Waiting
Waiting in Scripture is the posture of faith when God has promised but not yet delivered — Abraham 25 years for Isaac, Israel 430 in Egypt, David anointed-but-unthroned for years, Simeon and Anna for the consolation of Israel. The Psalms repeatedly command "wait on the LORD" and frame waiting as strength-renewal, not passivity.
Key verses (11)
- Psalms 27:14Wait on the LORD: be of good courage
“Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord....”
- Psalms 37:7Rest in the LORD, wait patiently for him
“Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his ...”
- Psalms 130:5My soul doth wait — more than watchmen for morning
“I wait for the Lord, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope.”
- Isaiah 40:31They that wait upon the LORD shall renew strength
“But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagle...”
- Lamentations 3:25Good for them that wait — quietly
“The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.”
- Lamentations 3:26Quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD
“It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord.”
- Micah 7:7I will wait for the God of my salvation
“Therefore I will look unto the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation: my God will hear me.”
- Habakkuk 2:3Though it tarry, wait for it; it will surely come
“For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it t...”
- Romans 8:25With patience wait for it — hope unseen
“But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it. ”
- Galatians 6:9In due season we shall reap, if we faint not
“And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.”
- 2 Peter 3:9The Lord is not slack concerning his promise
“The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to u...”
Relevant characters (6)
Abraham
25 years from promise to Isaac's birth (Genesis 12-21)
David
Anointed before Saul's throne was vacated (1 Samuel 16)
Simeon
Waiting for the consolation of Israel (Luke 2:25)
Anna
Served in the temple, awaiting redemption (Luke 2:36-38)
Hannah
Years of barrenness before Samuel (1 Samuel 1)
Joseph
Two years in prison after interpreting the cupbearer's dream
Further reading
- Ben Patterson — Waiting: Finding Hope When God Seems Silent, IVP (1989)
- Eugene Peterson — A Long Obedience in the Same Direction, IVP (1980)
- Paul David Tripp — Suffering: Gospel Hope When Life Doesn't Make Sense, Crossway (2018)
Pastoral commentary
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