The Anatomy of Waiting
Often when Christians think of waiting on the Lord, they think in terms of waiting for something from God, i.e. a spouse, a new job, or a wayward child to come to the Lord. It’s been said, “It’s better to wait long than to marry wrong.” We are wise to wait and trust God to provide His best for our lives. Waiting on the Lord certainly involves waiting for Him to work in our lives in a specific way. But it’s much more than that.
The biblical understanding of waiting suggests that the greatest blessing is not receiving the thing we’ve asked of the Lord. Rather, the greatest blessing is encountering God in the waiting room. King David knew the blessings of waiting on the Lord and the heartaches of not waiting. He has much to teach us.
Waiting is seeking the presence of God
“I waited patiently for the Lord; he inclined to me and heard my cry” (Psalm 40:1). When David waited on the Lord, he wasn’t passively waiting on the Lord to do something for him. He poured his heart out to God. He didn’t just talk to God about his problems, he talked to God about God—he worshiped the Lord. He writes in verse 11: “As for you, O Lord, you will not restrain your mercy from me; your steadfast love and your faithfulness will ever preserve me!” In times of distress, David encouraged and strengthened himself in the Lord His God (1 Samuel 30:6).
The words "waited" and "patiently" in verse one, are the same Hebrew word. David actually said something like, "I waited and waited for the Lord." In Psalm 27:4, David makes clear what his greatest pursuit was: “One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple.” Divine strength and courage come when we glimpse at our problems and gaze upon the beauty of the Lord. David waited and waited for the Lord. How would you describe your prayer life? Is it more request-based or worship-based? “A request-based approach to prayer simply seeks God’s hand—what He can do for us. A worship-based approach to prayer seeks God’s face—the beauty of who He is. If all we ever do is seek God’s hand, we may miss his face. If we seek his face, he will be glad to open his hands in provision and power.” -Daniel Henderson
When David waited patiently on the Lord, he encountered the presence of God. David continues in verse one, “I waited patiently for the Lord and he inclined unto me...” James wrote, “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you” (James 4:8). The greatest value of waiting on the Lord is knowing that you’re in the presence of God and comprehending Him as He has revealed Himself in His Holy word. Mark Vroegop put it this way: “Waiting for the Lord is living on what I know to be true about God when I don’t know what is true about my life. To wait is choosing to focus on what I know about the Lord instead of panicking about what I don’t know about my life. When you're struggling to wait, stop rehearsing your panic and start rehearsing who God is.”
He goes on to explain that the waiting we often practice and the waiting taught in scripture can be compared to the difference between waiting at the DMV or waiting for your bride to walk down the aisle. These two kinds of waiting produce two different emotions. When we’re waiting at the DMV, our attention is focused on how long it’s going to take to get what we came for. When the groom is waiting on his bride, her glory commands his attention and he waits with joy and anticipation. Similarly, when God commands our attention in prayer, His glory will inform our requests and incline our hearts to His will and ways.
Waiting is surrendering to the plans and purposes of God
How do you define prayer? Daniel Henderson observed, “Your definition of prayer sets your destination in prayer. Whatever your definition will determine whether you think it works.” As a Pastor, on more than one occasion I’ve heard fellow believers say, “I’ve been praying about this distress in my life for several years now and nothing has changed.” God works mightily in answer to prayer. But the greatest value of prayer is not only that prayer changes things, prayer changes us.
Waiting for the Lord is an active rather than passive spiritual discipline. It’s more like a waiter at a five-star restaurant as opposed to a frantic impatient customer sitting at a table waiting to be served. A well trained and experienced waiter waits attentively nearby or walks by frequently to attend to the requests of his guests. A waiter’s eyes are watching and his ears are attentive. He/she is always nearby and in position to see, hear, and respond to the slightest direction.
In Psalm 25:4, David writes: “Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths. Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long”. David waited and waited for the Lord not just to receive deliverance from trouble, but for God to teach him and guide him in the way he should go.
Waiting brings salvation by the power of God
As David continues to testify about the power of waiting for the Lord, he continues: “He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure. He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the Lord” (Psalm 40:2-3).
The poetic metaphors that David used were meant to help us enter into what David was feeling. They are not an actual description of his physical circumstances. As John Piper noted: “It is good that we don't know what the experience was. It makes it easier to see ourselves in the pits with the king. Anything that causes a sense of helplessness and desperation and threatens to ruin life or take it away—that is the king's pit.” What lifted David out of his pit of feeling helpless and hopeless? After being beaten and throne in a dungeon, what lifted up Paul and Silas and caused them to sing and praise God in their midnight hour? (Acts 16:25). There’s joy in the presence of God. Like Paul and Silas, who sang praises to God behind bars, David sang and was delivered before he was free of His circumstantial troubles.
