…Before your head hits the pillow…

What does it Mean to Wait on the Lord?

People in today’s culture don’t really like to wait. We live in an instant society. We can pop a frozen dinner in the microwave and be eating in less than five minutes. We used to have to wait days or even a week or more for a letter to arrive, now we send an email and our friend or loved one can be reading it just minutes later. We no longer have to wait to see the photographs from our vacation. We can take them straight out of the camera, download them onto our computer and watch the slide show instantaneously.

It all so automatic, so the thought of waiting has become very foreign. But waiting is an important part of every Christian’s life. When the Bible says something more than once, you can believe that it is important.

Psalm 27:14 tells us, “Wait for the LORD; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the LORD.”

And Psalm 37:7 says, “Rest in the LORD and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who carries out wicked schemes.”

“Therefore do not go on passing judgment before the time, but wait until the Lord comes who will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of men’s hearts; and then each man’s praise will come to him from God.” I Corinthians 4:5.

And Psalm 130:5 also speaks of waiting, “I wait for the LORD, my soul does wait, And in His word do I hope.”

Many more passages tell us to wait upon the Lord. In the Old Testament we are primarily told to wait for his provisions and in the New Testament we are also told to wait for His return.

Waiting on God means that we trust Him. Waiting on God means that we know and understand that His ways, His will, and His timing is ever so much better than anything we could anticipate. When we pray and it doesn’t seem that God is answering our prayer, wait. Wait on God and trust Him.

When we are anxious and afraid, we must wait on God and know that He will protect us. In those anxious times we can wait if we believe in the promises of God. Be comforted by the words of Matthew 10:29-31, “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”

Or the wonderful promise in Psalm 91:11-12, “For He will give His angels charge concerning you,
To guard you in all your ways. They will bear you up in their hands, That you do not strike your foot against a stone.”

If we believe these promises it should become easier to wait. God loves us and He cares for us. Just wait.

And when you despair over the condition of the world and ask the Lord to come quickly, remember, we must wait. We must wait, for we know that He will return to us at just the right time.

Waiting on the Lord is not just a suggestion, it is a command. God wants us to wait on Him. He wants us to trust in Him. The moment we begin to really understand what it means to wait on the Lord our lives our flooded with peace. When we understand that His timing is perfect and His love is incomprehensible we can be at rest. We can rest just as is spoken of in Psalm 23 – He makes me to lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters, He refreshes my soul.

God is good. I will wait on Him!