Those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles. They will run and not get tired; they will walk and not become weary.
Isaiah 40:31
What does it mean to wait for the Lord? Think of servants waiting upon a master. They don’t act on their own initiative. They wait for instructions and strive to please the master, and they obey without question.
Waiting for clear direction and answers to prayer is difficult for most of us. We want a clear answer right now. At times we may begin to doubt whether we will hear the Lord when He does answer. When I struggle with waiting, I remind myself of the truth in Isaiah 30:21 And your ears will hear a word behind you, ‘This is the way, walk in it’ whenever you turn to the right or to the left. I am convinced that if we truly seek guidance from the Lord and are willing to follow whatever He says, He will guide us. It may not come exactly according to our time schedule, and we may not get the answer we want to hear, but His answer will come. In the meantime, we are to wait patiently until we do hear His answer (Psalm 37:7).
One of my favorite Scripture illustrations of waiting on the Lord is the account of Mary sitting at the feet of Jesus. She sat quietly listening to Him as He taught. Her sister, Martha, was busy in the kitchen preparing food for the guests. Of course, that was a necessary activity, but it was Martha’s attitude that Jesus pointed out when she complained that Mary wasn’t helping her. Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by so many things; but only a few things are necessary, really only one (Luke 10:41). Jesus told her that Mary had chosen the good part which shall not be taken away from her.
Being bothered and distracted is the opposite of waiting upon the Lord. I really notice the difference in my life when I am not spending quality quiet time alone with the Lord. Soon everything gets a little out of focus and I don’t have clear direction about how to spend my time each day. Little things that normally wouldn’t bother me get blown out of proportion and somehow seem frustrating or unmanageable.
Jesus Himself set the example for us to follow. He would get up while it was still dark and go to a place where He could be alone with the Father (Mark 1:35). He could talk over the coming events and receive the Father’s wisdom and direction to accomplish His will.
Years ago, I would get up early every morning (even Saturday and Sunday) to have a quiet time. But I have to admit my attitude was not right. I was doing it out of a sense of duty. After all, isn’t this what a good Christian has to do daily? Often, I would fall asleep reading the Bible, or my mind would wander as I had the Bible study notebook open on my lap. This was not productive and couldn’t have been very pleasing to God. I began to ask the Lord to change my attitude and give me a true desire to spend time with Him. He has accomplished that change in me. Writing regularly in a journal is a helpful way to record ideas and insights from scripture, specific things that God is doing in my life, prayers for clear direction, Scriptures that have special meaning for me. I can look back and be encouraged by what the Lord is teaching me and clear answers to prayers for direction and wisdom.
Once I have my time alone with God in the morning and commit the day and myself to Him, I trust that I am in tune with His perspective on what things are truly important. I can then walk through each day with a calmness and stability that comes from complete dependence and trust in Him.
This hymn beautifully describes the attitude of waiting on the Lord:
“Have Thine own way, Lord, have Thine own way. Thou art the potter, I am the clay. Mold me and make me after Thy will, while I am waiting, yielded and still.”
If we too often find ourselves like Martha, worried and distracted by so many things, we can ask God to help us choose to sit quietly at His feet like Mary and focus on the things He shows us to do. We will be able to go through each day with wisdom, strength and the peace He provides.
PERSONAL REFLECTION
In what ways do you identify with Martha?
In what ways do you identify with Mary?
Is time alone with God a priority in your life?
Describe your present attitude toward Bible study, church attendance, and quiet times with the Father.
Ask Him to show what changes need to be made.
Thank you, Sherrilyn, for a good clear definition of what it means to wait on the Lord. This is the first good definition I have seen, and it is very helpful.
This is a fresh way to look at waiting… so encouraging.