David testified, “He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure.” God can deliver us from whatever pit of trouble we might be in. But there’s a deliverance—a stability and security that comes when we wait for Him—when we draw near to Him. When we stop rehearsing our problems and start rehearsing who He is, He will deliver us from the pit of despair. He will turn our worry into worship and our panic into praise. He will put a new song in our hearts in our midnight hour.
David continues: “He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the Lord” (Psalm 40:3). Do you have a song in your heart? According to the Apostle Paul, singing songs and hymns from our hearts to God and to one another is a mark of being filled with the Spirit and of God’s word dwelling richly in our hearts (Eph. 5:18; Col. 3:16). As a result of the song that God put in David’s heart, he wrote, “Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the Lord.” John Piper said, “The music of the rescued saints is a tremendous means of evangelism.” Are you in a pit of distress? Wait on the Lord. Cry out to Him. Stop counting your problems and start counting your blessings.
The sinless, spotless Lamb of God suffered in a pit of destruction for you. On the cross He went through hell for you. And after He suffered, bled and died for our sin, He was laid in a borrowed tomb. But he didn’t stay there. In Psalm 16:9-10, David's words prophetically point to Jesus, “Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure, because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead, nor will you let your faithful one see decay.” Early Sunday morning, the lifeless body of Jesus that laid for 3 days in a tomb, was lifted up. And because His soul was not abandoned in the realm of the dead and His body did not see corruption, we can be assured that when we wait for Him in our pit of destruction, He will incline unto us. He will hear our cry. He will lift us up and set our feet on the rock of His salvation. He will make our steps secure.
O, no matter what pit you may be in today, or whatever you may face in the days ahead, “Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!” (Psalm 27:14). He will lift you up and set your feet upon a rock. Remember, waiting on the Lord is not passive, it’s active. It’s not sitting on the sidelines until He gives you what you want. It’s not panicking about what you don’t know to be true about your life. Rather, it’s choosing to focus on what is true about the Lord; His love, His faithfulness, and His mercy.
Seek Him not just for what only He can do. Seek Him for who He is. When you do, His presence with you will be your salvation, your strength and your song. Many will see the trustworthiness of God, and fear and put their trust in the Lord.
In your service,
Pastor Marco
The biblical understanding of waiting suggests that the greatest blessing is not receiving the thing we’ve asked of the Lord. Rather, the greatest blessing is encountering God in the waiting room. King David knew the blessings of waiting on the Lord and the heartaches of not waiting. He has much to teach us.
Waiting is seeking the presence of God
“I waited patiently for the Lord; he inclined to me and heard my cry” (Psalm 40:1). When David waited on the Lord, he wasn’t passively waiting on the Lord to do something for him. He poured his heart out to God. He didn’t just talk to God about his problems, he talked to God about God—he worshiped the Lord. He writes in verse 11: “As for you, O Lord, you will not restrain your mercy from me; your steadfast love and your faithfulness will ever preserve me!” In times of distress, David encouraged and strengthened himself in the Lord His God (1 Samuel 30:6).
The words "waited" and "patiently" in verse one, are the same Hebrew word. David actually said something like, "I waited and waited for the Lord." In Psalm 27:4, David makes clear what his greatest pursuit was: “One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple.” Divine strength and courage come when we glimpse at our problems and gaze upon the beauty of the Lord. David waited and waited for the Lord. How would you describe your prayer life? Is it more request-based or worship-based? “A request-based approach to prayer simply seeks God’s hand—what He can do for us. A worship-based approach to prayer seeks God’s face—the beauty of who He is. If all we ever do is seek God’s hand, we may miss his face. If we seek his face, he will be glad to open his hands in provision and power.” -Daniel Henderson
When David waited patiently on the Lord, he encountered the presence of God. David continues in verse one, “I waited patiently for the Lord and he inclined unto me...” James wrote, “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you” (James 4:8). The greatest value of waiting on the Lord is knowing that you’re in the presence of God and comprehending Him as He has revealed Himself in His Holy word. Mark Vroegop put it this way: “Waiting for the Lord is living on what I know to be true about God when I don’t know what is true about my life. To wait is choosing to focus on what I know about the Lord instead of panicking about what I don’t know about my life. When you're struggling to wait, stop rehearsing your panic and start rehearsing who God is.”
