One of the disciplines in living the Christian is waiting on the Lord. Waiting on the Lord means allowing Him to act and provide answers to our prayers. It requires patience, hope, courage, and trust in the God of the Scriptures. It is also a test of our obedience, faith, and confidence in Almighty God.
Patience is an essential component of Christian living. The writer to the Hebrews exhorts believers: “For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what is promised” (Hebrews 10:36). The KJV of the Bible uses patience instead of endurance.
There are great benefits in waiting on the Lord. Some of which are identified here in this biblical text. “But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint” (Isaiah 40:31).
Dr Charles Stanley makes this noteworthy commentary on waiting on the Lord. “Of all the principles I‘ve learned in the scriptures, the one that stands out the most to me is the concept of waiting on the Lord.” Says Dr. Stanley. “This is a critical issue because God’s will includes His timing. He has an awesome plan mapped out for each of us, but He only reveals it one step at a time. When we follow his plan, He is glorified, and we are fulfilled. However, if we don’t seek the Lord’s guidance each day, we’ll end up automatically following our own course. As a result, we’ll be confused and dissatisfied because we’ve missed what God intended to give us and do through us.” (Excerpted from Sermon Notes From In Touch With Dr. Charles Stanley, 01.30.22).
Let us realize and fully understand that God’s timing is perfect timing. Since He is God, He knows what we do not know. He desires the very best for His children. The Scripture says “For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly. O LORD of hosts, blessed is the one who trusts in you. (Psalm 84:11,12).
Paul exhorted the Philippians: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known to God” (Philippians 4:6).
There are certain prerequisites we must be aware of whenever we pray. And patience is one of them. We cannot be anxious and exercise patience at the same time. Patience must prevail in our prayers. We don’t demand anything from God, neither do we give God a timeframe when we should expect His answer.
Observe that it is prayer and supplication with thanksgiving. God requires thanksgiving to accompany our prayer requests in advance of His answers because He is going to respond.
Psalm 27 is a Psalm of David in which he expresses his faith in God. The Psalm begins on a note of victorious faith in God: “The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid” (verse 1).
David concludes this Psalm, “I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living! Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD!” (Psalm 27:13,14).
David is showing us where our focus should be. Certainly not on ourselves; but rather on “the goodness of the LORD, and to wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage.” This is important because our expectation is from the Lord. No one else.