Here’s a verse:

My soul, waiteth thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him. Psalm 62:5

What words jump out at you? For me it is the longest word of the verse: expectation. This word is defined in the dictionary as a belief that something is about to happen or is likely to happen. Expectation is synonymous with anticipation and the Hebrew word for expectation is tiqvah, the thing that is hope for, longed for.  In the longing is the thought of waiting, which is in the above verse.

What happens when we wait? For example, if we are in the checkout line at a store waiting to pay for our items, we stand still, don’t move until our turn comes. We eventually put our items down for the cashier to tally the total we are to pay, so we can take our items. What can happen while we are waiting in line?

For one, it is the experience of dread. The cashier is taking too long, and we start to think when will our turn come to get in front of the cashier. The anticipation may turn to apprehension, particularly when the register does not show the price of an item, and the cashier has to get the dreaded “price check.” (Uggghhh!) That only adds to more waiting. Then the process of checking out completely comes to a halt, ceases to operate, adding to frustration, causing you to wonder why you picked this line in the first place.

As it is in the checkout line, so it is in life. Psalm 62 is wrapped around God who is described as being our  defence, refuge, and strength. Because God is this and more, we shall not be greatly moved (or shaken or overthrown), while we wait. The underbelly of waiting on the Lord is the word faith, and is the main word of Hebrews 11:1, which  says

 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Faith is a conviction grounded in God, an assurance that our belief system in Christ will cause anticipation to become reality, and until it does we who believe will not be cast aside, because we choose to abide in the refuge of God, who provides salvation (verses 1, 2, 6, and 7,), power (verse 11), and mercy (verse 12).

So while you are in the waiting line of expectation, and (in your opinion) the waiting is taking an excessive amount of time, know that there is a purpose to God taking the time to do a price check, as it could be the price is too much for your life to pay for, deciding it needs to be returned to inventory for you to choose something much better.

Until the right comes along with His approval, wait I say on the Lord, standing still while being strengthenized in the process…