assume nothing was happening at all.
But every baker knows the most important work is happening where our eyes can’t see it.
That’s exactly how the growth of my Micro-Bakery begin.
The very first farmer’s market I participated in was a complete act of faith.
I Googled all of the local farmer’s markets in my area and made a plan to call each one in no particular order.
My plan was to simply introduce myself, let them know I’m a cottage food baker and I would like to know if I could join the market as a vendor.
I assumed this was going to be a day worth of phone calls, leaving messages, and gathering contacts.
But to my surprise, the first phone call I made was to a farmer’s market and the market manager told me she wasn’t even going to go to the office that day, but she needed to get some extra work done which allowed her to answer my call.
Also, she just received a message earlier that morning that her bread baker could not make it so the market was not going to have bread that upcoming weekend.
She blurted out in a joyful voice, “God always gives me what I need”. And I replied amen because I wholeheartedly agreed.
That was the beginning stages of how God answered my prayer for extra income for my family.
That was Monday morning. The following Saturday, I was the new bread baker and it was the beginning of something great.
There was no way I could see all those events happening ahead of time.
There was no way I could have known that was the perfect time to call.
I was only doing what was in my heart to do.
That phone call was the open door of opportunity I needed.
Looking back, I can clearly see God’s hand guiding every detail.
At the time, all I could see was one small step in front of me.
That’s often what waiting on God looks like. We don’t always get the full picture. We simply obey the next thing He places in our hearts and trust Him with the outcome.
2 Corinthians 5:7 reminds us, “For we walk by faith, not by sight.”
Waiting on God Doesn’t Mean God Is Silent
Sometimes we think because God isn’t speaking loudly that He isn’t speaking at all.
But quiet seasons often teach us to recognize His whispers.
His gentle instructions.
His subtle leadings.
Those little promptings that are accompanied by His peace.
If you find yourself waiting on God, it’s important not only to pray and read your Bible but also to slow down enough to listen for His direction.
This doesn’t only mean slowing down physically.
It also means quieting your thoughts.
Sometimes that requires stepping away from constant noise and distractions so you can recognize what God is placing on your heart.
Just as sourdough requires patience instead of rushing, our relationship with God grows deeper when we stop demanding immediate answers and remain open to His timing.
Serve God While You’re Waiting
While the dough is rising, the baker doesn’t constantly lift the lid every few minutes.
Instead, it’s time to prepare for the next step.
Likewise, while waiting on God, we continue serving Him through our current daily responsibilities.
We faithfully steward what He’s already placed in our hands, no matter how small it seems.
Faithfulness doesn’t begin when life becomes exciting.
Faithfulness begins in the ordinary.
Before I ever served customers, I first served my family with homemade bread, even when every loaf wasn’t perfect.
Faithfulness looked like practicing recipes over and over.
Learning about freshly milled grains.
Studying the health benefits of sourdough.
Improving one loaf at a time.
Waiting on God isn’t permission to stand still. It’s an invitation to faithfully prepare for what He has ahead.
What Waiting on God Through Sourdough Has Taught Me
I learned that God didn’t forget about me.
And He hasn’t forgotten about you.
He isn’t late.
He isn’t absent.
He’s doing His deepest work beneath the surface, where faith grows long before the blessing becomes visible.
Our position is not striving. forcing, or worrying.
But simply trusting Him and obeying Him.
One day at a time.
Zechariah 4:10 reminds us:
“Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin…”
Never underestimate what God is doing during your waiting season.
He’s is often preparing something far greater than you can imagine.
Trust the process.
Trust His timing.
And keep walking faithfully while you wait.
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