The LORD is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. (Lamentations 3:25 ESV)
It’s Tuesday morning and some of you are already anticipating Friday! You’re in “wait” mode. For you waiting is a daily exercise, a weekly routine. To think of waiting on God has no appeal to you. Yet here the writer of Lamentations applauds waiting. The Lord is good to those who wait for him. If that’s the truth (and it is…God’s Word is alway true), then perhaps we should spend some time thinking about what waiting on God is and isn’t.
Waiting on God isn’t waiting on an appointment at the dentist’s office. Waiting on God isn’t waiting on a meeting with your CPA to figure out how much taxes you owe. Waiting on God isn’t sitting outside the principal’s office because you’ve been caught…again.
The word “wait” in the Old Testament describes a longing feeling, a heartfelt desire accompanied by action.
As a matter of fact, there’s something at work in the above statement that any of my Old Testament students could have recognized (if they had paid attention!). It’s called parallelism. The two statements in Lamentations 3:25 are an example of synonymous parallelism–they mean the same thing.
In other words, waiting on God isn’t sitting idly doing nothing. Waiting on God is seeking Him. Waiting is an active endeavor. Waiting on God is getting dressed for that first date, making sure your hair is right and your cologne is evenly sprayed…because you can’t wait to see your girlfriend. Waiting on God is driving home from college and knowing where the first glimpse of the mountains is while anticipating the aroma coming from your mom’s kitchen. Waiting on God is rehearsing the questions you want to ask your mentor as you fly across the country to meet him for the first time.
So here’s my challenge for this week: wait on God by seeking Him through His Word. Read one chapter every day this week. Before you read, ask Him to speak to you. Clear your mind and heart and listen for His voice. If you seek Him, you will find Him.
The LORD is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks Him.
Revel in His long anticipated goodness this week.
Enough for Today 