The Waiting is the Hardest Part

“O God you are my God;

I earnestly search for You.

My soul thirsts for You; My whole body longs for You

In this parched and weary land where there is no water.” Psalm 63:1 NLT

I love that the Lord knows this is exactly what I want: I do thirst and long for Him, I want to know Him more, I want to see Him more clearly,  I want to hear Him speak to me, I want to follow Him and be in relationship with Him, and that I want to go the places He wants me to go to accomplish the life missions He has pre-ordained for me to do in this world.  However, I also hear Him tell me.

“Wait upon the Lord”

“Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for him to act.” Psalm 37:7 NLT

In my personal journey, I believe that the transformation or the transforming work the Lord is doing in me is slow. I’m definitely changing, but it is a very slow process, almost 30 years of seeking so far. Perhaps for some people, as soon as they find Jesus or hear Him call, it leads to a quick and immediate change. For whatever reason, for me, it’s slow.  I would much rather it be faster, but I know that God’s plan is better than mine, so slow and steady must be what is best for me. Therefore, I will keep pushing doubt away, keep pursuing the Lord, keep trusting God, and giving the best I can muster until the mental, spiritual, and emotional breakthroughs I long for come.

I Googled “wait upon the Lord,” and 39 verses popped up!  Here are some of them, all from the NLT version:

Psalm 5:3

In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly.

Psalm 27:14

Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.

Psalm 33:20

We wait in hope for the Lord; he is our help and our shield.

Psalm 37:34

Hope in the Lord and keep his way.

He will exalt you to inherit the land; when the wicked are destroyed, you will see it.

Psalm 69:3

I am worn out calling for help; my throat is parched.

My eyes fail, looking for my God.

Psalm 130:5-6

I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in His Word I put my hope. I wait for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning.

Proverbs 8:33-35

Listen to my instruction and be wise; do not disregard it. Blessed are those who listen to me, watching daily at my doors, waiting at my doorway.35 For those who find me find life and receive favor from the Lord.

Lamentations 3:25-26

The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.

Isaiah 8:17

I will wait for the Lord, who is hiding his face from the descendants of Jacob. I will put my trust in him.

Isaiah 33:2

Lord, be gracious to us; we long for you. Be our strength every morning, our salvation in time of distress.

Isaiah 40:31 (One of my personal favourites!)

“but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not be faint.

Micah 7:7

But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.

Romans 8:25

But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.

Hebrews 10:36-37

You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. For, “In just a little while,

he who is coming will come and will not delay.”

James 5:7-8

Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop,

patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near.

So many scriptures about waiting on the Lord!  If you’re waiting, like me, we’re in excellent company.  Looks like waiting is something a lot of Kingdom folks do.

Thank you, Lord Jesus, for all you have done for me, for how You are changing me, little by little, and thank you for teaching me to wait.  Thank You for teaching me to be patient and to trust You.  Even if my eyes never see the things I hope for on this side of eternity, help me to remain strong and trust in You and Your excellent plan for my life.