When the early settlers would cross the country on their quest for a better life in the west, they would often travel on the Oregon Trail, which passed through the state of Wyoming.
In the western part of the state, there is a gigantic rock in the middle of nowhere, right along the Oregon Trail. Independence Rock is located on a flat plain and measures about one mile in circumference. The early travelers knew that if they reached this massive rock by the Fourth of July, then they would make it over the Rocky Mountains by winter. The travelers would carve their names in this huge natural landmark as a celebration of sorts, knowing that they were well on their way.
The size of the rock is most impressive. It’s not just any stone. It’s huge. Massive. No one is going to move it. No one is going to destroy it. The rock is there to stay.
I waited patiently for the Lord; and He inclined to me and heard my cry. He brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay, and He set my feet upon a rock making my footsteps firm.
Psalm 18:1-3
David often made mention of a rock when he wrote his Psalms (18:1-3 and 27:5 for example). When everything around him appeared to be crumbling, he knew that his feet were firmly set upon a steady rock.
In Psalm 40, he says that he waited patiently for the Lord. In the process of waiting, we see God doing some amazing things in his life!
Biblical Waiting
This passage literally says in the original Hebrew, ‘In the waiting, I waited’. In other words, it is a continuous activity, not a single act of waiting. David persevered in the waiting, not losing hope or giving up. He continued until God heard him and responded.
This word also seems to carry the idea of one who lies in wait, patiently watching and seeking expectantly for a favorable result. This picture is like a lion in his lair, waiting for his prey, never taking his eyes off the prize until the time is just right.
Although it was a continued, repeated waiting, David’s waiting was far from a passive thing. He did not just sit back and expect everything around him to fall into place. The key for David was action! He waited patiently, but it was active waiting. While we wait patiently for God, we do what we can on our side.
1). We must pray (v.1).
2). We must trust (v.4).
3). We must treasure humility (v.4).
4). We must do God’s will. (v.8).
5). We must speak of God’s great salvation (v.9-10).
6). We must recognize our sin and confess it (v.12-13).
David didn’t sit still in the waiting. And neither should we.
Establish my footsteps in Your Word ~ Psalm 119:133 