The Wait

 

     We live in a world of instant gratification, so waiting isn't easy for any of us.  Waiting is hard, because we don't know long it will last.  Waiting is hard, because we aren't sure if we will get what we really want after the wait.  Waiting is hard, because we don't trust that whatever happens is for our good.  Waiting is hard, because we don't feel in control and forget that God is always in control.  Patient, confident trust in the Lord is the key to overcoming our impatience with waiting.

     In Psalm 27,  David expresses authentic faith and courageous trust in God, based on his confident expectation that the Lord will rescue and save him in his time of trouble.  [gotquestions.org]

     How do we wait on the Lord and His timing:

By Trusting in Him:  Trusting God conquers our fears and unhappiness.  We must rely on God to regain our sense of hope.   There is no one else that you can put your trust in, like God.  Psalm 27:1-3  " The Lord is my hlight and my salvation;jwhom shall I fear?  The Lord is the stronghold1 of my life;of whom shall I be afraid?  When evildoers assail me to keat up my flesh, my adversaries and foes, it is they who stumble and fall. Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war arise against me, yet I will be confident."

By Seeking Him:  When we tell God, how much we want to be in His presence and surrounded by His glory then we will feel closer to  Him,  When we search His word for direction, we will feel safer and more secure.   Psalm 27: 5-8  "For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent;he will lift me high upon a rock.  And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me, and I will offer in his tent sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing and make melody to the Lord. Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud; be gracious to me and answer me!  You have said, “Seek my face.”My heart says to you, “Your face, Lord, do I seek."

By Prayer:  David asked God for wisdom, direction, and protection, wholly believing he would “see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living”.  When we talk with God in prayer, He hears our cries and pleas for help.  He doesn't put us off or ignore us.  He is always at work and answering us, according to His will.  Call upon the Lord.

     "Waiting on the Lord involves the confident expectation of a positive result in which we place a great hope. This expectation is based on knowledge of and trust in God. Those who do not know the Lord will not wait on Him; neither will those who fail to trust Him. We must be confident of who God is and what He is capable of doing. Those who wait on the Lord do not lose heart in their prayers: “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us” . Waiting on the Lord renews our strength . Waiting on the Lord by trusting, seeking, and praying establishes our faith and brings serenity and stability: “I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear the LORD and put their trust in him” (Psalm 40:1–3). As this passage affirms, waiting on the Lord is also a testimony to others who will see our faith and, as a result, put their trust in God."  [gotquestions.org]

     As for myself, I've learned a lot about waiting on the Lord in my 50 years.  I feel like most waiting is related to the opening of human hearts to do what the Lord is calling them to do.  Whether you're on the giving or receiving end, we're all a part of the waiting game of life.  Phillipians 3:20-21  "Our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body:"    I think God surely waits on us, more than we wait on Him.  Jude 1:20 "But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life."