This has got to be one of the most favorite of “favorite Bible Verses” there is. Sure, we always get John 3:16, Romans 8:28, and Psalm 23, too, but this one is right up there with them. Like many of the best, it has an enduring quality that speaks to us at different times in our lives and in different ways depending on our needs of the moment.
A friend of mine has noticed that a lot of people who “favorite” this passage treat the word “wait” like a command to “do nothing”. Some say they don’t want to get ahead of the Lord, some don’t know what to do so they just sit there, and some use it as an excuse to put off the Lord’s business for “some more convenient season”. But the word actually has a little more to it than that.
Have you ever noticed the difference between a car sitting at a red light, and a car waiting for the flag to drop? A high school buddy of mine had a fast car, and a lot of guys would come around to test themselves against him. When they were parked side by side (after the trash had been talked), they weren’t in low idle. They were standing on the brakes AND on the gas, “revving” up to the max, spinning tires in EXPECTATION (yes, to “wait" also means “to expect” - I wouldn’t leave you hanging) of the flag-drop.
In other words, you can “wait on the Lord” on idle in stately leisure, or you can “wait on the Lord” revved up and rarin’ to go. Which do you figure is more likely to get you the green light? Here’s a little hint:
And we urge you, brothers, warn the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. 1 Thess 5:14
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