Old Testament · Psalm 27:14
The Waiting Heart
“Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.”
Waiting is not wasted—God strengthens the heart in the quiet middle.
The Scripture
Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD. The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD. But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. Psalm 27:14; Lamentations 3:25-26; Isaiah 40:31 (KJV)
The story / setting
David waited while enemies pressed in. Jeremiah wrote from ruin yet still named the Lord good to those who wait. Isaiah spoke to exiles whose strength was gone. Waiting was not wasted—it was where God met them in the middle.
The lesson learned
Waiting is not wasted. God strengthens the heart in the quiet middle while we hope and quietly wait for His salvation.
How it applies today
Doctor’s reports, job uncertainty, wayward children, long seasons of exhaustion—waiting feels heavy, but God is never late. He renews what hurry cannot fix.
How to prepare the heart
- Choose one promise to speak aloud each morning (start with Psalm 27:14).
- Keep a small “Waiting Journal”—one line of God’s nearness per day.
- Serve someone else while you wait; it turns the heart outward.
Quiet reflection (optional)
- What am I trying to force that belongs in God’s timing?
- Where have I seen Him strengthen a weary heart in the middle?
For little ones
Tell the story of Joseph in prison or Abraham and Sarah waiting—brief, gentle. Draw a seed under ground: “God is working where we cannot see.”