When we wait on God it shows a spirit of trust and humility, of loving obedience, of hope and confidence, of a most intimate friendship and of the deepest reverence for our Creator.
Waiting on God was one of the reasons David was called “a man after God’s own heart”. God was his security and he trusted Him in every aspect of his life. He trusted Him for guidance and instruction (v. 5), for help and defense (Psalm 33:20), for victory over his enemies and vindication (Psalm 37:7-9), for deliverance from trouble and destruction (Psalm 40:1), and so much more.
Nothing proves our faith like waiting on God for answers to prayer, because when we wait we are demonstrating our submission to Him.
Waiting does not necessarily mean abstaining from all activity; it is obedience to God because He has the right plan for us. Waiting on God means that all of our life is brought under God’s authority and direction. If we run ahead of God, we will experience anxiety, exhaustion, and failure. When we take matters in our own hands there can be some irreparable consequences and there are many examples in the Bible like Abraham and Sarah getting ahead of God and Saul’s usurping the role of a priest.
The Word says, “Be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10). So what do we learn while we are waiting? We learn to trust in God in expectation of His revelation because God is in charge of every detail of our life. His timing is perfect if we really want Him to show and teach us His ways. He is omniscient, and gives us confirmation of His omnipresence through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit who guides us and teaches us if we let Him.
God gives us assurances of His real power and He gives the grace to await His purposes until the precise moment when He gives evidence that He was working all along. Without this faith, it is impossible to please Him, for all who come to God must believe that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him. (Hebrews 11:6)
The answer to waiting is through prayer, with strength and courage (Psalm 27:14). And we rejoice and trust in His Holy Name and in His unfailing love (Psalm 33:18-24).
Our greatest desire should be to learn to be patient and obedient, desiring to know God’s truth. We need to expectantly and faithfully believe His promise and know that if we ask and expect with the right motive we will receive.
The Lord declared: “For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.” (Jeremiah 29:11-12)
And Isaiah 40:31 tells us: “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.”
Waiting is not easy but, if we can learn to wait on God we will live a more rewarding and stress free life. Having patience and trusting in the Lord is one of the greatest life principles we can ever learn.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.” (Proverbs 3:5-6)
