Praise is not based on our circumstances. In fact Scripture tells us in Psalm 113:3 that “from the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the Name of the Lord is to be praised”. This tells us that praise is something that is supposed to be as natural as breathing in the life of any believer.
Therefore we can always do so in the highs and lows of life. But how can we keep an attitude of praise in the still, long seasons of our lives when nothing seems to be happening at all? This is what will be briefly covered in this article, so please read Psalm 13 beforehand as the message is built around it.
The reality of waiting (Psalm 13:1-2)
I don’t like waiting, do you? Or do you know about anyone who does? I didn’t think so. Infact, I have never met anyone who likes to wait.
Whether waiting involves small inconveniences like: waiting in line, for our busses to school or, replies to our messages etc or it involves genuine struggle like waiting for healing (be it physical, emotional, financial, relational), for change in many areas of our lives or circumstances, our prayers to be answered… the fact is that whatever form it might take, we spend most of our lives waiting.
The world hates this very idea of waiting. Technology has never been as advanced as it is today. With our smartphones, we can access a world of information, contact people who live at the ends of the world, all in a matter of seconds. We can travel faster to our destinations than ever before thanks to the advancements in the means of transport, we even have fast food (McDonald’s, anyone?).
You see much of modern life is structured around speed and convenience, and we are constantly trying to make everything quicker and easier just so that we can avoid waiting.
But the downside of all this convenience you see, is that even a five-minute delay can feel unbearable because we are becoming increasingly impatient.
In our culture, waiting is known to be unproductive, inefficient and a waste of time, but according to what we see in God’s Word, waiting is not wasted in His Kingdom.
“but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.” - Isaiah 40:31 ESV
What does it mean to wait on the Lord? Briefly, it means waiting for Him to act or to respond to a certain situation in our lives in a way that only He can. To do so of course requires faith, trust in God, patience, hope and even humility.
And you see this concept is one is that is found all over the Bible:
- Abraham waited 25 years for the son whom God promised him.
- Jacob waited 14 years to marry his beloved (and you think you have it rough!).
- Joseph waited 13 years through slavery and unjust imprisonment before becoming ruler of Egypt.
And the Bible shows us again and again that waiting is good because it is often the place where God shapes His people, draws them closer to Himself and prepares them for the blessings that are to come.
But knowing all these doesn’t mean that it is easy
Do you ever feel sometimes, like God does not hear your prayers, or that He has forgotten about you or about your situation? That you have waited and waited…and like the psalmist you are constantly crying out “How long O Lord…?”
You see the thing about waiting, is that it confronts us with reality: with our lack of control. It shows just how little power we truly have over our lives and circumstances. It tests our patience and sometimes, the absence of a clear deadline to our wait, can stir confusion, frustration, anxiety, and even despair within us.
As a result, we can quickly become impatient. Let me give you a couple of examples from the Bible.
Abraham’s wife Sarah was barren, yet God had promised him a son through her. After having waiting for a while, he became impatient and this resulted in him having a son not with his own wife but with her servant which resulted in some familial conflicts.
While waiting for Moses to return from Mount Sinai, the Israelites, even having known God and seen His many miracles, became impatient and created the golden calf, an idol for themselves who they worshipped in place of God. The consequence of this: judgement befell them.
In the same way when we pray and do not see the results how we want them or when we want them, don’t we have the tendency to want to stop praying, don’t we try to figure things out on own? Or don’t we try to sometimes control our circumstances or people around us to achieve our desired outcome? And we all know (at least I know) from experience that trying to take matters into our own hands never ends well.
Waiting isn’t easy, because it reveals what we are really depending on or where our trust really lies.
So then if it is so difficult, how can we wait not only patiently but also with an attitude of praise? In other words, how do we wait well?
How do you praise while waiting? (the key is in Psalm 13:5-6)
You see when we read Psalm 13, we notice something remarkable. The psalm does not end where it begins. Read verses 1&2 then verses 5&6
Somewhere between the verses, something shifts. The circumstances have not changed. The waiting has not ended. The problems have not suddenly vanished. And yet his tone has changed completely. What happened?
The answer which is found in verses 5 and 6, is remembrance.
