Wait on God

“Wait on the Lord, and he will strengthen your heart. Wait, I say, on the Lord” (Ps. 27:14)

Sometimes our hearts become weak. We become fearful, discouraged, or overwhelmed. These are times we need to wait on God. 

“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.” (Isa. 40:31)

Waiting on God renews our strength. In Hebrew, this means to change our strength. Our strength is changed from our own strength to God’s strength. While we wait on God we are empowered. We gain spiritual energy to go forward.

Sometimes we must give up our own ideas and refuse to rush out and do things in our own power. It’s better to wait than to be hasty. 

We need to quiet our souls. “Surely I have quieted my soul… my soul is like a weaned child” (Ps. 131:2). Sometimes our souls are upset. A storm might rage within our souls. Jesus is able to speak to this storm and bring peace. “Let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful” (Col. 3:15). 

Jesus told us to enter into our closet and shut the door and pray to our Father in secret. Sometimes we need to withdraw from activity and spend time with God. 

Waiting is a time to read the Bible and plant the seeds of God’s word in our souls. The word of God will grow in us and impart divine strength. Waiting is a time to cleanse ourselves from things that defile. Take a break from the TV, radio, and internet. Tune into God. Fill yourself with the word of God so you can bear lasting fruit. 

Waiting demonstrates faith, and faith pleases God. If we trust God, we will wait for him. If we don’t trust in God, we won’t wait for him. Waiting can be hard, but God will give us patience to wait for him. Patience is a fruit of the Holy Spirit.

Waiting gives God an opportunity to work. As we wait, God can change other people or circumstances. God needs time to arrange things to prepare for his will to happen.

Waiting on God is a spiritually active process. It’s not about being lazy. We wait with expectancy, faith, and anticipation that God will come through. This requires spiritual energy. The time of waiting may look like a time of inactivity, but many powerful things can happen during this time.

Waiting precedes miracles.

Throughout the Bible people waited for God. This had profound results, because God did what they could not do. 

Abraham waited 100 years to have a son. Abraham wasn’t perfect, but he learned to wait. Because he waited for God he became the father of our faith.

When Moses brought the children of Israel to the Red Sea, they were hemmed in. They had no place to go. Before them was the Red Sea, and behind them was Egypt’s army. All they could do is wait for God to come through. As they waited, a miracle happened, and the sea split.

“Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which He will accomplish for you today” (Ex. 14:13).

David waited for God. When he was anointed king, he did not rush out and grab the kingdom away from Saul. He waited for God to exalt him. When Saul was persecuting David and trying to kill him, David was greatly distressed. A couple of times David had an opportunity to kill Saul, but he didn’t. He waited for God, who said, “vengeance is mine, I will repay” (Deut. 32:35). 

David was a man after God’s own heart. He was humble. He was merciful. He was meek. All of this contributed to his willingness to wait. As a result of waiting for God, supernatural strength and victories characterized David’s life.

The early disciples waited in the Upper Room. Days later, the Holy Spirit was poured out upon them and they burst out into the world in God’s power.

Jesus knows how to wait. He waited 30 years before starting his earthly ministry. Now he’s been waiting almost 2,000 years for his bride to get ready for him. She’s taking a long time to get ready. She’s still cleaning herself up and preparing. So Jesus patiently waits. And he’s praying for her in the meantime. He knows that someday she will be ready for him and then his marriage can finally happen.

The entire creation is waiting. It’s waiting to be set free from the bondage of corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God (Rom. 8:20-21). This hasn’t happened yet, so the creation waits.

God’s children are also waiting. We’re not only waiting for God to fulfill his purposes in the earth, but we’re waiting for God to come through in different areas of our lives. As we wait on God, this is a time to be empowered. It’s a time to pray, hear from God, and be filled with his word. Waiting is a time when transformation can happen.

When we come out of our waiting room with God, we will be changed. We will have new strength. We will walk through the fire, but it won’t burn us. We will walk through water, but it won’t overcome us.

“Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by your name;
You are Mine.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you.
When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned,
Nor shall the flame scorch you” (Isa. 43:1-2).