Wait on the Lord!
Many think that David is the author of Psalm 27 and that he wrote it when he was fleeing from Saul. It has been called “An Exuberant Declaration of Faith.” It starts with David expressing great confidence in God (1-3). God is his light, salvation, and strength. He next speaks of his love for and communion with God (4-6) as the tone goes from celebration to contemplation. In the next section (7-12), the writer goes from contemplation to crying out and pleading to God in prayer. Finally, in the last part (13-14), he concludes by speaking of the power of faith and then advises and encourages others.
In verse 14, the Psalmist twice urges others to wait on the Lord and have faith and courage, with a confident expectation of God’s deliverance. He says, “Wait on the Lord; be of good courage (‘be strong’ - ESV), and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the Lord!” Most modern translations say, “wait for the Lord.” What does it mean to wait on/for the Lord’s response? What if God does not immediately respond to our prayers in the way we would like?
To begin with, people do not like to wait. For example, they view with contempt having to tarry at the DMV to renew or get a license. Sometimes, when we first arrive at a restaurant, we must get a number and wait to be seated. Upon arrival, it is common for people to ask about the wait time. We often wait at a doctor’s or dentist’s office. While trying to contact a business over the phone, often bad “wait music” is interrupted periodically by someone telling us how important our call is to them. While waiting, we often become unsettled. Similarly, many today become impatient while waiting for God to respond to their prayers.
Next, what is involved in waiting on the Lord according to Psalm 27? First, it involves trusting in God (1-2). Since God was his light, salvation, and strength, he had no reason to fear his enemies. Also, it involved seeking God (4-6). He longed to worship Him in His temple and sing praises to Him. This would make David feel safe and secure. Finally, it involved praying (7-13). In these verses, the writer sought wisdom, direction, and protection.
Waiting on God to act does not necessarily involve passiveness on our part as when we wait to get into an athletic event or an amusement park. For example, very few people are just sitting in the doctor’s office, not doing anything while waiting. They may be looking at a magazine, but, most likely they are engaged with their cell phones. People may be reading their e-mails, doing research, or communicating with friends. This activity is good — staying busy helps us to pass the time. So these people are not passively waiting. Neither should we be while waiting on the Lord. When waiting on Him to respond to our prayers, we must continue carrying out our life responsibilities. We must seek God and worship Him; we pray, study, and grow as we patiently wait.
Consider an example where some did not want to wait on the Lord. In Exodus 14, we read where the children of Israel had fled Egypt’s bondage under Moses’ leadership. They came to the Red Sea, which was in front of them, and the Egyptian army closed in from behind. The people started complaining to Moses, saying it would have been better to remain in Egypt as slaves than die in the wilderness. Note Moses’ response to them (13-14). “And Moses said to the people, ‘Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever. The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.’” Moses encourages the people to stand by and wait for God to act.
Another example involves Abraham and Sarah, also from the Old Testament. God told Abraham that he and Sarah would have a child, who would be connected to promises God made earlier (Gen. 12:1-4). But, they got tired of waiting and took matters into their own hands. Abraham took a surrogate wife, Hagar, and had a child with her. Genesis 16-18 shows the troubles which followed. Again, they did not wait on the Lord.
Note a Psalm (40:1-3) where David speaks of a time when he patiently waited on the Lord. He said, “I waited patiently for the Lord; and He inclined to me, and heard my cry. He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my steps. He has put a new song in my mouth — praise to our God; many will see it and fear, and will trust in the Lord.” At the end of these verses, we see a positive consequence of David waiting on the Lord as others would see his confidence in God to deliver him. As a result, these would fear the Lord and trust in Him. Today, when people see us living righteously, they are sometimes motivated to follow our example (1 Pet. 3:1, Mt. 5:16).
Notice also Isaiah 40:31. “But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.” Thus, the process of waiting on the Lord makes us stronger.
We must be satisfied to let God be in control. He has great wisdom — we must trust Him and His timing. By trusting God, we can have a positive outlook like the Psalmist. We must patiently wait on God.
