Waiting - A Devotional

Pictured: Bailey, one of the many dogs my husband has rescued. He found a wonderful home for her.

It seems that our lives are full of waiting

Are you waiting for a prodigal daughter or son?

Are you waiting for a medical diagnosis?

Are you waiting for the long awaited love of your life to come along?

Are you waiting for justice to be served on someone who has wronged you - or someone you love.

Are you waiting for God to heal your body, a broken marriage, a broken relationship or are you waiting for God to step in and protect you from what you feel you cannot protect yourself from

Waiting is a huge part of life, and yet it is one of the most difficult things that God asks us to do.

But waiting can feel like being tethered to something immovable and grounded. Grounded can be a good thing, but not when what you want to do—is fly.

I remember years ago, a family I knew had a sweet faced, dog that stayed chained to a stake in their backyard. I think his name was Max. Max constantly tried to run past the length of the chain, but he never could.

We tried to do our part. We offered to take him for walks when we’d visit, give him a break from the chain, but the owners said “no thanks —he’s fine.”

Max wasn’t fine.

We were so relieved the day a relative of theirs rescued him from that chain.

In Psalm 130 (a song of ascent) it says

“My soul waits for the Lord

More than those who watch for the morning—

Yes, more than those who watch for the morning”

I couldn’t help but notice that the phrase “more than those who watch for the morning” is repeated twice.

My daughter, Savannah, who is a theology major explained to me that ascent means to GO UP .

In biblical times, it was a tradition to sing a series of songs from the Psalms as they traveled the many miles on foot to the temple in Jerusalem.

The people of this time were largely nomadic, the watchmen were those who waited up all night to protect their camp from villains, wolves, and other dangerous animals. The very image of someone waiting there in the darkness for danger is wrought with anxiety.

Again the verse says , “more than the watchmen desire the morning”.

Why did they desire the morning? Because it meant the waiting and the watching was over.

Whatever you are waiting for, God is ever present with you in the waiting. Don’t give up. The dawn is coming sooner than you think.