THE JOYS OF WAITING
Psalms 130: 5-6 NKJV
I wait for the LORD, my soul waits,
And in His word I do hope.
My soul waits for the Lord
More than those who watch for the morning—
Yes, more than those who watch for the morning.
Full disclosure here, I do not like waiting. I don’t like to wait in line so Disney World in the summer is not an option. I don’t like waiting in traffic and so long detours are considered worth the miles and the time. I don’t like waiting for things to come to me and so Amazon is awesome. But there is a waiting that’s worth the discipline and the time.
David wrote about waiting on the Lord. But this is not a waiting to see if something will happen. This waiting is an expectant waiting that something good is coming. David gives us insight into this kind of waiting as he likens waiting to those who watch for the morning.
In military endeavors there are always those who stand watch. David’s day was no different. The most advantageous time for a sneak attack is obviously under the cover of darkness. So, the night watch crew had to be alert and on guard, especially during the night hours. These soldiers would be waiting for the morning in a big way. The morning would be safer, and the morning would be when their shift ended. If you have ever stayed up all night those hours right before dawn seem to be the longest time period. The morning is greatly anticipated.
And the morning always comes. No one standing guard is wondering if the sun will come up that particular morning. No one is saying “I really hope that daylight comes.” No, they know daylight is coming and the sun will come up, so they are expecting. And the same principle is involved in our waiting on the Lord. We are expecting God to show us, to help us, to relieve us, to comfort our hearts so we wait expectantly.
And these verse give us some insight into how to wait on the Lord. “And in His word I do hope.” That is one of the ways that we can wait on the Lord. Taking time to sit with God’s word and read it, think about it, talk to the Lord about it and praise Him for the promises it contains are a way of waiting. One common theme of waiting is that it requires time. Waiting is not reacting to something that has happened. Waiting involves looking to the Lord with expectation of good but the good has not happened yet. We are accustomed to making things happen or reacting to the pressures of life and the people in our lives. Waiting on the Lord is taking the time to pray and seek Him. And it will require that we slow down our lives for a more than a minute. The psalmist also said “be still and know that I am God.” Slowing down requires a level of self-control but we all have that capacity we simply must start developing it.
And there is another benefit to waiting on the Lord. The prophet Isaiah said that those who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. There are so many things that we do in life and almost all of them drain us of strength. Dealing with the details of life and people and problems and stuff drain the strength out of us. That’s why we can come home so tired and worn out. Isn’t it great to know that there is something we can do that puts strength in us.
PRAYER
Lord teach me how to wait on You so that my strength is renewed.