'Wait On The Lord' Meaning

We live in a world where everyone is in a rush to get what they want now. We want to get our dream house now. We want to buy the latest car now. We want to get the highest-paying job now. We want answers to our prayers now. No one wants to wait for something they desire. Patience has now become a scarce virtue.

Unfortunately, good things take time to come to fruition. Therefore, many people are frustrated and disappointed if their expectations do not come as fast as they hoped. Then they feel like failures and believe God does not care about them.

Fortunately, God is reliable and trustworthy. He can do all things and never fails. Waiting on God always pays as He gives you your heart’s desires and even does things beyond your expectation. However, He does things according to His time and not ours.

So in this article, you will understand what it means to wait on the Lord, why it is crucial to do so, how you can practice waiting on the Lord, and scriptures that reveal the benefits of waiting on the Lord.

What does it mean to ‘wait on the Lord?’

The phrase waiting on the Lord can also mean waiting for the Lord. The key word in that phrase is “to wait.” To wait in this context means depending on God and not your understanding, skill, or people’s opinion.

We often feel prepared and ready because we believe we are qualified based on our wisdom, finances, and connections and have all the information when making life’s decisions. However, it takes great humility to put aside all you think you know and have and seek the Lord’s instruction before you make a move. That is what waiting on the Lord means. When you wait on the Lord, seek His face before doing anything.

To wait on the Lord also means you trust Him to lead and guide you, so you do not lose your way and make wrong choices.

However, it is essential to note that waiting on the Lord requires patience. God often does not provide you with an answer immediately after you ask Him a question. He also often withholds what you ask from Him until He believes it’s best for you to have it. In moments of waiting, patience will keep you firm from considering other options and seeking alternatives.

One thing you must have in mind when you wait on the Lord is that God’s timing is different from yours. Ecclesiastes 3:11 says, “He has made everything beautiful in its time.” There’s God’s appointed time for everything. Even though you might feel He is late, He is never late. Therefore, wait patiently on the Lord when it’s easy, especially when it seems the wait will not be over soon.

Why is waiting on God so important?

Although waiting on the Lord might seem foolish and annoying to people who do not understand it, there are benefits you enjoy when you practice waiting.

First, waiting builds your confidence and trust in God. Your faith increases when you patiently wait for God to do something for you, and He finally answers. We see this play out in Abraham’s life. He waited for God’s promise to give Him a child for twenty-five years.

After Abraham and Sarah had Isaac after waiting for over two decades, God told Abraham to sacrifice him as a burnt offering (Genesis 22:2). He did so to test his faith. However, Abraham learned during his waiting period that God never disappoints. So he was confident that God would provide a lamb to replace his son for the sacrifice, and it happened so (Genesis 22:9-13).

You have faith and confidence that God can do all things after you’ve waited on Him for something, and He came through for you.

Second, you enjoy great rewards for patiently waiting. God rewards those that diligently seek Him (Hebrews 11:6). He compensates you for your patience and blesses you beyond your expectation.

When Job was passing through trying times, his friends and wife incited him to speak against God and die because his condition was terrible. He had lost all his possessions and children. On top of that, his health was failing. However, he remained steadfast. He waited patiently for God’s intervention and restoration, and God never disappointed him. Job 42:10-16 show how God blessed his latter days more than his former only because he waited.

Next, you receive divine strength when you wait on the Lord. Two “wait on the Lord verses” emphasize this truth. They are Isaiah 40:31 and Psalm 27:14. Isaiah 40:31 talks about how God will renew your strength like the eagle and make you do things that were hitherto impossible, like soaring like an eagle, running and not getting weary, and walking and not being weary, if you practice the act of waiting on the Lord. Psalm 27:14 also says God strengthens the heart of those who wait on Him.

How can we practice waiting on the Lord?

Waiting on the Lord isn’t just sitting idle while expecting that manna falls from heaven. You must do certain things in your waiting period to speed up what you are waiting for, receive the strength to wait patiently, and hear God speak and give you instructions concerning what you are waiting for. There are some ways to practice waiting on the Lord.

Spending time in prayer

It takes more than physical strength and determination to wait on the Lord. You need spiritual nourishment and strength. You become energized when you commit to prayers. That is how you receive strength and revelation from God on the next step to take.

Standing firm on what God says

Waiting is standing upon what God says. God can speak to you through the Bible or audibly. Once you are sure God’s voice has spoken to you, you must hold on to it and wait for its manifestation.

Being patient

The need to be patient cannot be overemphasized when waiting on the Lord. This is because you cannot trust God or expect His promise to come to pass if you are impatient. Practicing patience shows you have confidence in God and believe His timing is the best.

Refraining from fear and worry

Being afraid and anxious means you do not trust God. Fear can be overwhelming. It can shift your focus from God’s ability to help you to your challenges. Focusing on your challenges magnifies them, making them more difficult and impossible. However, when you wait on God, you trust Him totally to take care of you.

Bible verses about patience

Wait on the Lord; Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the Lord! (Psalm 27:14)

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 40:30)

Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass. (Psalm 37:7)

Therefore I will look to the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation; My God will hear me. (Micah 7:7)

I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in His word I do hope. My soul waits for the Lord More than those who watch for the morning—Yes, more than those who watch for the morning. (Psalm 130:5-6)

Therefore the Lord will wait, that He may be gracious to you; And therefore He will be exalted, that He may have mercy on you. For the Lord is a God of justice; Blessed are all those who wait for Him. (Isaiah 30:18)

Final Thoughts

Understanding that God is omnipotent will make waiting on Him easy. If God can create heaven and the earth out of nothing, and create you from the dust of the earth, nothing, including your situation, can be too hard for Him to attend to. All He needs from you is a little patience. Being in a hurry can rob you of your blessings or make you get only fragments. It can make you get crumbs instead of the whole bread. But if you trust that God has a plan wait upon Him diligently, sooner or later, you will reap the rewards.