TO CHEW ON: "'Show me Your ways, O Lord;
Teach me Your paths.
Lead me in Your truth and teach me,
For You are the God of my salvation;
On You I wait all the day." - Psalm 25:4,5
Are you good at waiting? I confess I'm not. From a child the importance of being prompt has been drummed into me. I like meetings to start on time. I am rarely late for anything. But God is—or so it seems.
In our reading today, David talks about waiting. He uses the word wait (qavah) twice in reference to his relationship with God: "On You I wait all the day" and "….I wait for you" - Psalm 25:5,21.
There's a subtle difference between saying we wait on God and we wait for Him. Really, though, it's two sides of the same coin. Waiting for Him could imply that we're waiting for Him to arrive. Of course He is present everywhere all the time, so the absence (lack of presence) we feel is due to our faulty perception.
Waiting on Him implies that He's here, with us, but we need Him to show His hand, to act, to come through for us in some way.
In our reading it seems the psalmist David is waiting on God for enlightenment about how to live and for His endorsement of David's trust, integrity and uprightness of action (or perhaps lack of action).
Other passages illustrate more riches available to those who wait on God:
- Courage - Psalm 27:14
- Inheritance - Psalm 37:9
- Defense - Psalm 59:9
- Salvation - Psalm 62:1
- Mercy and Justice - Psalm 123:2; Hosea 12:6.
- Vindication - Proverbs 20:22
- Hope - Isaiah 8:17
- Strength - Isaiah 40:31
An article about waiting in my Bible adds even more perspective:
"To wait upon the Lord is to foster a sensitivity both to His presence and His promptings which quiets our hearts, focuses our minds through thanksgiving and praise, and allows Him to reveal any subtle attitudes or forgotten sins that would dull our sensitivity to His voice (Psalm 66:18). Accept the NT call to fasten the belt of your mind (1 Peter 1:13), meditate on God's Word, and respond with focused worship. Dedicate times alone with God for waiting and for interaction with Him" Steven Fry, "The Discipline of Waiting," New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, p. 704.
PRAYER: Dear God, I am so easily impatient. Help me to learn the discipline of waiting for You and on You so I don't mess up and confuse situations with my impulsive actions. Amen.
PSALM TO PRAY: Psalm 25
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The Holy Bible, New King James Version Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. - Used with permission.
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