This morning I read Harold Sala’s words, “waiting on the Lord is not idleness or indecision. It is a discipline—a difficult one at that—that involves submission to His authority and rule. It violates the mentality that doing anything is better than doing nothing, that waiting is wasted time and inactivity is the worst thing you can do to solve your problem.  We often think that doing the wrong thing is preferable to doing nothing. Not so!”

Yesterday we said that when we have a relationship with the Lord, we know He is ready and willing to teach us how He wants us to live. He will teach us His way, deliver us, and show us His goodness so that we don’t need to despair (Ps 27:11-13). With all He has already done for us, we know He will always do the best for us, even if it doesn’t feel like it. So we humble ourselves before Him, and wait for Him to give us direction–and then we walk in it! “Wait for the Lord; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the Lord.” (Ps 27:14)

Jeremiah lived during a period of international turmoil. He watched his own people being led into captivity in chains and disgrace by the vicious armies of King Nebuchadnezzar, yet Jeremiah asserted, “The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the person who seeks Him. It is good that he waits silently for the salvation of the Lord.” (Lam 3:25-26) Underline the words “he waits silently for the salvation of the Lord” and remind yourself of this the next time your life gets turned upside down with turmoil.

Let the “waiting time” be spent with our Lord in prayer and meditating on His Word, which fills us with a hope and peace that surpasses all understanding (Phil 4:7). “He gives strength to the weary, And to him who lacks might He increases power. Though youths grow weary and tired, and vigorous young men stumble badly, Yet 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.” (Is 40:29-31)

When we have earnestly sought God and His viewpoint, and feel a prompting in accordance with Scripture and confirmed by Godly people, we know we have heard from God, and know what we need to do. “For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it.” (Rom 8:24-25)

It’s worth repeating today’s Scripture: “Wait for the Lord; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the Lord.” (Ps 27:14)