Wait for the Lord
“I believe that I shall see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.
Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!”
Psalm 27:13–14, NRSV
This week, I am flying to California to visit my sister at her home. We have not seen each other in person since the pandemic and plan to make the most of our time together. We will visit art museums, the flower and fabric districts, and other favorite places in Los Angeles. Our time will include sunset beach walks, a Beach Boys concert at the Hollywood Bowl and eating lots of tasty food. I will be able to hug three generations of my family and I can’t wait!
However, the reality is that I must wait. I have already been eagerly waiting for the departure date with great expectations. When that day arrives, I will need to wait at the airport for the flight to depart Houston and for a connecting flight in Phoenix to reach my final destination. The waiting will continue at LAX to pick up my luggage as it makes its way around the carousel and finally, waiting for my sister to drive up to the passenger pick-up area. We will finally be together.
The waiting1 the psalmist describes in Psalm 27 has a similar sense of hope, expectation and eagerness. However, his circumstances are quite different. He does not have an itinerary of fun-filled days with family. The psalmist waits for an undisclosed future day when God will rescue him. His adversaries have brought false allegations against him and threatened violence. Surrounded by an enemy poised for battle, the outcome is uncertain. Yet, he holds firm to the certainty of God’s goodness.
Are you waiting for something such as test results; the arrival of a new baby; a judge’s ruling in a case; a promotion; or a long-anticipated vacation? Whatever circumstance causes you to wait, join the psalmist in doing so with the courage that comes from steadfast hope in God’s goodness, mercy and love.
Prayer for Today
Almighty God, you are our light and our salvation,
the One in whom we trust. Grant us strength and courage
to put our hope in You while we wait.
By the might of your Spirit lift us, we pray,
to your presence, where we may be still and
know that you are God; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.2
—Joy Fitzgerald Hilley
1 [To wait, look for, hope, expect] “Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon,” Unabridged, Electronic Database, accessed June 27, 2023, via https://www.studylight.org/lexicons/eng/hebrew/6960.html
2 Excerpt from “The Book of Common Prayer,” p 832
