To wait on the Lord is not passive idleness or spiritual laziness—it is an active, expectant, faith-filled posture of the heart. It is trusting fully in the timing, power, and purpose of God without rushing ahead in the strength of the flesh. Waiting involves surrender, obedience, and endurance.
Isaiah 40:31 says,
“But those who wait on the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.”
This verse speaks of strength that comes from dependence, not striving. The Hebrew word for “wait” here is qavah, which carries the idea of binding together like a cord—suggesting that those who are intertwined with the Lord in dependence and hope are the ones who are renewed. It’s not delay—it’s alignment.
Examples in Scripture
David, a man after God’s own heart, wrote often about waiting.
In Psalm 27:14 he exhorted,
“Wait on the LORD; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the LORD!”
He knew the pain of delay and the agony of hiding in caves, but he also knew that God’s promises are never late.
In Psalm 37:7, David says,
“Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for Him; do not fret because of him who prospers in his way.”
Waiting is tied to rest—it’s the soul refusing to be agitated by the world’s pace. Abraham waited 25 years for the promised son. Joseph waited in prison. Moses waited 40 years in the wilderness. Jesus waited until His appointed hour (John 2:4). None of these delays were wasted. Every one of them was preparing for something far greater than what haste would have delivered.
Tarrying in the Lord’s Presence
In the New Testament, this kind of waiting becomes more than hope—it becomes seeking. The disciples were told by the Lord after His resurrection,
“Tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high” (Luke 24:49).
They obeyed. In Acts 1:14, they continued in one accord in prayer and supplication. They waited not just for power, but for the presence. Tarrying is a spiritual discipline—lingering in the presence of God with no agenda but Him. It is not a formula; it’s fellowship.
In Psalm 130:5, we read,
“I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in His word I do hope.”
True waiting is Word-filled and worshipful.
Why Waiting Matters
Waiting purifies. It exposes our motives, tests our faith, and crushes our pride. It reminds us we are not in control.
Ecclesiastes 3:11 says,
“He has made everything beautiful in its time.”
Not our time—His. Waiting also positions us to receive what can only come from God.
Lamentations 3:25 declares,
“The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him.”
God’s goodness is not revealed in our rush, but in our stillness.
Proverbs 20:22 gives this counsel:
“Do not say, ‘I will recompense evil’; wait for the LORD, and He will save you.”
We are not to take matters into our own hands but to trust in the justice and timing of the Lord.
My Final Thoughts
Waiting on the Lord is not a detour from the journey—it is the path itself. In the delay, God does His deepest work: He strengthens faith, refines motives, and reveals Himself. Tarrying in His presence is not wasted time; it is worship, it is warfare, and it is preparation.
Whatever promise you’re waiting on, know this—He is faithful. And when you wait on Him, He renews you. He strengthens you. And in due season, He will act.
