Sitting peacefully while we wait

Waiting is a part of life. Each day we find ourselves waiting for a variety of things. Phone calls, appointments, dinner dates, plumbers, and the like. Some of our waiting might involve an answer that could lead to a serious, life-changing event. I’ve had my share of waiting that brought on feelings of unease. It’s those unknown outcomes that aren’t much fun. There is something, or Someone rather, that is always there for us, even in the wait.

I think about David. He had a lot of experience waiting. He was anointed king when he was only 16 years old. It would not be until he turned 30 that he would actually become king, though. That’s a really long time to wait on something. Remember King Saul? He was incredibly jealous of David and spent way too much time chasing after him in the wilderness trying to kill him. All during that time David was waiting on the Lord to fulfill His promise that he would one day reign as king. Saul wouldn’t find success in killing David if he was indeed going to be king one day. And finally, it was David’s own son, Absalom, who became rebellious and also chased after David. In all his times of running, David maintained a deeply felt confidence in the Lord and waited for God’s goodness to prevail.

“Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.” (Psalm 27:14). There was no question as to where David’s faith and confidence resided. It was in the hands of the Lord.

To sit in wait for the Lord is not an easy task. It wasn’t easy for David, and it isn’t easy for us either. Quite often in those times of waiting God can feel a bit absent. What seems urgent to us, may be something He has decided to use to teach us how truly good He is. Not as a punishment, but more to bring about spiritual growth and maturity. Maybe He feels we can learn from it if we pay a_ention and that ultimately it will bring us closer to Him. This is what He desires from us – closeness.

I think it would be truly amazing if we could remember to rest in Him while we’re waiting. And in the wait, what if we could use that time to renew our faith and allow our souls to be refreshed? We can take that time of waiting and turn it into a time of discovery. We can learn more about Him and as a result, learn more about ourselves. God wants to do a beautiful work in each of us. Instead of stressing while waiting, let’s try to sit peacefully, listening for Him to instruct us as to what will come next. Let’s open our Bibles to read His Word and pray. There is sure to be some positive growth in that.

“I say to myself, ‘The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for Him.’” (Lamentations 3:24).