We wait all the time. We wait to fall asleep at night; we wait for email replies, Amazon deliveries, for our paycheck to hit our bank account, for the people we share with Christ to respond to the Gospel, etc. What are the things you are waiting for?
We wait for all kinds of things, but what does it mean to wait for God? Wait for what? Psalm 27:13-14 said: “I remain confident in this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait on the Lord. Be strong, take courage and wait for the Lord. “
Isaiah 40:31 Context and meaning
We look to the Lord to act to deliver, to save, to avenge, to answer our prayers, to supply our needs, to renew our strength, to reveal His glory, to do what only God can do.
“Even the young shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall fall weary; but those who wait for the Lord will renew their strength; they will ascend with wings like eagles; they will run without getting tired; they will walk and not faint” (Isaiah 40:30-31).
Even young, fit and strong people will experience exhaustion and the end of their strength. Everyone will have to rely on God and wait for his help.
This famous passage speaks of waiting for the very God who:
- Measures all the waters of the earth in the palm of his hand, marks the sky and collects every particle of dust on the earth in a basket (Isaiah 40:12)
- Knows the exact weight of all mountains, islands and hills (Isaiah 40:1215)
- Sitting on a throne above planet Earth, he watches us and dwells in a tent made of the canopy of the heavens (Isaiah 40:22)
- Makes earthly rulers fade with his breath (Isaiah 40:24)
- Brings out the stars each night by calling them by name (Isaiah 40:26)
This is the God we wait on! We wait for him because he is God and we are not. He can accomplish what we cannot. We wait for him because we are powerless without him.
God’s concept of time has nothing to do with ours
Waiting is something that is only possible over time. God, the creator of time, is not limited by time. When we wait for him to act, he has already acted.
“With the Lord one day is like a thousand years and a thousand years are like one day. The Lord does not delay in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead, he is patient with you” (2 Peter 3:8-9).
God is patient with us; he understands the wait. His concept of time is nothing like ours and yet his timing is perfect. The following story proves it.
God uses our waiting to reveal his glory
John 11 tells the story of Lazarus, a friend of Jesus. Lazarus became very ill and his sisters Mary and Martha sent a message to Jesus. Instead of rushing to help, Jesus delayed his arrival on purpose. And Lazarus died. By the time Jesus appeared, Lazarus had been in the tomb for four days. It was intentional. Jesus’ plan was to raise Lazarus from the dead by revealing his glory as “the resurrection and the life” (John 11:25).
Jesus knew that Lazarus would get sick before he felt the symptoms. Every day ordained for each of us has been recorded by God before one of these (Psalm 139:16). Lazarus’ days were literally numbered, and so are we. Before Mary and Martha called on Jesus, Jesus already had a plan and his plan was to keep them waiting.
The God who calls the stars by name is not surprised by the circumstances of our lives. He knows. He always knew, and waiting is part of His plan for us.
Waiting for God to be good to us
Waiting on God is good for us. If God acted immediately every time we called on Him, we would be in control and not Him. We would call the shots, and we do not possess his wisdom. Having to wait makes us learn to trust Him, to trust His timing.
The following is an excerpt from my book Disappointment:
“From the valley I look up to the mountains and say: “Why God? Why do I have to be here instead of up there? I“I’ve been here so long.“And in the silence he speaks, if I’m willing to be quiet enough to listen.
““I want to take you to the top of a mountain, but you’re not ready yet. The climb is hard and steep and you have to train a little longer. This valley prepares you. Suffering and waiting produce the perseverance, character and hope necessary to reach the top, or you would certainly have failed. Believe me. This seems too long, but it is a necessary amount of time. My timing is perfect. I did not forget you. I see your faithfulness and your fight. I appreciate your honesty. I am with you always, and soon, when you are ready, we will stand together on the summit, and when you look back into this valley, you will finally understand.“”
How much do you wait on God? Don’t waste time in the “waiting room.” Ask God to change you while you wait, to strengthen you and produce perseverance, character and hope (Romans 5:3-4).
“Wait on the Lord! be strong, take courage and wait for the Lord” (Psalm 27:14). He rewards those who wait and his timing is perfect.
Kristi Walker has been a missionary in Berlin, Germany, for over 15 years and has worked with an international church as director of student ministries. She is the author of two books: Disappointment: a subtle path away from Christ And Convinced. Apply biblical principles to life choices.
Photo credit: Unsplash / Amos Bar Zeev
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