Psalms 27:14
Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.
We all know what it means to wait but in this Scripture, wait has an illustrative definition. Wait is also translated at places as "looking" or "look." It means to wait with your eyes set on the expectation. Imagine you are waiting for a friend to arrive, they’ve given you their word, you are anticipating their arrival, you set the house in order and there is nothing left to do but wait. I would sit on the porch at my parent's house when I and my wife were dating. I’d look through all the tree branches up to the first bit of road that was visible and wait until I saw a little red Geo Metro come bouncing down the road. I had waited but I waited eagerly, watching and anticipating her coming.
Waiting on the Lord is waiting with your eyes set on his promise. It will come, we may spend days, weeks, months, years, decades, and Centuries and some of God’s promises have been on their way for Millenniums now. Keep your eyes set just as far out into the future as you can see. Like Elijah sitting atop the mountain waiting on rain. He saw a very small cloud the size of a hand. This was at first small but it proved to be the very promise of God. We should never take our eyes off of his promises, they are yea and amen, but sometimes we do and that is when despair sets in.
From a very young age, my father took me everywhere with him, many places would not allow small children, such as the scrap yards and demolition sights. He would tell me to sit in the truck, he was coming back, he had some business to do. Ten minutes would pass, 20, 30, 40 even hours. My heart would begin to fear, what If he doesn’t come back? What if I’m all alone? A knot would twist in my stomach, a lump would form in my throat and hot tears would begin to run down my cheeks, I had waited longer than I thought I should have, something must be wrong. Something I realized as an adult is what felt like hours was in reality minutes, and all my fears were unreasonable. Never once did he not come back, without fail he would come out of the door of the office or appear from behind some pile of scrap metal, he’d get in the truck and ask what was wrong, and I’d tell him “I didn’t think you were coming back.” His reply was, “Have I ever not come back?”
So many times I’ve found my place in this same position with my Heavenly Father. Waiting longer than what seems reasonable. With every day, week, month, year that ticks by my heart begins to fear, “What if he’s done with me?” “This is it, I failed him for the last time.” "Something must be wrong." Knots form in my stomach, my mind is wracked with what-ifs and I’m pressed seemingly out of measure. Then one morning, day, evening, even midnight hour, his sweet familiar voice wakes me from my sleep, our finds me along my way. He reminds me “Fear not I am with thee always, even unto the ends of the earth.” “I will never leave thee nor forsake thee.” It is as if I can hear him say “Have I ever not come back?”
Is it strength you've been needing? Wait on it, look for it. He Shall strengthen thy heart! "Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD." Have you found yourself waiting for vindication? Don't meet their evil deeds with some of your own. Wait on the Lord. "He shall save thee!" "Say not thou, I will recompense evil; but wait on the LORD, and he shall save thee." Perhaps you have prayed and prayed, wait on the Lord, look to him with the eye of faith, He will incline his ear! "I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry." Take your eyes off all the time that has passed and set them on the expectation of his promises. Then with a calm assurance we can say with the Psalmist, "I wait for the LORD, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope."