Waiting on the Lord

Waiting on the Lord

Psalm 25:4-5 (NKJV) Show me Your ways, O LORD; Teach me Your paths. ⁵ Lead me in Your truth and teach me, For You are the God of my salvation; On You I wait all the day.

Introduction:

I felt the Lord directing my attention to the 25^th Psalm for our consideration today. My mind was particularly drawn to verses 4 & 5, but we will be looking at other verses in the Psalm also.

There are three different places in the Psalm where the author refers to waiting on the Lord so that is why I chose this title for the message today.

Waiting – something that few of us enjoy doing. We usually are not so conscious of it when others are waiting on us, but oh, how vividly we become aware when we are waiting on someone else.

We often associate “waiting” with the word “patience,” although in the biblical sense, “patience” usually includes more than simply waiting, but also a sense of hope and expectancy.

 — The Complete Book of Zingers, by Croft M. Pentz

Patience is waiting without worrying.

Patience is a virtue that carries a lot of wait.

Patience is a tree whose root is bitter, but its fruit is very sweet.

Patience strengthens the spirit, sweetens the temper, subdues the pride, and bridles the tongue.

It certainly seems like “patience” is something that most people want as long as they can get it right now!

I heard about the person that prayed, “Lord, please give me more patience, and I need it right now!”

In the Psalm of David before us today, it is evident that David realized he needed to wait on the Lord if he was going to receive the answers to his petitions.

Before we look more closely at verse 4-5, I want to share Adam Clarke’s view that the Psalm contains 5 different petitions to the Lord from King David.

I. His first petition is, that his “enemies not triumph over him,” verses 2, 3.

II. His second is for instruction, verses 4, 5, [further expanded in], verses 8-10, 12-14.

III. His third is for mercy and forgiveness verses 6, 7, 11.

IV. His fourth is a renewal of his first, verses 15-17, etc., with many [supporting] arguments.

V. His fifth is for Israel in general, verse 22.

Let’s turn our attention now to the topic of waiting upon the Lord in order to receive specific blessings from God.

I.       Waiting for the Lord involves a specific kind of mindset.

As I read the opening verses of this Psalm, I discover that the author, King David, had a particular mindset that “sets the stage” for the petitions he brings.

There are at least two aspects of the mindset that he portrays.

A. The mindset of devotion.

In verse 1, the author uses a common phrase: “I lift up my soul.”

One writer (Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary) compares this phrase with a phrase used by the Apostle Paul in Col. 3:2, “Set your affections (“mind,” NKJV) on things above, not on things on the earth.”

Compare this with Philippians 3:18-19 (NKJV) ¹⁸  For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: ¹⁹  whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame--who set their mind on earthly things.

Contrast this with Psalm 24:3-4 (NKJV) ³  Who may ascend into the hill of the LORD? Or who may stand in His holy place? ⁴  He who has clean hands and a pure heart, Who has not lifted up his soul to an idol, Nor sworn deceitfully.

Understanding these ideas helps us to recognize that lifting up our soul unto the Lord requires a mind and heart that is centered on God and heavenly things over and above every earthly pursuit.

How many times have we stated that we are waiting on the Lord, but we haven’t developed a mindset that directs our affections, our mind, and our attention to Him. We’ve become enamored or occupied with other competing interests that keep us from “lifting up our soul to the Lord!”

May the Lord help us to block out the competing affections that would divert our devotion away from the Lord.

May He help us to wait up Him without allowing our schedules to dictate the amount of time we give to Him.

This doesn’t mean that we will not be interested in any activities other than praying, Bible reading and church. No, it simply means that in all that we do; in all that we are engaged, our primary concern will be “how does this affect my spiritual health and my devotion to God?” And we will make adjustments accordingly. 

