Wait

Ron Writes

Waiting is not my gift. I hate waiting. I hate it when the doctor makes me wait, (I figure that’s why they call us patients, but I don’t have the patience to wait). I don’t like waiting in line – for anything. I don’t like waiting for my wife to get ready. 

Wait can have other usages. It can describe a criminal who lays in wait for a victim. An army can lie in wait to ambush their enemy. In a restaurant we want someone to wait on us. 

The Bible speaks about those who wait for God. To wait on God is more than just to sit idly for the passage of time. There’s a deeper meaning. Wait is active! There’s the sense of hope and expectation based on faith. 

Notice the parallels in Psalm 27:14 

Wait for the Lord;
Be strong and let your heart take courage;
Yes, wait for the Lord.

Understanding the parallels is to understand that to wait for the Lord is the same as being strong and courageous. 

In one of the better-known passages of Isaiah, He proclaims

Yet those who wait for the Lord
Will gain new strength;
They will mount up with wings like eagles,
They will run and not get tired,
They will walk and not become weary.
Isaiah 40:31 

An alternative word for wait given in the margin is “hope”. Being strong, mounting up, running, and not getting tired all serve to define what it means to “wait.” 

Look up “wait” in a concordance and you’ll see that it keeps some great company. You’ll find it with “salvation,” “rejoicing,” and being “glad.” It comes with God’s graciousness and strength. It’s always worth it to wait upon the Lord.