“What does it mean to wait? Is it just a matter of killing time until our hope is realized? Like a child who is bored on a rainy day, should we find ways to occupy our time until the Lord shows up? Waiting does not mean idleness or passivity. The stem of the Greek word means “to abide,” that is, to ‘stay put. ” But the translation “wait” misses the intensity by which one is to maintain our hope. The meaning is that we should wait with patience and expectation…In 1 Corinthians, Paul underscores this thought when he writes, “so that you came short in no gift, eagerly waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ (vs. 1 Cor. 1:7). The Greek word means to “expect eagerly…the faithful must not let the passing of time take them farther and farther from their hope. Eagerness must prevail over complacency. Expectation must overcome indifference. Hopefulness must override despair. In summary, true waiting upon the Lord involves eager longing for Him.” (Fr. Basil)
“God calls us not only to life, but to joy. Longing is the heart-rending emotion that tells us that such joy will never be ours until God Himself grants the petition, “Thy Kingdom come!” In the meantime, we wait, we pray and we hope. With St Augustine, we remind ourselves that “our hearts are restless until they find their rest in Thee.” And we beg God without ceasing to preserve within us the flame of longing: the passionate, ardent yearning to step beyond this world, and to enter at last into all the beauty and all the joy of the world to come.” (Fr. John Breck)
“We are impatient, not wanting to wait for God. However, God wills for us to gain patience. If we are obedient and persist in asking, then God may be preparing us for His second command: to “seek.” God waits for us to search His silence. He is inviting us to look for Him in Holy Scripture. He presses us to look at our motives and test our willingness to be involved. He trains us to listen when we ask, and to “wait on the Lord” (Ps 26:16)…To “wait” for the Lord entails confident expectation and active hope, never passive resignation…Waiting, for the believer, is not the futile and desperate act of those who have no other options, but rather a confident trust that eventually God will set things right.” (Dynamis 10/28/2020, Foundation Study Bible, Isaiah 40:31, Gary Thomas)
“There are dark spiritual voids in our lives when we neither feel nor discern the presence of God. What does the Lord say of these times? “A little while, and you will not see Me; and again, a little while, and you will see Me, because I go to the Father” (John 16:16). Emptiness comes but then it goes away – and even these difficult times are used by God. The Lord’s clear implication is that we should expect periods of emptiness, when we are to wait for His presence. Let us be reassured as the Prophet David was: “But be subject unto God, O my soul, for from Him is my patient endurance” (Ps 61:5). (Dynamis 6/3/2020)
“To be patient literally means to suffer and endure. It means to wait on the Lord through all tribulations and trials with courage and hope. It means to put up with one’s self and others, growing gradually in the grace of God through the daily effort to keep His commandments and to accomplish His will. Only those who are patient, according to Christ, bring forth fruit from the seeds of God’s Word that are sown in their hearts. And as for that in the good soil, they are these who, hearing the Word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bring forth fruit with patience (Lk 8.15).” (Fr. Thomas Hopko)
“To “wait” for the Lord entails confident expectation and active hope, never passive resignation…Waiting, for the believer, is not the futile and desperate act of those who have no other options, but rather a confident trust that eventually God will set things right." (Foundation Study Bible, Isaiah 40:31, Gary Thomas)
“Would you like God to reveal Himself to you in such recognizable ways? He may do so, but be wary of forcing your expectations on God. In 1 Kings 19:10-13, Elijah also needed a message from God. First came a great wind, then an earthquake, and finally a fire. But God’s message came in a “gentle whisper.” God may use dramatic methods to work in your life—or He may speak in gentle whispers. Wait patiently and always listen.” (Life Application Study Bible, Acts 2:1-11)
“Waiting is, by its nature, something only the humble can do with grace. When we wait for something, we recognize that we are not in control." (John Ortberg)
“Frequently, if we were sensitive and listening, there come clear insights of things to be done. Often they come in that receptive silent waiting after we have opened our needs and where we do nothing but wait for direction." (Douglas Steere)
“The time you spend waiting today can become the critical time God uses to prepare you for the answers to your prayers." (Ginger Garrett)