I have been asking myself why it is so hard to wait. And I have been feeling it especially now that I am getting some of my books re-published. I have to wait on the printers and wait on approvals. It’s hard because I want to see it now! I want it to be finished. And it isn’t just waiting on another person or company. It’s really waiting on the Lord. Here are some verses that have been helpful to me.

1Samuel 10:8; 13:8, 13-14. In these verses Saul, the newly elected king of Israel, was give directions from Samuel (through the Lord) to wait for Samuel to come back and then he would tell him what to do. Well, it happened that he didn’t wait long enough and Saul wrongly began to do things that he was not qualified to do, and he eventually lost his kingship. Here we see how important it is to wait on the Lord for God to instruct us and guide us in what to do.

Psalm 27:14

Wait on the Lord;

Be of good courage,

And He shall strengthen your heart;

Wait, I say, on the Lord!

Here waiting on the Lord is a patient anticipation of what He will do for us. He will give us His own strength if we wait on Him to come and help us.

Psalm 37:7-9

Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him;

Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way,

Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass.

8 Cease from anger, and forsake wrath;

Do not fret — it only causes harm.

9 For evildoers shall be cut off;

But those who wait on the Lord,

They shall inherit the earth.

Here we are to rest and relax while waiting patiently for Him. We are not to look around at all those who are doing things their way. We are to wait for His guidance alone.

Psalm 130:5-6

I wait for the Lord, my soul waits,

And in His word I do hope.

6 My soul waits for the Lord

More than those who watch for the morning —

Yes, more than those who watch for the morning.

Here waiting is hoping for His coming.

Isaiah 40:31

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.

Here our waiting for Him is with hope and patience and prayer. And when we are patient in prayer for Him, He will give us a new strength. Who would have known that waiting would produce strength? I suppose it comes through out prayers as we are trusting in Him.

James 5:7-8

Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain. 8 You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.

Here is a perfect illustration of why we have to wait on the Lord. It is because in everything we do in life there is a process of growth. We see it in how the farmer must wait for the seed to germinate and take root; and for the rain to come and water the plants. Hence he must wait for the harvest. He has no choice.

See also in the Scriptures how Moses waited for forty years before he was sent to lead Israel. And also, how Saul of Tarsus (later Paul) waited for God in the desert before God called him.

We all must wait on the Lord with hope and patience. We wait for His help, His guidance, His coming, and for our full redemption and glorification. And in our waiting—which is trusting in Him—He will give us a renewed hope and strength.