Waiting on the Lord

For the past couple of years, it seems like the Lord has spoken to me time and again about waiting on Him.

Isaiah40:31
But those who wait on 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.

Psalm 25:4-5
Show me Your ways, O LORD; Teach me Your paths. Lead me in Your truth and teach me, For You are the God of my salvation; On You I wait all the day.

Job 35:14
Although you say you do not see Him, Yet justice is before Him, and you must wait for Him.

Isaiah 30:15,18
For thus says the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel: “ In returning and rest you shall be saved; In quietness and confidence shall be your strength.” But you would not, Therefore the LORD will wait, that He may be gracious to you; And therefore He will be exalted, that He may have mercy on you. For the LORD is a God of justice; Blessed are all those who wait for Him.

Isaiah 64:4
For since the beginning of the world, Men have not heard nor perceived by the ear, Nor has the eye seen any God besides You, Who acts for the one who waits for Him.

Psalm 27:14
Wait on the LORD; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the LORD!

So I’ve been thinking a lot lately about what it means to wait on Him. I mean, I’ve heard that phrase my whole life, but I don't think I ever stopped and thought about what it really means.

Webster defines “wait” this way:

:to stay in place in expectation of
: to remain stationary in readiness or expectation
: to look forward expectantly
: to hold back expectantly

So if we are waiting for something, we are expecting it to happen. If I’m sitting in traffic waiting for the red light to change, I’m expecting it to change. Why would I be waiting for it to turn green if I’m not really expecting it to?

If I'm waiting on a teakettle of water to boil, I'm expecting it to eventually boil. It would be foolish to sit there waiting on it if I'm not really expecting it.

In the same way, why would I be waiting on the Lord if I’m not really expecting Him to act? To keep the promises that He’s made to me? Am I really believing Him?


I don’t remember where I got this quote, but I love it.

Prayer without expectancy is disbelief in disguise.

And what does God say about disbelief?

Hebrews 3:12
Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God.

Hebrews 3:19
So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.

Matthew 13:58
Now He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief.

Mark 6:6
And He marveled because of their unbelief.

Mark 16:14
Later He appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table; and He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen.

That's pretty strong.
So if I'm waiting on the Lord, I'd better be believing in Him and His word!

Hebrews 10:23
Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.

Oh yes, GOD IS FAITHFUL to keep His Word!