Wait on the Lord

Have you ever noticed how much time we spend waiting and how many of our thoughts, emotions, and actions are a result of our waiting? According to a Timex survey, we spend approximately 6 months of our lives waiting in line and about 43 days on hold with customer service.

We wait for our coffee to finish brewing in the mornings so we can enjoy that heavenly first sip. We wait for our favorite store to open so we can grab a gift for tonight’s Christmas party. We wait on our food to be prepared at restaurants. We wait on the red light to turn green so we can get where we’re going. We wait on the doctor’s call to give us the bloodwork results. We wait on the wayward child to come home, the Amazon shipment, visible results of hard work at the gym, and the list goes on.

Now, what happens when we’ve waited for the coffee to brew and with that highly anticipated first sip, we get a mouthful of coffee grounds? Or we wait for the store to open, only to find out they’re closed on Mondays. Or we wait for our grilled chicken salad, but the kitchen mistakenly prepares a fried chicken salad. (Ok, this one we may not complain about.) Or the car in front of us doesn’t go when it’s green, the doctor calls with bad news, the child continues down the sinful path, the Amazon shipment is completely wrong, or the scale never moves. We are (once again) left in our waiting with unmet expectations that prompt feelings of hopelessness, anger, frustration, and fear. Yet, even so, we continue to spend our lives waiting.

But if waiting is something we simply just grow accustomed to, why is it so difficult for us to wait on the Lord, despite the fact He is all-knowing, never-changing, and faithful without fault? The Psalms speak much of waiting. “Wait for the LORD; be strong and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD!” (Psalm 27:14) “I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I hope.” (Psalm 130:5) “And now, O Lord, for what do I wait? My hope is in you.” (Psalm 39:7) “Our soul waits for the LORD; he is our help and our shield.” (Psalm 33:20)

David waited on the Lord as he waited to be King at the appointed time. Abraham and Sarah waited for a son. Daniel waited in desperate prayer for clarity and understanding. Joseph waited in slavery and prison to see his dreams fulfilled. Job waited through intense suffering. And Mary, the mother of Jesus, waited for the fulfillment of the promise that her son would be the Messiah.

This Christmas season, waiting is guaranteed. But as we eagerly await the UPS truck, family to come into town, and the sweet potato casserole in the oven, may we even more readily wait on the Lord. In meditation, lamenting, persistence, and prayer, may we fervently wait upon on the Lord, for He alone is our hope and salvation.

“The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him.” Lamentations 3:25

Father, thank you for your faithfulness. Give me strength, patience, and an unwavering trust in you in my waiting. I pray against the enemy’s plan to cast doubt into my mind. Help me to meditate on your Truth and remain steadfast, especially in the midst of suffering. You alone are my hope and salvation – I will forever cling to you. Amen.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Camea McDaniel grew up in Brandon, attended Brandon High School, and graduated from Mississippi College with a degree in Communications.
• Camea is passionate about reaching people for the kingdom of Christ and utilizing social media and marketing to do so.
• She is the Founder and Owner of Good Shepherd, a marketing and booking agency that offers marketing, booking, consulting, social media management, branding, content creation, and design for businesses, authors, concert artists, churches, and ministries all over the country.