Waiting On God’s Timing

God promised Abraham that he would make a great nation from him and “in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.” (Genesis 12:2,3). Later, he promised that his seed would be as the dust of the earth and would be innumerable. (Genesis 13:16). But it was 25 years before Abraham and Sarah had their first son Isaac.

God commanded Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. But it took ten different plagues and confrontations with Pharoah before Moses could lead them out.

God called David, and Samuel anointed him as king of Israel in 1 Samuel 16. Following that was a distressing trial for David when Saul hunted him like a fugitive. About 15 years later, David became king over Judah. Seven and one-half years later, all of Israel and Judah recognized him as king over Judah and all the northern tribes of Israel.

The prophet Nathan provides an example of not waiting on the Lord.  David told Nathan of his plans to build a temple. Nathan immediately said, “Go ahead,” instead of consulting with the Lord first. God then showed Nathan through a vision that was not his plan. Nathan returned to David, saying, “Don’t build the temple.” “(2 Samuel 7).

God promised a Redeemer in Genesis 3:15 when he cursed Satan in the Garden of Eden. But it was approximately 4,000 years later “when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law.” (Galatians 4:4). Jesus then bore our sins in his own body on a tree and accomplished our redemption. (1 Peter 2:24).

Our timing is not the same as God’s timing. His ways are not our ways. Many Scriptures tell us to wait on the Lord. They are not all worded the same, but the basic meaning is identical.

Psalm 27 is an excellent study on “Waiting on the Lord.” We need not fear anyone because he is our light, salvation, and life’s strength. Though the wicked would come against him, or an army opposed, or war rose against him, he could be confident in the Lord. A close walk with the Lord empowered him with this confidence. In verse four, David expresses his one supreme desire: to dwell in the house of the Lord, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to enquire in his temple. He wanted to be with the Lord in the Lord’s house. David wanted to feast on the beauty, the majesty, the splendor, and the power of the Lord. Finally, he wanted to enquire of the Lord – to ask for his wisdom and counsel.

David was confident that the Lord would protect him, hide him, and place him on a solid rock (v. 5). There was protection and stability because He trusted the Lord. He knew the Lord would vindicate and give him victory (v. 6).

It is easy to say I trust the Lord when all is going well. But it is different when facing physical, military, financial, health, or other crises.

David approached the Lord with thanksgiving and praise.   He was seeking the Lord’s face. David didn’t want sin, or God’s anger to prevent God’s blessing on him. Even though family and friends might forsake him, he was confident that God would not abandon or leave him.

David had a humble spirit.   He didn’t know it all. He knew he was on treacherous ground because of enemies pursuing him. So he prayed, “Teach me thy way and lead me.”

He would have fainted or given up if he had not believed in the goodness of the Lord. At the end of his dangerous experience, David advised: “Wait on the Lord. Be of good courage.” God will strengthen and help you overcome the difficulty when you do this.

How do you wait on the Lord? 

1. Determine the will of God. God will not direct you to do anything contrary to the Word of God. If you are sure God is directing you to do something, wait for his instructions. He will show you step by step. David prayed, “Teach me thy way, O Lord, and lead me in a plain path because of mine enemies.” (Psalm 27:11)
2. Trust Him, Take Him at his word. Know that God will provide the answer. Don’t rush off to do it on your own. God’s timing is perfect.
3. Have patience. Do not fret. If you find yourself fretting, worried, or stressed, you are not trusting. Psalm 37, a beautiful psalm of trusting God in times of trial and distress, uses the term “fret not” three times. One modern dictionary defines fret as a ridge on an instrument’s fingerboard, such as a guitar. That’s not what David is talking about. Webster’s dictionary defines it as rubbing, chipping, and making by wearing away a substance. A Bible scholar defines it as “to burn or get heated up.” To fret is to worry, to burn up inside emotionally about a circumstance or problem. Don’t fret. God has the problem under His control.
4. Have courage. God commissioned Joshua with the awesome task of leading Israel when Moses died. God told him to be strong and of good courage. (Joshua 1). In Psalm 27:14, David says, “Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart.”
5. Ignore the detractors. God has directed you. Keep doing what God told you until God tells you differently. “Endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.” (2 Timothy 2:3). Keep on keeping on.

Finally, here’s the blessing. “But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” (Isaiah 40:31).