Psalm 130:5-6 ESV
I wait for the Lord, my soul waits,
and in his word I hope;
my soul waits for the Lord
more than watchmen for the morning,
more than watchmen for the morning.
Psalm 130:5-6 NET
I rely on the Lord,
I rely on him with my whole being;
I wait for his assuring word.
I yearn for the Lord,
more than watchmen do for the morning,
yes, more than watchmen do for the morning.
This morning I was spending time reading this Psalm in a couple different translations. I’ve thought a lot about waiting over the past year. What does it mean to wait for the Lord? In short, the Hebrew verb for wait also can be translated “to look” or “expect”…. also the word “linger.”
To linger in expectation of the Lord. Waiting doesn’t mean doing nothing. Waiting means anticipating. Looking. Lingering. There is an active sense to this word that sometimes seems so passive at first glance.
I love the NET, “I wait for his assuring word.” Sometimes that’s all we need, right? Just his assuring word. His gentle guidance and leading.
“More than watchmen waiting for morning.” Cities at the time the Psalmist writes this psalm were fortified by walls in order to keep those inside the city safe from outside forces. Watchmen were responsible for watching through the night to ensure the safety of those residing within the city walls. I could be reading into this, but I’m sure there was a sense of relief once the morning came, and the shift of the night watchmen came to an end. There is something comforting about daylight, and having the advantage of seeing in daylight possible danger coming from a distance to a city.
Yet the psalmist longs for the Lord more than even these watchmen on duty at night longed for the first signs of daylight on the horizon.
There was an intense expectation for the Lord to move, act and deliver on his word. The psalmist is sure of God’s action, yet without promise of the Lord’s timing in his waiting.
We all wait at different times and in different ways as we go through life. Sometimes, we just wade through dry, desert seasons and expectantly wait for God’s presence and guiding word to come to us. Other times, we wait through intense storms and difficulty.
Find encouragement today. As you linger in expectation. Waiting involves action to look, and expect his presence to show up. So don’t give up hope.
Keep waiting.
Keep watching.
Keep lingering.
somehow beautiful 