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Waiting for hunger is a tutor to teach us to wait for God. What a gift to learn this important discipline through the thing we’ve struggled with for a lifetime. God doesn’t waste any part of our suffering. He redeems it for good–always.

I almost called my blog Wait Gain–meaning that we gain so much by learning to wait…to wait for real hunger…to wait for God to free us…to wait for God.

“My soul waits for the Lord more than the watchmen for the morning; 

indeed, more than the watchmen for the morning.” 

Psalm 130:6

Imagine the watchmen’s longing for their night shift to be over…for the sun to rise so they can see clearly.

I imagine them straining their eyes to search for the light. Every muscle has been tensed on high alert on their watch. At the sound of any noise, they’ve been ready to jump into action.

The promise of the rising sun means rest and peace. The dawn signals that they can entrust their shift to the next watchman…and the sleep.

The watchmen can do nothing to hasten the dawn…they must simply wait.

What does patient waiting look like?

When I am waiting patiently, I am content in my circumstances. I have no frustration or anger. I am not looking at the time constantly, pacing back and forth.

Psalm 40 speaks to this.

Psalm 40:1–Wait patiently for the Lord. This is to be bound up with God and the promise is that He will lean down and listen to me. So I must wait and talk with Him. Am I content and at peace?

Psalm 40:2–He is giving me a solid foundation to stand on. I can trust. Am I trusting God?

Psalm 40:3–The result is praise in my heart and others are impacted so they see, fear, and trust in the Lord. This is the result of God’s work. Is my heart filled with praise?

Psalm 40:4–Continue to trust in God’s ways and I will be blessed. Don’t turn to others for answers–the proud and liars. Am I seeking answers from others instead of God?

Psalm 40:5–God does wonders and He thinks about me!

Psalm 40:6–“My ears you have opened.” I love this! Ozen–ear in the Old Testament represents hearing and obedience. So God has opened my ears to hear (understand) and obey. Am I obeying God?

Psalm 40:7-8–Delight to do God’s will and put His law in my heart. Is this true of me?

This is how we wait patiently for the Lord!

Yes, we wait for hunger…but our wait gain is that we’re learning to wait for God.