B. The mindset of trust.

The Hebrew word for “trust” used in v. 1 is bāṭaḥ

(Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament.) “…that sense of well-being and security which results from having something or someone in whom to place confidence. It is significant that the [Greek transl. of the OT] never translates this word with πιοτευω "believe in" but with ελπιξω "to hope," in the positive sense "to rely on God" …. This would seem to indicate that bāṭaḥ does not connote that full-orbed intellectual and volitional response to revelation which is involved in "faith," rather stressing the feeling of being safe or secure. Likewise, all the derivatives have the same meaning "to feel secure," "be unconcerned."

“The Psalms, which show the largest number of occurrences (50 out of a total of 181), are most consistently expressive of the values of trust in God. They also make the point that the cause for hope is not in one's merit with God or in some sort of "tit-for-tat" arrangement, but only because of God's ḥesed (q.v.), his unswerving loyalty, his gracious kindness.”

David has affirmed that his confidence rests in God alone. His sense of security comes from the Lord, and he appeals to God for vindication so that neither he nor anyone else trusting in Him will be embarrassed or disappointed. (vv. 2-3)

When anyone has the sense of trust and security in God, they are more than willing to wait for the Lord to carry out His purposes and to defeat His enemies.

As I pondered these thoughts regarding the word “trust” I was drawn to apply them to our present-day circumstances in the world around us. There are many things taking place that would threaten our sense of security and our sense of peace and tranquility.

But, if we trust in the Lord, we can have this deep-settled assurance that God is in control and our hope and confidence is in Him. Whatever may come, we can know that He will see us through every circumstance with victory and grace.

II.     Waiting for the Lord includes specific desires.

Verses 4-5 express desires for specific responses from God.

The three phrases that caught my attention as I read this passage some time ago were, “Show me,” “Teach me,” and “Lead me.”

The King desires for God to give him at least two things.

A. The desire for instruction.

“Show me your ways,” and “Teach me your paths.”

When we take into consideration the common feature of Hebrew poetry (Hebrew parallelism), these two phrases are likely meant to convey the same idea i.e. give me the proper instruction so that I might learn and understand your ways.

Since God’s says, “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts,” we need instruction to see things His way and to think about things the way He does. Isaiah 55:9 (KJV)

Compare: verses 8-10 ⁸ Good and upright is the LORD; Therefore He teaches sinners in the way. ⁹ The humble He guides in justice, And the humble He teaches His way. ¹⁰ All the paths of the LORD are mercy and truth, To such as keep His covenant and His testimonies.

The “ways” and “paths” of God include “goodness,” “righteousness,” “justice,” “mercy,” and “truth” or integrity.

B. The desire for guidance.

“Lead me in your truth.”

Some of the modern translations of the Bible actually use the word “guide” rather than “lead.”

Scholars tell us that the word “truth” in its root meaning includes the idea of “firmness,” “certainty” and “dependability.”

The Psalmist wants the Lord to direct him and guide him in the truth of God, i.e. that which is firmly established, dependable and reliable.

The way this word is used throughout Scripture, it is clear that there is no “truth” apart from God.

We need His guidance as well in order to find the truth and walk in truth.

III.    Waiting for the Lord includes expectation of response.

When we combine all the instances where King David speaks about waiting on the Lord and prays that he will not be ashamed or disappointed, we get the distinct understanding that David truly expects God to respond and answer his prayers.

Having the right mindset of devotion to God and hope in God leads one to expect results from God.

Isaiah 40:31 (KJV)
³¹  But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

Conclusion:

I trust that these verses we have studied today will challenge each one of us to also put our hope in the Lord and cause us to wait on His response.

We’re not talking about the “waiting” implied by the impatient driver, honking the horn for traffic to get moving. We’re talking about the confident and expectant waiting of one who is helpless and weak looking to the infinitely powerful and merciful God to provide every asset necessary to bring him through every trial and storm with power and victory.

We can say with King David, “...You are the God of my salvation; On You I wait all the day.” “I will not be ashamed.”

Let us close our service today by singing the hymn:

Have Thine Own Way, Lord          # 591

If we are seeking the Lord and asking for His instruction and guidance, then we truly do want Him to “Have His Way.”