What does it mean to wait patiently for him? I always thought that waiting on the Lord was like being in a doctor's office: I, the one with the raging fever, must sit patiently until he, the doctor, is available to see me. But this psalm gives me a different picture of waiting.
Contrary to popular belief, waiting on the Lord is not a passive activity. It is a still, quiet activity. But it is directed, purposeful, and expectant. When we are waiting on the Lord, we remain in our present circumstance and await further instruction from God.
The Hebrew word that is translated "wait" in the verse above derives from a word that means "to twist or writhe in pain, like a woman in labor." The Hebrew word translated "rest" means "to be dumb; to be astonished; to keep silent, to quiet oneself." The believer resting and waiting upon God is both in active pain and trusting expectation.
To David, a man described as being after God's own heart, the author of this psalm - God was real, a caring presence with whom he could interact daily. When faced with troubles, David related to his God the same way as when things went well: with an expectant spirit, trusting God to act while still feeling the pain of his situation.
God does not ask us to stop being human, to pretend we do not hurt, or to wait in isolation. Instead, God encourages us in our pain and helps us to see the new life which is emerging. We acknowledge our pain, and as we do, we learn to trust God with our lives.
David knew how to wait upon the Lord.
Waiting upon the Lord is a determined stillness, and it's absolutely essential to living the Christian life. If we're to walk in obedience and receive the fullness of God's blessings for our lives, we must learn to wait on His timing.
As we learn this discipline, we discover that truly waiting upon the Lord means we are willing to trust Him in those moments where it appears we are to do nothing. Then as we wait, He will eventually reveal His plans to us, showing exactly what to do and how to do it.