What’s the Good in Waiting?

What’s the Good in Waiting? 

When the depression lingers for several days it is hard for me to get up and keep going. My faith feels so small, but I cling to it with bare knuckles. “How long?” I ask God. Although my depression allows me to function, it is a struggle to stay close to God. There are times, though, that I know He is near. Right in the middle of everyday living God reminds me He is near. I stay in God’s Word, even when I feel depressed because it is a lifeline. 

I don’t always feel better after reading but God uses His word when I least expect it. So I stay rooted in the Bible. The other day I was reading Isaiah 40.

Have you not known?

Have you not heard?

The everlasting God, the Lord,

The Creator of the ends of the earth,

Neither faints nor is weary.

His understanding is unsearchable.

He gives power to the weak,

And to those who have no might He increases strength.

Even the youths shall faint and be weary,

And the young men shall utterly fall,

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. 

Isaiah 40:28-31

What Does it Mean to Wait?

God renews, changes, and gives me new life in Christ. So, how do I mount up on wings like eagles? Additionally, how do I renew my strength, run & not be wary, walk & not be faint? by “waiting.” The Hebrew word means to wait, hope, look for, and expect. Also, there is tension in this word. The word means to stretch and trust by enduring. There is a push and pull associated here. It is not a “be still” kind of waiting – but a waiting that includes deep trust. Here are some of the ways this word in Hebrew is used in other passages in the Bible.

Wait for God’s salvation. (Genesis 49:18, Psalm 25:5, Isaiah 25:9, Proverbs 20:22)

Wait and have courage. (Psalm 27:14)

Wait and hope. (Psalm 39:7, Psalm 130:5, Isaiah 26:3)

Don’t be ashamed. (Isaiah 49:23, Psalm 25:3)

God looked, waited, and expected. (Isaiah 5:2, 4, 7)

God is good to those who wait. (Lamentations 3:25)

God responds to those who wait. (Psalm 40:1, Psalm 52:9)

Wait for justice and the Judge. (Isaiah 51:5, 59:9, 11)

Commanded to wait. (Hosea 12:6)

God’s Response

So friend, what’s the good in waiting? The good is found in God’s response. That is to say, He shows up! Specifically, God promises to work for those who wait. Undeniably He has already done it. The resurrection has happened. As a result, our God wins! 

I will praise You forever,

Because You have done it;

And in the presence of Your saints

I will wait on Your name, for it is good.
Psalm 52:9

So wait for God and look for Him. Expect Him to show up. Then open your heart knowing God will be there waiting for you. There are good pastures for the weary to walk through. Therefore, we don’t need to work harder….strive…be better…or do ____. 

With this in mind, I expect God to show up for me today. Likewise, maybe you can too. I live my life expecting Him to reach down and hold my hand when I need it. So let’s do this thing and wait with expectation. While in the waiting, we see the goodness of God! 

The Lord is good to those who wait for Him,

To the soul who seeks Him.
Lamentations 3:25