Waiting On Him

Jul 29, 2021

I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living! Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!

- Psalm 27:13-14

The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him.

- Lamentations 3:25

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

God’s word repeatedly teaches us to wait on Him. These verses above don’t say “hurry and find God.” “Rush and He will reveal himself to you.” “Fill your schedule every second, and then you’ll see a miracle.”

Nope. God’s word repeatedly tells us: WAIT. I’ve had Maverick City Music’s song “Wait on You” on repeat for the last month (you should DEFINITELY give it a listen). This song repeats over and over again the instructions given in Isaiah 40:31, and declares, “I’m gonna wait on you!” I think I love this song because it is so counterintuitive, both to me personally, and to our entire society.

The world teaches us to hustle, get busy, make money, fill your schedule, get everything done, and maybe sleep for four hours a night. And then - do it all again!

But God doesn’t show up in a calendar slot.

God calls us to make space, to listen, to sit and wait. So often my prayer time and space for the Lord is so rushed. A quick 20 minutes before the day begins. A hurried prayer in between meetings. A desperate cry before a hard conversation.

We try to fit God into the finite spaces of our life, when His infinite being requires space and time and patience.

The word “wait” in all three of those verses above is translated as “qavah” in Hebrew. Qavah means to wait actively with anticipation, hopefully watching for God to act. God invites us to be hopeful and ready for His miracles - in our struggles, in our worries, and in the day to day of life. And while this idea of waiting applies to all areas of life, I especially want you to consider your prayer life today.

Because of Jesus’ gift of atonement we have the opportunity to pray in His name. We have this access to the Father that is incredibly unique and beautiful. How are you using that access? Can your prayer life be characterized by the word “qavah?” Is there space to wait, to hope, and for God to show up? Or does your prayer life look more like quick pleases, one-way conversations, and carefully selected chunks of time?

Let’s make space for waiting this week.

I wonder how God might move if we chose His timeline over our own.

Maybe we can sacrifice the morning shower, or the 20 minutes of scrolling, and spend some time expectantly waiting for Him to show up. God’s word attests that waiting will build you up like nothing else. I can attest to it in my own life. The most fruitful time I have with Jesus is when I turn off the clock and just sit in his presence, ready to listen to Him for as long as He would have.

I know your life is busy, friend. I know there is so much to be done. But maybe, just maybe, God has something powerful for you in the space of waiting. And maybe that time with Him would make you that much BETTER for all of your other commitments.