Isaiah 33:2 begins by saying, “O Lord, be gracious to us; we have waited for You”. The Amplified Bible says “waited [expectantly]”. What does it mean to “wait” on the Lord? The Hebrew word here is exactly the same one used in Isaiah 40:31, “But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.” The Hebrew word is “Qavah”, meaning “to bind together…by twisting”, and it is the root of the Hebrew noun “Tiqvah”, which means “hope or expectancy”. So then, to wait upon the Lord is to bind ourselves together with Him, or to come in full agreement with Him, spending time in His presence as we hope with expectation. The last part of Isaiah 33:2 then tells us what we can expect. From the Amplified Bible I quote: “Be the arm of Your servants – their strength and defense – every morning, our salvation in the time of trouble.” So we can expect Him to be our arm of strength, our defense, our victory, and our helper everyday, against every adversary, and in every tight spot!

The Lord Is Gracious

-By Rose Hill

To those who wait on the Lord, He is gracious,

His love like the universe is spacious.

God’s promises to me are many indeed,

Sometimes He will even answer with speed.

But if I must wait on Him and be still,

I know sometime His word He’ll fulfill.