He goes on to explain that the waiting we often practice and the waiting taught in scripture can be compared to the difference between waiting at the DMV or waiting for your bride to walk down the aisle. These two kinds of waiting produce two different emotions. When we’re waiting at the DMV, our attention is focused on how long it’s going to take to get what we came for. When the groom is waiting on his bride, her glory commands his attention and he waits with joy and anticipation. Similarly, when God commands our attention in prayer, His glory will inform our requests and incline our hearts to His will and ways.
Waiting is surrendering to the plans and purposes of God
How do you define prayer? Daniel Henderson observed, “Your definition of prayer sets your destination in prayer. Whatever your definition will determine whether you think it works.” As a Pastor, on more than one occasion I’ve heard fellow believers say, “I’ve been praying about this distress in my life for several years now and nothing has changed.” God works mightily in answer to prayer. But the greatest value of prayer is not only that prayer changes things, prayer changes us.
Waiting for the Lord is an active rather than passive spiritual discipline. It’s more like a waiter at a five-star restaurant as opposed to a frantic impatient customer sitting at a table waiting to be served. A well trained and experienced waiter waits attentively nearby or walks by frequently to attend to the requests of his guests. A waiter’s eyes are watching and his ears are attentive. He/she is always nearby and in position to see, hear, and respond to the slightest direction.
In Psalm 25:4, David writes: “Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths. Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long”. David waited and waited for the Lord not just to receive deliverance from trouble, but for God to teach him and guide him in the way he should go.
Waiting brings salvation by the power of God
As David continues to testify about the power of waiting for the Lord, he continues: “He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure. He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the Lord” (Psalm 40:2-3).
The poetic metaphors that David used were meant to help us enter into what David was feeling. They are not an actual description of his physical circumstances. As John Piper noted: “It is good that we don't know what the experience was. It makes it easier to see ourselves in the pits with the king. Anything that causes a sense of helplessness and desperation and threatens to ruin life or take it away—that is the king's pit.” What lifted David out of his pit of feeling helpless and hopeless? After being beaten and throne in a dungeon, what lifted up Paul and Silas and caused them to sing and praise God in their midnight hour? (Acts 16:25). There’s joy in the presence of God. Like Paul and Silas, who sang praises to God behind bars, David sang and was delivered before he was free of His circumstantial troubles.
David testified, “He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure.” God can deliver us from whatever pit of trouble we might be in. But there’s a deliverance—a stability and security that comes when we wait for Him—when we draw near to Him. When we stop rehearsing our problems and start rehearsing who He is, He will deliver us from the pit of despair. He will turn our worry into worship and our panic into praise. He will put a new song in our hearts in our midnight hour.
David continues: “He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the Lord” (Psalm 40:3). Do you have a song in your heart? According to the Apostle Paul, singing songs and hymns from our hearts to God and to one another is a mark of being filled with the Spirit and of God’s word dwelling richly in our hearts (Eph. 5:18; Col. 3:16). As a result of the song that God put in David’s heart, he wrote, “Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the Lord.” John Piper said, “The music of the rescued saints is a tremendous means of evangelism.” Are you in a pit of distress? Wait on the Lord. Cry out to Him. Stop counting your problems and start counting your blessings.
The sinless, spotless Lamb of God suffered in a pit of destruction for you. On the cross He went through hell for you. And after He suffered, bled and died for our sin, He was laid in a borrowed tomb. But he didn’t stay there. In Psalm 16:9-10, David's words prophetically point to Jesus, “Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure, because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead, nor will you let your faithful one see decay.” Early Sunday morning, the lifeless body of Jesus that laid for 3 days in a tomb, was lifted up. And because His soul was not abandoned in the realm of the dead and His body did not see corruption, we can be assured that when we wait for Him in our pit of destruction, He will incline unto us. He will hear our cry. He will lift us up and set our feet on the rock of His salvation. He will make our steps secure.
O, no matter what pit you may be in today, or whatever you may face in the days ahead, “Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!” (Psalm 27:14). He will lift you up and set your feet upon a rock. Remember, waiting on the Lord is not passive, it’s active. It’s not sitting on the sidelines until He gives you what you want. It’s not panicking about what you don’t know to be true about your life. Rather, it’s choosing to focus on what is true about the Lord; His love, His faithfulness, and His mercy.
Seek Him not just for what only He can do. Seek Him for who He is. When you do, His presence with you will be your salvation, your strength and your song. Many will see the trustworthiness of God, and fear and put their trust in the Lord.
In your service,
Pastor Marco