"I'll wait as long as he says" - Psalm 62:5-6 (MSG)

Waiting on the Lord is something that our society has trouble with; we want everything quick and easy. 

Our society has taught this millennial generation that fast food, the internet, and immediate self-gratification are the answers, and it is our right to have this, very little thought has been given to waiting.  The Lord, on the other hand, has a different strategy and a timetable that He adheres to, and it is to wait for His immediate purposes to unfold and to wait for everyone that can be saved will be.

Paul gives us a strategy on how to wait, and it is to refocus our minds on the promises of God and to avoid the distractions of this present world:

“Yes, feast on all the treasures of the heavenly realm and fill your thoughts with heavenly realities, and not with the distractions of the natural realm.” 

Colossians 3:2 (TPT)

With the Lord, waiting is all about relationship, patience, and faith, not about the expectation of quick answers to our prayers. It is more a matter of putting the need before the Lord and then resting in His peace (His finished work). 

The Lord hears every prayer uttered, and He chooses to develop our faith and character first so that we trust Him and place our confidence in His timing.

“For even young people tire and drop out, young folk in their prime stumble and fall. But those who wait upon God get fresh strength. They spread their wings and soar like eagles, they run and don’t get tired, they walk and don’t lag behind.”  

Isaiah 40:30-31 (MSG)

What did Isaiah mean when he wrote the words: “wait upon God”?  What would it feel like to have eagles’ wings at a time when trouble is at our doorstep?  It comes down to a fundamental point…where does your power come from? 

An eagle can fly up to very high altitudes and has no external power to propel him to get there. 

The eagles’ body is designed to maximize the potential of the external forces of the air currents and then soars on these currents with grace and ease.

Isaiah is saying we need to recognize that we are dependent upon God’s strength, much like the eagle which is dependent on something unseen, something greater than ourselves is required to propel us forward. It is not because of the weakness of the eagle that he so dependent upon the power of the air current; instead, this dependence is his greatest strength.

The Hebrew word for wait that Isaiah is using here is “Quvah,” it’s definition is quite surprising, it means to look for, hope, and to expect. To take this definition further in context it is to wait or look eagerly for, or lying in wait for. 

The mental picture I get is of a lion lying in wait for his prey. An eagle does the same thing while he soars high in the sky by patiently waiting for the expectation of his prey. We, of course, are not after prey but expectantly awaiting answers to our petitions to present themselves.

“But we are hoping for something we don’t have yet, and we are waiting for it patiently.” 

Romans 8:25 (ERV)

I freely admit that it is difficult to wait and trust the Lord when needs start piling up and situations look impossible even for the Lord solve, but that is when He shines through and provides His answer and provision, even when things seem bleak. Waiting on the Lord for His response is where faith and trust are fully developed. 

“Whoever lives under the shelter of the Most High will remain in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, “You are my refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I trust.” He is the one who will rescue you from hunters’ traps and from deadly plagues. He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge. His truth is your shield and armor. You do not need to fear terrors of the night, arrows that fly during the day, plagues that roam the dark, epidemics that strike at noon.” 

Psalm 91:1-6 (GW)

As today’s passage says, “God, the one and only—I’ll wait as long as he says. Everything comes from Him, so why not?”  

There is no one besides our God and none other who can be to us a defender and refuge.

In Him, we wait for our answers, and He is our place of hope in that waiting. He is our defender and our refuge. He is merciful, and His answers are worth waiting for. 

So why not?

Be Blessed;

Stephen Barnett