What are you waiting for?

What are you waiting for?

Psalm 27.14

Human beings are not by nature patient creatures. Hard wired into our DNA and tied to our own ego centric desires is to get what we want when we want it. Babies express this through wailing. Toddlers express their agenda through temper tantrums. Teens exclaim that most wonderful phrase with rolled eyes – “WHATEVER!”

Adults have it all figured out. Come on by now we’ve learned our lesson, right? We may not cry, stomp, or roll our eyes (in public) but we do allow our impatience to impact our attitude, actions, and stress levels. Think this through and you may come to the same conclusion – We do not like to wait!

The One who made us knows this flaw in our human wiring. This may be why He consistently (daily) places us in situations requiring waiting. It is through waiting we discover we are not in control. It is also through waiting that we can discover He is still in control.

Waiting does not have to be a negative thing. It can be very productive. David wrote, “Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the Lord!” The Hebrew word used in this song is transliterated “qavah” and is translated into English as wait, but in Latin another of her meanings rolls off the tongue. The Latin word equivalent is “expecta” or expect!

You see when you wait on people you may get frustrated, but when you wait on the Lord you can have a hopeful expectation. Expect the Lord to act – he will. Expect the Lord to move – he can. Expect the Lord to do the miraculous – it is in his power.

Let me suggest a formula for successful expectant waiting upon the Lord. Here’s an acrostic I’ve written for “WAIT” it will describe what to do the next time you have to wait.

W-Weep to God in Prayer

A-Anticipate God’s Miracle

I-Investigate the Scriptures

T-Trust the Timing of God

“Wait, I say, on the Lord!”

Always Enthusiastic,

Dr. Rusty Newman