Introduction
As Christians, it is imperative that we learn to wait on the Lord because the only thing we can count on is the fact that God is faithful.
The Bible is full of proof of God’s faithfulness and of people’s inability to wait on Him.
Abraham and Sarah certainly did not. After 10 years of waiting for God to fulfill Him promise of progeny, they took matters into their own hands and had Ismael through Hagar.
Why should we wait on the Lord?
Isaiah in chapter 40 from verse 9 tells us why we should wait for the Lord.
Most of the verses speak of the greatness of God and His omnipotence. In His transcendence, God measures the waters in the hollow of His hands, consulting no one.
He is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth.who does not faint or grow weary.
Verse 30 speaks to our frailty.
30 Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted;
The pressures of life are too much for us to bear on our own and even the strongest among us (young men) faint and are weary and exhausted. God in His greatness, however
29 … gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might, he increases strength.
Verse 31 tells us what to do and the ensuing consequences.
But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:31.
What does it mean to wait on the Lord?
The encouragement to wait on the Lord is centred on having patient, confident trust in the Lord.
Waiting on the Lord means blindly believing and trusting God without fear. It is about having faith that God will do as He has promised.
The entire Psalm 27 is a request for help from God. It perfectly exemplifies what it means to wait on the Lord. David exhibits genuine confidence and fearless trust in God throughout the psalm’s moving words, based on his sure hope that the Lord will deliver and save him in his hour of need.
Waiting on God can be very daunting for a lot of reasons. God’s perception of time differs from ours. We can, however, agree that God is never late. He is always on time.
8 But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. 2 Peter 3:8–9
How can we wait on the Lord?
First, we can wait on the Lord by trusting in Him. David exhibited a profound sense of faith in the Lord, who was his light, salvation, and stronghold (Psalm 27:1–2). This level of trust dispels anxiety and hopelessness.
“When the wicked advance against me to devour me, it is my enemies and my foes who will stumble and fall. Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then I will be confident” (verses 2–3).
We can wait on the Lord by seeking Him and being in the right place when trouble comes. David expressed his faith in the Lord by wanting to be with Him, to commune with Him, and to worship in His temple.
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. Psalm 27:5.
We can wait on the Lord in prayer, just as David did in eager anticipation of rescue (Psalm 27:7–14). David prayed to God for knowledge, guidance (verse 11), and protection (verse 12), fully expecting to “see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living” (verse 13).
Those who wait on the Lord can be confident that He will meet their expectations: “Indeed, none who wait for you shall be ashamed” (Psalm 25:3, ESV).
What to do while we wait on the Lord
- Acknowledge that God is sovereign and nothing we are presently experiencing is outside of his eternal decree and direct oversight.
- Come to terms with our dependence upon God. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.” Proverbs 3:5
- Seek strength from God as we wait.
- Be patient
- Refrain from needless fear and worry. “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me?” Psalm 56:3-4
For more insight on what to do while waiting, check out 9 ways we wait upon the lord by David Giarrizzo
Wait on the Lord songs
There a lot of beautiful songs about waiting on the Lord. Here are a few of my favorite.
- But they that wait by Newlove Annan
Department of Music, University of Ghana. Key: B-flat major, Time 2/4, Mezzo-soprano solo. They that wait upon the Lord By Tummabong Emmanuel tr. by Majeh Hilary on 07/04/2017. Key B-flat, Time 4/4, 2/4 Allegretto.
- Wait on the Lord by maverick city
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