My soul waits for the Lord more than those who watch for the morning—yes, more than those who watch for the morning. Psalm 130:6 (NKJV) Have you ever noticed that problems seem worse at night? When you receive bad news or go to bed angry at your spouse, it’s hard to sleep. But when you get up in the morning and see the sun break over the horizon, it’s amazing how much hope it can bring. Today’s verse compares waiting on God to watching for the morning. Isaiah 52:7 (NLT) gives us a beautiful picture of what this means: “How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of the messenger who brings good news, the good news of peace and salvation, the news that the God of …

Do not deliver me to the will of my adversaries; for false witnesses have risen against me, and such as breathe out violence. I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Psalm 27:12–13 (NKJV) Are you up against any adversaries right now? Maybe someone is spreading lies about you or attacking your integrity. Even if no human is against you at the moment, we as believers have an adversary in this world (1 Peter 5:8). When attacks come, you will easily lose heart unless you believe in God’s goodness toward you. This goodness isn’t a promise for the sweet by and by. No, it says in Psalm 27:13 (NKJV) that you …

I waited patiently for the Lord to help me, and he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire. He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along. Psalm 40:1–2 (NLT) Have you ever tried walking in the mud? It’s not too bad unless clay is mixed into it; then your rubber boots get stuck with every step. In life, there are many ways the enemy tries to get us stuck in the “mud and mire.” Financial or relational crises, depression, sickness—in these situations, it can feel like you’re stuck in a pit of despair. In these times, it’s more important than ever to wait on …

Indeed, let no one who waits on You be ashamed… Show me Your ways, O Lord; teach me Your paths. Lead me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; on You I wait all the day. Psalm 25:3–5 (NKJV) Yesterday we saw that when David was under pressure, he waited on the Lord and strengthened himself. I want to spend the next few days unpacking what this word wait means—because contrary to popular belief, it’s not about waiting for God to move. Today’s scripture gives us a hint. When you slow down and wait on God—in other words, spend time with Him—He’ll show you His ways. As you meditate on the Word, He’ll teach you the way to raise your children, handle your …

Now David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him… But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God. 1 Samuel 30:6 (NKJV) One day, David and his men returned home from battle to discover devastating news: enemies had destroyed their city and stolen their wives and children. David’s men were so upset that they wanted to kill him. But what’s interesting is that David didn’t try to defend himself. Instead, the first thing he did was pull away and “strengthen himself in the Lord.” My first thought is, “Well, that’s a rip-off! You don’t even tell me how he did it!” So I began studying his life to figure out his secret, and I discovered a word that changed my life: wait. Before we dive into …