Waiting upon the Lord is definitely not passive waiting, it is choosing to wait with hope and trust as we worship Him.
One of the things I have had to learn to do well lately, is to wait. Wait for the builders to put in the final windows and leave site. Wait for the adhesive to dry under the tiles in the new utility room so that I can move and plug my freezer in. Wait for the plumber to put the toilet in! Wait to move back home after too many weeks away.
Some of the waiting has been active waiting – doing what we can do to hasten our return home – cleaning, painting, aforesaid floor tiling. Some of the waiting has been passive. This week it has meant waiting for the Covid test results. Waiting to see if, and how, the virus affects our loved ones. Waiting out the isolation period. Waiting to cuddle my grandson, safely, again. All of the waiting has been stressful, one way or another. Some has been downright terrifying.
Waiting upon the Lord is a choice
During a really difficult period a few years back, I learnt something about waiting. I had been familiar with the much repeated words of scripture about waiting on the Lord, but something I read gave me a whole new revelation of what that meant. Waiting on the Lord is definitely not passive waiting – not like waiting at a bus stop, or in a waiting room.
The Hebrew word for ‘wait’ used in the Old Testament can also be translated as ‘bind’, or ‘thread’. So it comes with the implication that waiting on the Lord, is not waiting FOR Him to do something, rather it is leaning into Him in the wait, binding ourselves to Him, holding on tight.
It is choosing to wait with HOPE, remembering His promises. It is choosing to TRUST Him in the waiting, remembering His faithfulness. It is choosing to WORSHIP Him in the waiting, remembering who He is and what He is capable of. It is holding on, while holding on – for the better times, the answers, the promises to be fulfilled.
So I have had to choose to hold on tight again this week. To not let my anxieties and disappointments derail me. Because the promise is that if I wait on Him, He will strengthen my heart, and the waiting will be so much easier that way.
Here’s what I’ve learned through it all: “Don’t give up; don’t be impatient; be entwined as one with the Lord Be brave and courageous, and never lose hope. Yes, keep on waiting—for he will never disappoint you!” (Psalm 27:14, The Passion Translation.)
If this blog post blessed you, you will love Joy’s debut novel, The Healing
Also read: The importance of patience in a journey of recovery
Joy Margetts
Joy Margetts is a mother and grandmother and makes her home on the beautiful North Wales Coast. Her writing is inspired by the history and landscapes of her adopted homeland, and by her love of the Word of God. She is new to blogging, and new to being published. Her debut novel 'The Healing' was published by Instant Apostle on 19 March 2021. A work of historic fiction, set in mediaeval Wales against the backdrop of Cistercian abbey life, it is also a story of faith, hope and God's redemptive power. Joy has also self- published a short novella, 'The Beloved' as both a companion to 'The Healing', and as an easy to read standalone story, which is available to buy on Amazon Kindle.
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