The Power of Active Waiting đđ„
7 Powerful Biblical Keys to Staying Grounded in the Waiting - Psalm 40
I am in a season of waitingâ
Waiting on the next thing to execute with the vision I believe God gave me.
The next opportunity. The next relationship. The next provision.
A phone call. A text.
Guidance from the Holy Spirit.
Waiting, no matter the season, can be mind-bending and stressfulâŠ
especially if youâre constantly waiting on results but never following that waiting with action.
What if you stopped waitingâŠ
and started acting as if what you were waiting for was already here?
A good brother in Christ shared with me yesterday how the house he believed he was supposed to move into was falling apart.
But instead of questioning God, he thanked Him in advance.
The way he said it struck me:
âThank you, God, for giving me the opportunity to fix the HVAC with You.â
Most of us wouldâve said, âLord, what the heck?!â
When Waiting Feels Like War
No matter what season youâre in, interruptions of all sortsâevil and fleshâwant to play Grand Theft Auto with your soul.
But David, in Psalm 40, gives us a powerful blueprint of how to wait.
With the blend of thanksgiving (vv. 1â10), lament (vv. 11â17), and messianic prophecy (vv. 6â8, cf. Hebrews 10:5â9), this psalm would have empowered and encouraged the original audience with the overwhelming reminder of Godâs love and mercy.
Talk about fuel power in their suffering.
Below, God has put on my heart seven powerful ways we can wait with active power and be transformed in the process.
7 Powerful Ways to Wait Like David
1. Wait with Expectation and Faith
Verse 1: âI waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry.â
Itâs impossible to wait patiently unless you know who and what you're waiting for.
David wasnât passive.
He waited patiently and with a heart full of crying out to Godânot to people, not to possessions, not even to familyâto God.
Key: Waiting isnât passiveâitâs prayerful.
Direct your emotions toward Him, not away from Him.
Speak Scripture aloud during this time. Your words to God now will become armor for your future and encouragement for others in their trials.
2. Trust That God Is Already Moving
Verse 2: âHe lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rockâŠâ
The more I read Psalmsâand Scripture in generalâthe more I see:
God does not waste the waiting season.
What you do in the waiting determines what fruit comes from the waiting.
The pit is where God refines you and defines you (see James 1).
Trials arenât meant to break youâtheyâre meant to shape you.
Key takeaway: Waiting isnât the end. Itâs the transition to solid ground.
â ïž MASSIVE CAVEAT:
If you donât wait with Him, youâll find yourself in the same waiting season again.
âDonât miss that class!â â Dr. Myles Munroe
3. Worship While You Wait
Verse 3: âHe put a new song in my mouthâŠâ
Even before the breakthrough, David sang.
Worship is one of the greatest weapons in a waiting season.
Try singing. Try dancing. Even if it feels awkward, try it.
I love this part because I donât even have to sing well. Through worship music, I can borrow angelic voices from all over the world and pour them into my soul.
Posture matters.
Try looking up while having a negative thoughtâitâs hard. Thatâs why posture matters when youâre waiting.
4. Remember and Testify
Verses 5, 9â10:
âMany, Lord my God, are the wonders you have doneâŠâ
âI proclaim your saving acts⊠I do not hide your righteousness in my heartâŠâ
Your flesh does a funny thing in waitingâit tries to strip away joy.
And the enemy feeds on that, attacking your weak points.
In seasons of waiting, itâs easy to get short-sighted.
Zoom out to zoom in. Remember what God has already doneâboth in your life and in the lives of the saints throughout Scripture.
Thatâs how you stay grounded.
And grounded people donât electrocute others with their anxiety.
(You know what they say: Hurt people hurt people.)
5. Align Your Desires With His Will
Verse 8: âI desire to do your will, my God; your law is within my heart.â
When youâre waiting, itâs tempting to take overâmoney, family, relationships, workâŠ
But every great athlete will tell you:
Stay present. Do your best. Donât obsess over the outcome.
As believers, we know the results belong to God.
Itâs our privilege, because of Jesus, to let Him prepare our character for our calling.
6. Donât Rush the Rescue
Verse 13: âBe pleased to save me, Lord; come quickly, Lord, to help me.â
I get it.
You canât breathe. You canât think straight. You canât even get off the couch.
But that doesnât mean God isnât moving.
You can wait patiently and long for rescue at the same time.
That tension doesnât make you a bad Christianâ
It makes you an alive one.
7. Serve Others While You Wait
Verse 16: âLet those who love your salvation say continually, âThe LORD be magnified!ââ
David zooms out⊠to zoom in. đ
When you set your focus on othersâdiscipling, loving, serving themâyou shift the gaze off your pain and onto Godâs purpose.
Just because youâre being formed doesnât mean your mission or purpose is paused.
Never Finished Challenge: WAIT Actively
Hereâs your challenge:
Wait actively using the seven points above.
Reach out to your inner circleâask them to pray for you and hold you accountable.
And whatever you do, donât stop filling your soul with Him daily.
Never be finished getting in the presence of God.
What Does Today Say About God?
Iâm still waiting. But thank God I didnât wait for Sundayâs sermon to make me feel better.
I met God at the altar.
I met Him through a mentor.
I met Him in my wrestling.
And guess what?
God showed up.
He gave me everything I needed to see a glimpse of what Heâs doingâ
just enough to help me keep doing what Heâs called me to do.
What a Father.
What a Friend.
What a King.
Thank you, Jesus. đ