“Wait for the LORD…”

We were created to work (Gen. 1-2). Believers are specifically created unto “good works” (Eph. 2:8-10). Waiting is a difficult task. One might think of waiting as an inactive or passive state. The Bible speaks otherwise. Thoughts have crossed my mind, “God, I want to do something for You…but I can’t.” Waiting is doing something for God.

Life is full of instances where we are waiting for specific things (an unsaved child to come to Christ, healing in a broken relationship, fruit to be born in ministry – you fill in the blank). Really, the whole Christian life is in a waiting state as we eagerly await the return of our Lord Jesus (Tit. 2:13; Heb. 9:28; 2 Pet. 3:20; Jude 21). We are not, however, idle during our waiting. For the Lord is working in us through the waiting, for His glory!

In Psalm 27, we are called to “Wait for the LORD; be strong and let your heart take courage; yes, wait for the LORD.” Our waiting draws us to dependence upon Him, who “…is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed;” (2 Cor. 9:8). Paul tells the Corinthian Church, who have been transformed (and are being transformed as they await the future and final transformation): “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.” (1 Cor. 15:58). Read this verse again. (See Rom. 8:18-39 and Heb. 11-12 and context). We see this all over the Bible where saints are to live in perseverance of doing good, awaiting the blessing of the Lord.  

In both the Old and New Testaments, people waited in expectation of something. Noah waited for the dove to return with a sign of dry land (Gen. 8:10-12). The Psalmists repeatedly tell of waiting for the LORD (Ps. 27; 37; 62; 130) and the people of God waited for Messiah’s coming. There are many more examples of waiting in the Bible. But I want to highlight that we are being prepared in our waiting unto the sure hope that the Lord has promised – eternal life (Tit. 3:4-8)! Don’t waste your waiting-filled life. Live for the Lord, anticipating eternal life with Him (Jn. 10:10).

The Lord does bless us in this life (Ps. 103). We praise Him and thank Him for this, including the greatest blessing of knowing Him (e.g. Ps. 100)! This blessed life with God foretastes the reality of our hope and will only increase until that day – come Lord Jesus!


New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). (Ps 27:14; 2 Co 9:8; 1 Co 15:58). La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.