Waiting on God

Waiting. Even the word makes us cringe. Waiting in traffic. Waiting for the doctor. Waiting in line. Waiting…waiting…waiting. It is a universal principle…none of us likes to wait!

And yet waiting is a major theme of the Bible.

Psalm 147:10-11 says, “He does not delight in the strength of the horse; He does not take pleasure in the legs of a man. The LORD favors those who fear Him; those who wait for His lovingkindness.”

God is not impressed by our strength, our intellect or our abilities. As a matter of fact, God is not the least bit impressed by anything we think we can accomplish on our own. In God’s economy, the opposite is true. God loves a humble heart, and He is pleased when we come to Him in humility and acknowledge our weakness and dependence on Him.

These verses tell us that God favors those who fear Him; those who wait for His lovingkindness. But what does it mean to wait on the Lord?

Waiting on God means that I don’t get ahead of Him. I don’t move forward and invite Him to “tag along.” He leads; I follow. It is not idle time; it is a time of actively pursuing the Lord.

Waiting teaches me patience. But more than that, waiting teaches me to trust. Waiting on God says, “You are the only One Who can help me.” It is a place of humility. A place of surrender. A place of obedience. Waiting causes me to depend on the Lord and not on myself. Waiting is a direct hit to my pride and self-sufficiency. Waiting makes me more like Christ.

I know I usually come to a place of “waiting on God” only when I have exhausted my own efforts and recognize my inability to do anything to help myself. When I am in a desperate place, I wait expectantly. But what about when life is good? Do I still recognize my need to wait on God even when I’m not facing a major trial? Waiting in expectation upon the Lord is where I want to live every moment of every day.  I NEED God for the next breath I take; not just when my life is in crisis.

What am I waiting on God for today?
•    My health
•    My marriage
•    My children
•    My finances
•    My next meal
•    My next breath

Am I patiently waiting on God to do what only He can do in each of these areas?

Waiting is hard. It goes against who I am. My flesh grows impatient and wants to “make it happen” on my own…but the Lord says WAIT. Waiting is an act of my will. I choose to wait.