Psalm 27:14

As I commented previously, life involves a lot of waiting. Some of it is life-changing and at other times waiting is just part of living in an uncertain world. We may be waiting to find the right job or life partner, or waiting for something to arrive in the post. We can live calmly in a period of waiting but at other times it is all-consuming. We find it hard to settle to anything else because what we are waiting for is so important. Waiting can, at times, be laced with a sense of despair. We may be waiting for something to happen, wondering whether it will ever turn up. Sometimes we are absolutely confident that something will happen; we are just unsure of the timing.

When King David talks about waiting for the Lord, he is absolutely sure that God will respond to him. And because of that confidence he knows that he can wait with patience. In this psalm he is so confident that God will respond that he challenges us to be brave and courageous. In his commentary on this psalm, Michael Wilcock refers to “the alert, tip-toe expectancy which is what Scripture means by wait for the Lord” (The Message of Psalms 1-72, IVP).

It is precisely by waiting for the Lord that God gives us strength to stand for him. Rushing headlong into one activity after another can make us feel good about ourselves, but we need to stop and remind ourselves that

our strength comes from God. We need to give space to waiting on him and, as we do so, we will discover the truth of Isaiah’s words that those who wait in trust for the Lord “will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint” (Isaiah 40:31).

However busy you may be today, I encourage you to set aside some moments to deliberately wait on God. You won’t be disappointed.

Question

In what ways has God strengthened and encouraged you as you have waited on him?

Prayer

Lord God, help me to grow in bravery and courage as I learn more of what it means to wait on you. Amen