Truly my soul waiteth upon God; from Him cometh my salvation. Ps 62:1 (NKJV)

To wait upon God is to have complete and continuous dependence upon Him. As we read scripture, we find that Jehovah God only asks us to yield, to consent, to wait upon Him. If we open our mind to this biblical truth, all nature becomes a preacher for us.

All of Nature is fully dependent upon the Lord. Jesus said, “Look at the birds of the air; for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them.” Matt. 6:26 (NKJV) The Birds wait upon the heavenly Father for their needs. Shouldn’t believers also wait on Him?

When we spend our quiet-time in prayer, we too often occupy ourselves with our own needs, with our own wants, and with our own efforts to accomplish things in the way we believe best.

The thought may come to mind, ‘I’ve prayed but God hasn’t answered. This situation is critical but I am in a hurry. I know what’s best.’

Perhaps the Lord hasn’t answered yet because He wants you to wait. God is schooling each of us to wholly depend upon Him. He wants us to wait for Him to work. A believer cannot achieve a close fellowship with God, or reach the steadfast awareness of waiting on Him every day, without an honest and complete surrender to His will.

God is God, I am not. He knows best, I don’t.

As I think back on my early Christian life, I remember my self-interests, my concerns, my plans, my needs, my goals. Any thought of focusing upon the Lord did not enter my thinking. I was able and capable of finding solutions and achieving results to the problems around me. I was strong. I was healthy. Many times I pushed God aside and did things for myself. I was in too big of a hurry; I didn’t want to wait.

If you re-read the previous paragraph, make note of the first person pronouns: I, my, myself.

Jesus said, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself,” (Matt. 16:24 NKJV)

Paul said, “That you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man [self] which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, …” (Eph. 4:22 NKJV).

There are multiple verses where we are asked to give up self and focus on the Lord. But to focus on Jesus means these two things: a) give up my wants and desires, and b) to wait patiently on God. The Savior wants to teach, to mold, and to make us like Him. When we’re self-centered, we put up a roadblock. This prevents Him from shaping our lives.

Maybe we give lip-service to songs like ‘Just as I am without one plea.” Or ‘I surrender all.’ But that’s all it would be, lip-service. We may go through motions, read our Bibles, say prayers, go to services; however in our hearts we’re not waiting on God. We’re in too big of a hurry.

Why wait on God when I can get it done NOW and do it my MYSELF?

If we don’t wait, we shut God out; we refuse to have our life molded like Christ?

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” Proverbs 3:5 (NKJV)

When we wait, we are trusting. When we don’t wait, we lean on our own thoughts and ideas.

Years ago, someone told me a simple and poignant phrase; Let go and let God.

To ‘let go’ means to give up ‘self’; to get out of the way. To ‘let God’ means to wait on Him. We should wait on Him even if He should tarry. When we wait, we have to give up ‘self’. What’s the problem? Giving up ‘self’ isn’t always easy. But in the Christian life, it’s absolutely necessary.

“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.” Isaiah 40:31 (NKJV)

One of the main things in waiting on God, is a quiet confident belief that our waiting, is not in vain.

I recently read that Jewish rabbis have an unusual answer to this question, ‘Where is God?’

They say; ‘It was God’s desire to create a world of Divine silence, in which, through our efforts, we can uncover God’s concealed voice.’

This means that we, as believers, must confidently wait, believing that God is there, believing that He hears, and believing that He will answer. But it means, we MUST quietly wait.

Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart, all you who hope [wait] in the Lord. Psalm 31:24 (NKJV)