The psalmist shifts his focus from his situation to his God. He remembers who God is, he remembers what God has done, and I bet that he also remembers what God has promised to do.
So if you want to transform your wait to praise, you have to:
Remember Who God is
How easily we forget who God really is! But let me give you a quick reminder:
He is God - the Creator of the heavens and the earth and everything in them. In fact, the Genesis account of creation talks about Him creating everything except mankind by the word of His mouth (He spoke and it was).
God has not merely created everything and then left it to run on its own. He continually sustains His creation, holding all things together at every moment. Every atom, every molecule, and every law of nature persists because of His sustaining power. Water remains water, and the universe continues in its ordered existence, because God faithfully upholds the very structure and composition of all things.
He is the author of life, of history (it is His story). Without beginning or end, He lives outside of time - He is eternal. He is all-powerful, all-knowing, in control and sovereign over every single circumstance and most importantly, He is you Heavenly Father.
“I am the Lord, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?” - Jeremiah 32:27
That’s why the Bible tells us to trust in God and not to lean on our own understanding
Because He is all-wise/knowing, we are not. He sees the future and the bigger picture, we cannot. He knows exactly what we need, even we do not and He will give you what is best for you, when it is best you.
I’ve been waiting for God for a while now as I am looking for a job, and a verse that has been greatly encouraging to me is Psalm 139:16 “…all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” - This reassures me of God’s absolute control over my whole life and the fact that He has it all figured out and I need only trust in Him for the outcomes and I can trust in Him because I know who He is.
Remember what he has done
“What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all - how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?” - Romans 8:31-32
For God so loved the world that He gave us His only Son - Jesus Christ. Who lived the perfect life that we could never live, who suffered and bore upon Himself the punishment and death that we deserve for our sinfulness - so that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life (see John 3:16).
You see God did not hold back His very best from us and if this is the case do you really believe that God is holding back anything from you? The cross is our guarantee that He loves us and is 100% for us, and will provide for all of our needs as He sees fit.
So remember what He has done for you and be grateful - even for the things that He is doing in your life as you wait for Him - Count your blessings. And you will see that this gratitude will quickly transform your fear, anger, anxiety, worry into praise.
Remember what he has promised to do
Remember the different promises that God has made to you in His Word and hold on to them.
“And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.” - Philippians 4:19
“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” - 1 Peter 5:7
“So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” - Matthew 6:31-34
You see God is not only powerful enough to answer our prayers, but He is also loving enough to even want to do so.
So if He still hasn’t it is not because he has forgotten you, or that His love for you has grown cold or that He isn’t powerful enough.
It maybe because He is changing you before He changes you circumstances, or that He has better plans for you than what you think, or that He is preparing you for something big…I don’t know. But what I do know is that God is good and that He is working everything out for the good of those who love Him. Romans 8:28.
Conclusion
Waiting on God is not passive: it is not sitting around and doing nothing; it is active dependence on Him. It means choosing prayer over panic and trying to fix everything ourselves. It means pausing to consult Him before making decisions driven by fear. It means being still enough to allow Him to work in ways we cannot yet see, because God works in mysterious ways and we shouldn’t expect to understand Him. It sometimes means stepping forward in obedience when He directs us towards something, even if the outcome is still uncertain.
As I have already mentioned, it is not easy. It stretches our faith and confronts our desire for control. Yet like the psalmist in Psalm 13, we are invited to cry out to the Lord, to voice our concerns to Him. And in fixing our eyes on Him, our “How long, O Lord?” will be transformed to praise.
While you wait, draw near to Him through His Word, memorize Scripture and hold fast to His promises. Keep praying, even when you feel unheard, for we have the assurance that God - Our Heavenly Father hears our prayers. Serve faithfully where He has placed you, remembering that waiting does not mean inactivity and keeping in mind that as you are waiting, God is working: “For since the world began, no ear has heard and no eye has seen a God like you, who works for those who wait for him!” - Isaiah 64:4 NLT
And as you wait, you can choose praise - not because everything has changed, but because God has not. You see it is not about how long you wait, but who you become while you wait.
I will end with these words of encouragement drawn from Psalm 27:14:
“Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord.”