Hurry Up and Wait (on the Lord)
Finding peace and strength in the waiting.
Hi friends! I have been encouraging a fellow writer at my church to start her own Substack and I’m excited to introduce her to you. She was kind enough to write this devotional for you today. Her new Substack is called “Through Heavenly Eyes.”
- Kate Dreston
As an American in this day and age, waiting long for anything is a foreign concept. That makes it all the more difficult to respond correctly when a time of waiting does come.
Do I sit and do nothing?
Do I focus on something else?
Do I pray for the waiting to be over?
I started thinking deeply about this concept because I am in a time of waiting right now. Isaiah 40:31 (NKJV) 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.” But what does it mean to wait on the Lord?
I don’t think it’s like sitting in a waiting room. It’s not a helpless or wasteful feeling; it is supposed to renew my strength! I realized that waiting on the Lord is more like being engaged – the bride and groom wait with anticipation and expectation of each other, trusting that the wedding day will come, and it will be worth the wait.
Psalm 40:1-3 says, “I waited patiently for the LORD; and He inclined to me, And heard my cry. He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, And set my feet upon a rock, And established my steps. He has put a new song in my mouth—Praise to our God; Many will see it and fear, And will trust in the LORD.”
Waiting for something implies that I expect an outcome – and it is worth waiting on. It’s not completely passive, I am actively trusting in Him and His will. I don’t always know what God is going to do, but I know He is powerful, wise, just, and loving. I know that whatever He does will be for His glory.
I’m still unsure of what the future holds right now, and it’s a little scary. But when I remember to wait on the Lord, I am filled with the peace and strength I need to be faithful in this trial – because I trust Him. I rest in Him, as Psalm 27: 14 says: “I would have lost heart, unless I had believed That I would see the goodness of the Lord In the land of the living Wait on the Lord; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the Lord!”
I encourage you to check out Hannah’s brand new Substack! - Kate Dreston
This devotional felt like someone setting a lantern in the window for all of us still learning how to wait well. Your words reminded me that waiting on the Lord isn’t wasted—it’s worship. And it’s worth it.
“Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord.” —Psalm 31:24 (NIV)
Thank you, Kate, for introducing us to Hannah’s voice—I’ll be following “Through Heavenly Eyes” with anticipation.
Excellent…. A majority of the Christian life is learning to wait upon the Lord. I’ve learned there is also another dimension to it – – that of waiting, like a waiter in a restaurant who keeps his eye ever on the person being served that he may immediately meet his/her need. We keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, who alone can direct us to where the Father is working, so that we may join him there, as did our Master.