Last night I woke up in the middle of the night and was thinking about the term "wait on the Lord" (Psalm 27:14, Isaiah 40:31). I was meditating on it and I thought, "like a waiter waits tables." and "a good waiter attentively attends and waits on those he serves." It's not like someone waiting at DMV who just sits there doing nothing. Because that would contradict the "greatest commandments" and the "royal law" (You shall love the Lord with all your heart, mind, soul and strength and love your neighbor as yourself). Matthew 22:34-40, James 2:8.
When we are properly waiting on the Lord, we are loving Him and seeking Him with all our heart while denying the so called "pleasures" of this world. And there may be times where it feels like nothing is happening, but we continue waiting on the Lord. Serving Him. Pulling down our thoughts into the obedience of the Christos Son of God. (2 Corinthians 10:5)
And God says He will renew our strength when we do this. Eventually it will happen. That is His Word. And God is not a liar! (Titus 1:2)
Psalm 27:14 "Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord."
Isaiah 40:31 KJV "But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint."
After having these thoughts I decided to look at bible software I have and I thought it was pretty good, and it lined up with my understanding of the verses last night:
"wait on the Lord"
67g (SN 6960a) qāwâ – properly, twist, stretch (BDB), "wound-up" waiting – remaining tied to its expectation; waiting that stays personally involved, usually with "positive tension" that "strains the mind in a certain direction in an expectant attitude. . . . generally rendered by NT 5278 hypoménō in the LXX" (R. Girdlestone, 121-122); expectation, hope that "intensely awaits (mēm-locale), or tied to the envisioned life-application (tau actionis).
This root expresses being "wound around" what is hoped for (the expectation) – for believers, faith-empowered believing that is "carved out, wound up, and ready to go!" God "winds them up" to best receive what He has stored up from eternity – preparing them for . . . what He has prepared for them! See Eph 2:10.
6960a/qāwâ ("conviction-driven waiting") is the term which most closely correlates to NT 1679elpízō ("hoping") and NT 1680elpís ("hope"). 6960a/qāwâ ("intensely long") literally implies waiting with great eagerness and expectation. This positive tension connects the believer to God releasing His glory – as good things come to those who expectantly wait in faith.
["For waiting it out as long as it takes" is expressed by 3176/yāal ("enduring waiting").]
Reflection: "Tension ironically brings the glory of God that is to come, and unlocks His promises for this intensely awaiting Christ's return" (G. Archer).
[Also Strong's Number 4723a, 8615b]
That is some edifying information from the Old Covenant writings. Through the New Covenant writings we are told to “wait” for something even more powerful and exciting. And that is conveyed through a quote by the Lord Jesus the Christ to His disciples. He says, “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift the Father promised, which you have heard Me discuss. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”
He then follows up with,
“But you will receive power when the holy Spirit falls upon you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:4-5 and v.8
Jesus tells us to wait and it is very similar to the Hebrew words above. The Greek word used by Jesus is, περιμένω. It is a verb (action of waiting attentively). Jesus stresses urgency of waiting here for the promise of the Father because we cannot take the next step until we are born again and baptized in His holy Spirit. And that takes place through a powerful experience accompanying true repentance.
Once we are baptized in His Spirit, Jesus can then begin baptizing us in fire. And that is essential in our service to Him. It is also called "sanctification" which is the process of us becoming more and more holy, like God. If we are doing this correctly, hopefully we can then become a διάκονος (deacon) which interestingly means “diá, "thoroughly" and konis, "dust") – properly, "thoroughly raise up dust by moving in a hurry, and so to minister". In the NT usually refers to the Lord inspiring His servants to carry out His plan for His people – i.e. as His "minister" (like a deacon serving Him in a local church).” This root (diakon-) is "probably connected with the verb diōkō, 'to hasten after, pursue' (perhaps originally said of a runner)" (Vine, Unger, White, NT, 147).]
I pray God the Father bless you all in Jesus' Name.
If you have never received Him and feel Him knocking on the door of your heart. try saying this prayer. It will only work if you truly are ready for conversion to Christ. This is the prayer I said almost 20 years ago when I was powerfully born again.
Say, "My Lord and my God, have mercy on me, a sinner. I believe Jesus the Christ died on the cross and shed His precious blood for the forgiveness of all my sins. I believe Jesus raised from the dead and ascended into heaven and is now on the right-hand side of God listening to this prayer. I open up the door of my heart and I invite You in, Lord Jesus. Thank you, God, for saving my soul and I vow to serve you with all my heart which is the first and greatest commandment. Amen."