It’s Time . . . to Wait
Psalm 27:14 says, “Wait on the Lord.”
But I don’t want to wait. It’s not in my nature.
I’m patient in some respects, but not many. I’m a planner. If I know something is upcoming, I will plan for it and make to do lists and have tasks for the time while waiting. Then the waiting has a purpose. I stay busy, and I can honestly say I’m actively waiting. But otherwise, I don’t like to wait.
Right now I’m waiting for retirement (a few YEARS away). Not to do nothing but to move on to the next phase. I am ready for the next phase. Or so I think. I don’t know the big picture, but God does. And so I wait, and I plan, and I prepare.
Preparation is biblical. I love that. But so is waiting, and I don’t love that. Waiting when I don’t want to wait.
Noah had to wait. Speculation ranges that it took Noah anywhere from 60 to 120 years to build the ark. I can’t even find perspective in that. That’s more than a lifetime. Although he was active.
Rahab had to wait. That’s closer to home in terms of time. After Rahab gave shelter to the Israelite spies, they promised to remember her and save her and her family when they returned to conquer Jericho.
How long did her waiting last? We might think a few days, but by biblical accounts, it would have been longer than that. And I’m not sure how active her waiting was. No reason to spend the days cleaning house if your entire city was about to be reduced to a pile of rubble. And her future, while believing for salvation, was pretty much an unknown.
What did her waiting entail? Trust and hope. Expectation. Strength.
In Psalm 27:14, the word wait is the word for to bind or be strong. God gives strength for waiting. And, in turn, waiting brings strength.
Time passes quickly when we are busy, but waiting on the Lord is not about staying busy to pass the time. It is an intentional time away from the busyness in our lives to fellowship with Him – to be in His presence. Sometimes we need to slow down and enjoy the moment. Leave the busy. Wait.
Wait ON the Lord by waiting WITH the Lord.
I’d love to hear how you practice waiting.
4 Comments
Donna shares the treasured truths she has discovered through her words.
The Conversation
Agreed… waiting is not my favorite! I tend to fill my times of waiting with times of busyness and distraction. I love ” wait on the Lord by waiting with the Lord.” That makes for a much better perspective. That’s what I need to do while I’m waiting.
Yes. Waiting with the Lord makes waiting a blessed time. Thank you for engaging.
Donna,
This hit me right in the eye. I’m not good at the delay – which is often how I have viewed waiting in my life. This is the year that the Lord really dealt me a clear call: To be patient about those things he has not yet beckoned me to do and place urgency on a task I have neglected and avoided for years in its place. In other words I ran ahead of him in some ways and drug my feet in others. It’s been a challenge because I don’t like waiting on the projects I was ready to do. I know how to do them. The one he’s asked me to take on now at this time is far more difficult. I’m nowhere near as prepared or clear about what it requires. But life is a series of push and pull us. I have confidence he will lead me through just as he has so many other areas of my life.
Thanks for the reminder.
Waiting is definitely not something I relish, but in His presence changes things. Still not always easy, but beneficial. And so we wait. Thanks for sharing.