Wait for the Lord

In the Lord I take refuge.

How then can you say to me:

“Flee like a bird to your mountain."

Psalm 11:1

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

Psalm 27:14

Sometimes having faith means doing nothing. Sometimes trusting in God means standing still. I am reminded of how the Ecclesiastes 3 tells us that, "There is a time for everything." This is also true of our faith. There are times when we ought to charge forward in faith. For example, anytime we have a clear command of God to obey. But there are also times when we must stand still and wait in faith. Sooner or later, you will face something bigger than you, something that is completely out of your control. And all you will be able to do is ask for God's help and wait.

Both charging forward and sitting still can be powerful expressions of faith in God's willingness to act on our behalf. We need to be adept at doing both, because the Christian life will require both out of us. I believe one reason why the Lord puts in in situations in which we must wait on Him is that it removes any ambiguity about who is acting. It's all too easy for me to charge ahead thinking that I'm putting my faith in God into action when all I am really doing is putting my faith in my own abilities into action. But when I have to sit still and wait on the Lord to act on my behalf, there isn't any confusion about who is acting. My faith must be purely in God then. 

So, if God has placed you in a situation that is beyond your control, if He is asking you to wait on Him to act, then know that you are not alone. When David wrote these psalms he was in real, physical danger. His enemies were plotting or even marching against him. Yet, he learned to wait on the Lord, to trust God to come to his rescue. There are times when even the mightiest warriors can do nothing but exercise their faith by sitting and waiting. This was an invaluable lesson for David, and it will be for you as well. If God has called you to such a time today, then trust Him to carry you through it.