“Wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in His Word I hope; my soul waits for the Lord more than the watchmen for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning.” Psalm 130:5-6

Waiting is part of our Christian life. The Lord wants us to wait. It is not because He wants us to suffer longer, but to refine us and learn more from an unpleasant experience. It is comparable to making a gelatin dessert. When cooked, we have to wait a bit longer for the Jello to set; then, we can eat it. If we do not wait, we will only have a sweetened liquid. A delicious dessert like a Jello or a panna cotta is a product of patience. 

Waiting will be difficult, and we will be prone to grumble if we will only look at the problem. Waiting should be accompanied by a study of the Word of God. But the strength to wait will come from our meditation of the Word of God. In the Word we will have hope as we reflect on His promises. The assurance of His help will comfort us. We will become more prayerful as we ponder upon our present predicament. 

The Psalmist does not sound impatient but merely stating that waiting is the posture of his soul. The same disposition is what we should aspire to whenever we are in the midst of lingering suffering, physically, emotionally, or both. 

Strengthened by the Word and prayer, the Psalmist declares, and repeated it twice, that he can wait “more than the watchman for the morning.” According to a commentary, the watchman alludes to a Levite-sentinel whose duty is to signal the first ray of dawn so that the sacred rites in the Temple can start. There is a dawn coming. Our rest and deliverance are sure. 

Prayer 

Dear Lord, we do encounter a lot of trials in the course of our journey. Help us wait and welcome unpleasant experiences as part of Your work in us so that we will be more Christ-like. Help us to yield and wait like the watchman in the morning, for the glory of Your name. 

In Jesus Name, we pray. Amen