The Art of Waiting

Devotional Reading: Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass. Psalms 37:7 NKJV

Scripture admonishes us to wait on God. Waiting goes against almost every aspect of our current culture. If a cell phone tower coverage caused our phones to take ten seconds to load videos, we felt inconvenience. We can’t wait; after all, those cat videos are hilarious!

We want to move, shake, get things done, take control, and achieve. The last thing we want to do is wait.

Yet waiting is a beautiful opportunity to grow spiritually. God commands us to wait patiently before Him. It is a chance to pause, worship, trust, and exercise our faith—the very faith that fascinates angels.

Waiting also allows us to confront and embrace our lack of control; it enables us to reflect on what is true and honest. Waiting allows us to reassess our roles and God’s role and make sure we are not sitting in the wrong chair, trying to do God’s work of judging the world.

Righteous waiting is an art. To be expectant yet involved, both hopeful and participate. God’s power and love are our strength, and waiting is an act of obedience.

A true perspective helps us to toe the line between avoidance and patience. It can be challenging to discern between times when good stewardship means taking responsibility to act and when it means waiting for God to act patiently. It can be challenging to move and difficult to wait.

Waiting is not apathy. The subject of apathy is self. The psalmist invites us to patiently wait on a person—to wait on the Lord.

Prayer and Confession
Today, may you go about your day waiting on the Lord, and watching to see what He will instruct you.

Further Reading: Isaiah 40:31