I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in His word I do hope. My soul waits for the Lord more than those who watch for the morning—Yes, more than those who watch for the morning. (Psalm 130:5-6)
Waiting on the Lord is one of the most difficult tasks a child of God will ever do. Waiting punishes the natural mind, breaks down the human will, and strains our emotions. However, waiting in faith produces godly results.
The Psalmist speaks of the longings of his soul when he says, “I wait for the Lord” (Psalm 130:5). Why does he wait? He waits because the Lord Himself has orchestrated his life; his times are in the hands of the Lord, and he knows it. He is hemmed in by God, totally given over to Him. He can no longer do his own will, being his Lord’s prisoner. He has no will to step outside his Master’s will, but he maintains the posture of watching and waiting because that is his Lord’s design for him. He waits because the Lord has given him a word.
We all have received a word from the Lord whether through reading the Scriptures, in conversation with a friend, or from a sermon through the pastor. When the Lord gives us a word, that word should be life to us. When we understand that God has given us a word, our understanding of that word creates in us an expectation. This expectation says that there will be a fulfillment of the Word of the Lord. The writer says, “and in His Word I do hope” (Psalm 130:5). In this phrase, we have a clear depiction of one who has been given a word by the Lord and now spends his time waiting, meditating on God, and searching out His Word. The waiting is only tolerable as you meditate on His word and focus on His Truth. Sometimes the waiting can seem infinitely long, and the darkness of the circumstances can seem overwhelming. During these times, we should recall Isaiah’s words, “for since the beginning of the world men have not heard nor perceived by the ear, nor has the eye seen any God besides You, who acts for the one who waits for Him” (64:4).