A Few Thoughts about Waiting on God

Psalms 27:14 NKJV  Wait on the LORD; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the LORD!

Wait on the Lord. This is one of the hardest things to understand. We pray and then wait.

Some examples:

B1 A short wait (they prayed and God answered quickly).

C1 Peter: Matthew 14:29-31 GNB  "Come!" answered Jesus. So Peter got out of the boat and started walking on the water to Jesus.  (30)  But when he noticed the strong wind, he was afraid and started to sink down in the water. "Save me, Lord!" he cried.  (31)  At once Jesus reached out and grabbed hold of him and said, "What little faith you have! Why did you doubt?"

C2 Jonah: Jonah 2:1, 10 NLT Then Jonah prayed to the LORD his God from inside the fish. ... Then the LORD ordered the fish to spit Jonah out onto the beach.

B2 A long time (they prayed and God has answered—wait).

C1 Apostle John: Revelation 22:20 NLT He who is the faithful witness to all these things says, "Yes, I am coming soon!" Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!

C2 The Psalmist: Psalm 13:1 NLT For the choir director: A psalm of David. O LORD, how long will you forget me? Forever? How long will you look the other way?

While we wait:

B1 What we can do:

C1 We keep busy: Psalm 25:5 NLT Lead me by your truth and teach me, for you are the God who saves me. All day long I put my hope in you.

D1 Study Scripture (not every second, of course)

D2 Learn truth

D3 Seek truth

D4 Hope (that He will answer). All prayers are answered, but God does not say when they will be answered.

C2 We encouraged in trials and afflictions: James 5:7-8 WEL Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the Lord comes. Look how the farmer waits for the valuable yield from the land and waits for a long time for the early and later rains. 8 Likewise be patient and steady your hearts, for the Lord’s coming draws near.

D1 He promised to return, so we learn patience.

D2 Strengthen your hearts, that is, take courage. God strengthens us: Psalm 40:2 NLT He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire. He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along.

C3 Be steadfast and living the faith in words, desires, thoughts, and deeds. We need to do this with His grace until we die or He returns: Luke 12:35-40 NLT Be dressed for service and keep your lamps burning, as though you were waiting for your master to return from the wedding feast. Then you will be ready to open the door and let him in the moment he arrives and knocks. The servants who are ready and waiting for his return will be rewarded. I tell you the truth, he himself will seat them, put on an apron, and serve them as they sit and eat! He may come in the middle of the night or just before dawn. But whenever he comes, he will reward the servants who are ready. "Understand this: If a homeowner knew exactly when a burglar was coming, he would not permit his house to be broken into. You also must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected.

C4 Use our spiritual gifts for witnessing and/or for ministering to our brothers and sisters: 1 Corinthians 1:7-8 NLT Now you have every spiritual gift you need as you eagerly wait for the return of our Lord Jesus Christ. He will keep you strong to the end so that you will be free from all blame on the day when our Lord Jesus Christ returns.

C5 God waits for people to repent:

D1 Revelation 2:21 NIV I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling.

D2 Proverbs 20:22 NLT Don't say, "I will get even for this wrong." Wait for the LORD to handle the matter.

D3 Example: The nation of Israel: Jeremiah 14:22 NLT Can any of the worthless foreign gods send us rain? Does it fall from the sky by itself? No, you are the one, O LORD our God! Only you can do such things. So we will wait for you to help us.

C6 We wait until a greater number are saved: Revelation 6:9-11 NRSV When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slaughtered for the word of God and for the testimony they had given;  (10)  they cried out with a loud voice, "Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long will it be before you judge and avenge our blood on the inhabitants of the earth?"  (11)  They were each given a white robe and told to rest a little longer, until the number would be complete both of their fellow servants and of their brothers and sisters, who were soon to be killed as they themselves had been killed.

C7 We must fulfill our ministry: Luke 2:25-32 NLT At that time there was a man in Jerusalem named Simeon. He was righteous and devout and was eagerly waiting for the Messiah to come and rescue Israel. The Holy Spirit was upon him and had revealed to him that he would not die until he had seen the Lord's Messiah. That day the Spirit led him to the Temple. So when Mary and Joseph came to present the baby Jesus to the Lord as the law required, Simeon was there. He took the child in his arms and praised God, saying, "Sovereign Lord, now let your servant die in peace, as you have promised. I have seen your salvation, which you have prepared for all people. He is a light to reveal God to the nations, and he is the glory of your people Israel!"

B2 The benefits of waiting:

C1 We grow in faith: In the parable of wheat and tares, both wheat (believers) and tares (unbelievers) grow. One grows in sin and the other grows in faith. We learn and practice God’s ways: Matthew 13:30 NKJV 'Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, "First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.

C2 God tells the Jews in Hosea’s time of prophecy: Hosea 12:6 NRSV But as for you, return to your God, hold fast to love and justice, and wait continually for your God.

D1 We learn and can practice God’s love. We love what God loves.

D2 We learn and can practice God’s justice. We view and practice justice as God does.

D3 We learn and can practice patience.

C3 God will give us strength to endure and witness for Him: Isaiah 40:31 NIV But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

C4 Give us reward—the fulfillment of God’s promises: Hebrews 6:12 WEL So that you will not be apathetic but followers of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

C5 It increases our prayer life: Psalm 40:1 NLT For the choir director: A psalm of David. I waited patiently for the LORD to help me, and he turned to me and heard my cry.

C6 We learn that God is good, and we learn discipline: Lamentations 3:24-27 NLT I say to myself, "The LORD is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!" The LORD is good to those who depend on him, to those who search for him. So it is good to wait quietly for salvation from the LORD. And it is good for people to submit at an early age to the yoke of his discipline.

Lamentations 3:26 NLT So it is good to wait quietly for salvation from the LORD.