I wait for you more eagerly than a soldier on guard duty waits for the dawn. Yes, I wait more eagerly than a soldier on guard duty waits for the dawn. Psalms 130:6
I don’t know what its like to be a soldier on guard duty but I do know what it’s like to be eager for the dawn; you probably do too. You know, the hours between midnight and 5:00 AM when you can’t sleep? You watch the clock. The seconds seem to tic by one by one as you lie there waiting for the alarm to ring so you can get out of that bed.
I think one of the hardest things to do as a Christian is to wait on God. Let’s face it, most of us live our lives in fast forward. When we call out to God we want Him to answer us – NOW. Like the soldier on watch or our sleepless nights, we are eager for the dawn to come.
Have you ever had to wait on God ?
Have you ever…
- Gone through a crisis with a friend?
- Sat by the bed of a sick child?
- Had more bills than money?
- Prayed for a loved one to come to Christ?
I am weary with my crying out; my throat is parched. My eyes grow dim with waiting for my God. (Psalms 69:3)
Have you felt like the dawn was never going to come? The darkness lingered so long that your mind and body wanted to give up and you didn’t know how you could make one more day? And still, God said “wait”.
But when I hoped for good, evil came, and when I waited for light, darkness came. (Job 30:26)
These are the times when the only thing left to do is cry out to God – “I surrender this to You”. “Please, LORD, take this from me”. “LORD, I can’t do this”.
“ Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:6-7)
Then suddenly, miraculously, even unexpectedly, the dawn breaks. The new day comes. The light shines through the darkness.
Even if…
- Your friend is still in crisis
- Your child is still sick
- There is still not enough money
- Your loved one is still lost
…you can have hope because you’ve put your trust in the One who is able.
“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” (Matthew 11:28-29)
Waiting is hard. I won’t pretend it’s easy to wait on God, we all know that it’s not. Sometimes the wait seems to go on so long that we begin to wonder if God has forgotten us. He hasn’t. God’s love, grace and mercy never fail.
Therefore the LORD waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you. For the LORD is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him. (Isaiah 30:18)
Testing is hard. When God says wait, when your faith is being tested, remember…
- God is ever-present (Deuteronomy 31:6)
- God is for you (Romans 8:31)
- God is love (1 John 4:16)
- God never fails (Lamentations 3:22)
- In Him is yes and amen (2 Corinthians 1:20)
Trusting is hard. When we’re down in a valley, and all we can see are mountains that we can’t climb, all we want is out. God sees beyond the mountain. He sees eternity – past, present, and future. God knows what he’s doing.
Have you not known? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for 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 40:28-31)
Copyright ©️ 2014 Sandra Bivens Smith. All rights reserved.
Morning Moments 