Waiting with anticipation

I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in His word I do hope. – Psalm 130:5

While in the military I learned to hate waiting. We were commanded to hurry out of the barracks and line up. There we would stand and wait, wait, wait for our next orders. When getting vaccinations, we would stand in line and just wait.

I also did a lot of waiting in bus and train depots when I had a leave of absence. I can’t say I enjoyed it, but it was different. It was waiting with anticipation. I knew that when I arrived home I would be welcomed by my wife Ginny and my loved ones.

This describes the kind of waiting expressed by the writer of Psalm 130. He had been in the pit of despair over the guilt of his sins (vv. 1-3), and he had prayed and gained assurance of forgiveness (v. 4). But he explained that it was the Lord Himself for whom he was waiting – not just His forgiveness (v. 5). He waited with the anticipation of a watchman who knows that light will appear in the morning (v. 6).

When we’re hurting or in distress over our sin, we can look up and wait with anticipation. The Lord will come! Whether through a promise directly from His Word, the wise counsel from a friend, or the quiet witness of the Holy Spirit, He will meet our need – as certainly as morning light always breaks through the darkness of night. – Herb Vander Lugt

O my soul, wait on the Lord

And know He sees your need;

He’ll make His presence known to you

Through word or kindly deed. – Dennis De Haan

READ: Psalm 130

Those who wait on the Lord will never be disappointed.