“My soul, wait quietly for God alone, for my expectation is from Him.” Psalms 62:5 NKJV
It’s only in recent years that I can say I’ve gained a desire to “wait on the Lord.” For one, I’m not a very patient person at my core so that I would want to wait for anything is remarkable. But as my life has taken many sudden detours and unfamiliar turns in the last ten years, I’ve grown more secure in who God is, and less and less so sure about my own understanding of things.
Just the phrase “Wait on the Lord” is misinterpreted often and can conjure up someone in a religious trance, sitting lotus-style in a meadow. It’s really a very active position, turning your direction against the daily flow of life and the drone of distraction. It’s funny how clear the still, small voice of the Lord is when we turn and wait to hear Him.
But a funny thing just occurred to me today. Maybe much of this “waiting on the Lord” transcends often into God really waiting on me. What for? Well a few things that cross my mind are: maturity, humility, purity of heart, even a glimpse of understanding when I am often too blind to even consider another way to do things. Suddenly I see an amused Father waiting patiently for me to get it. Now we can move on together.
I still hate waiting. I turn around when I see long lines unless it’s the DMV and I know to bring a book. And I am an obsessive multi-tasker. But I love waiting for my Father, or more accurately, I love the way He waits for me. I’m so grateful that He sees the timeline of eternity and knows we when don’t have to rush, yet He also knows there are times when I have to act quickly, as a father calls to a child wandering towards a cliff. Give me ears to hear, Lord, and a heart that is always willing to obey.