What does it mean to “wait on the Lord?”

Isaiah 8:17I will wait for the Lord, who has turned away from the descendants of Jacob. I will put my hope in him.

Isaiah 33:2Lord, be merciful to us, for we have waited for you. Be our strong arm each day and our salvation in times of trouble.

Isaiah 40:31Those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.

Psalm 33:20We put our hope in the Lord. He is our help and our shield.

Psalm 130:5I am counting on the Lord; yes, I am counting on him. I have put my hope in his word.

Waiting on the Lord means bringing our timetable into sync with his. We try not to rush ahead of him or linger too far behind him. Waiting on the Lord is relying on him as the source of our daily strength for all situations, realizing our total dependence on him, and maintaining our hope in the promises of his Word.

1 Kings 18:43Then he [Elijah] said to his servant, “Go and look out toward the sea.” The servant went and looked, then returned to Elijah and said, “I didn’t see anything.” Seven times Elijah told him to go and look.

Psalm 27:14Wait patiently for the Lord. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the Lord.

Psalm 37:7Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for him to act. Don’t worry about evil people who prosper or fret about their wicked schemes.

Psalm 40:1I waited patiently for the Lord to help me, and he turned to me and heard my cry.

Psalm 62:1, 5I wait quietly before God, for my victory comes from him. . . . Let all that I am wait quietly before God, for my hope is in him.

Micah 7:7As for me, I look to the Lord for help. I wait confidently for God to save me, and my God will certainly hear me.

Waiting on the Lord means quieting our hearts in his presence, trusting him, turning to him for help in trouble, and hoping in him. It means setting aside our agendas and timetables for his, even when he doesn’t give us the details.

Genesis 8:15-16Then God said to Noah, “Leave the boat, all of you.”

Psalm 37:34Put your hope in the Lord. Travel steadily along his path. He will honor you by giving you the land. You will see the wicked destroyed.

Psalm 106:13-14How quickly they forgot what he had done! They wouldn’t wait for his counsel! In the wilderness their desires ran wild, testing God’s patience in that dry wasteland.

Proverbs 20:22Don’t say, “I will get even for this wrong.” Wait for the Lord to handle the matter.

Luke 1:20“But now, since you didn’t believe what I said, you will be silent and unable to speak until the child is born. For my words will certainly be fulfilled at the proper time.”

John 11:5-7So although Jesus loved Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, he stayed where he was for the next two days. Finally, he said to his disciples, “Let’s go back to Judea.”

Acts 1:4Once when he was eating with them, he commanded them, “Do not leave Jerusalem until the Father sends you the gift he promised, as I told you before.”

Waiting on the Lord means expecting his counsel, his timing, and his settling of injustices even when those responses are delayed, perhaps beyond this life.

Isaiah 30:18So the Lord must wait for you to come to him so he can show you his love and compassion. For the Lord is a faithful God. Blessed are those who wait for his help.

Remember that waiting goes both ways—God often gives us as much time as we need to realize we need him. He waits for us during our delays and detours. Why wouldn’t we be willing to wait on his timing?

Lamentations 3:25The Lord is good to those who depend on him, to those who search for him.

God blesses those who wait for him. The waiting can become an opportunity to seek God’s presence in other ways and seek to know him more deeply.