Watching While You Wait

"I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in His Word I put my hope. My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning." Psalm 130:5-6 (NIV)

I read the verse.                                                           

And then read it again.

Surely there must have been some mistake.

I saw it first on Bible Gateway.

I headed straight for my "hard copy"...my Women's Devotional Bible.

It was right there in black and white.

The phrase was repeated. So odd to me.

It reads, "My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning."

I ventured back to Bible Gateway to examine the verse in different translations in hopes of gaining insight into the repetition of that phrase. Most versions referred to watchmen, guards, or sentries watching and waiting for morning or dawn. One text simply said, "those who watch for morning."

Now, I've never been a watchman, guard, or sentry, but I have endured long nights of waiting for the morning. Longing for the light of day. Can you relate? Even metaphorically?

Are you waiting for the Lord?

I think we all long for His return. But are you watching for Him to act in some manner even while He lingers?

Surely we all have something we're waiting for. A prayer to be answered. Healing. Salvation for a loved one. A new job. A spouse. A child. A change of scenery.

Maybe our patience is being tested to the extent we need to emphasize the depth that bears repeating...more than those that wait for morning, more than those that wait for morning.

First of all, I encourage you to embrace the words of a couple of hymns, "'Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus" and "Have Faith in God." I love that they are side by side in my Baptist Hymnal.

While we wait, just to sing, "Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him! How I've proved Him o'er and o'er! Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus! O for grace to trust Him more!"

(And might I just add, for those who think I use too many exclamation marks, that the author Louisa M. R. Stead embraced them as well.)

And then to sing, "Have faith in God, He's on His throne; Have faith in God, He watches o'er his own; He cannot fail, He must prevail; Have faith in God, have faith in God."

(Author B.B. McKinney felt compelled toward repetition as well!)

And secondly, I challenge you to look for the blessings in the waiting. They are there. We just have to be on watch.

I read a beautiful quote this morning by Jennifer Dukes Lee that says "Often, the smallest, biggest wonders are right where you are, on the way to where you're headed, begging to be found under your feet."

Let's watch for the wonders while we wait...trusting Jesus, having faith in God.