I waited patiently for the LORD; he inclined to me (turned to me) and heard my cry. Psalm 40:1 (ESV)
Ah yes, waiting. Praying and waiting. Crying out to God and waiting. Waiting in anguish and bewilderment. Sometimes patiently, mostly not so much. The psalmists talk a lot about waiting.
The Hebrew word for wait is used twice together in the above verse. The second time it is in the Infinitive Absolute form (I had to look that up). It means that the verb form's "most common use is to express intensity or certainty of verbal action." https://uhg.readthedocs.io/en/latest/infinitive_absolute.html
I like that – I intensely wait, I certainly will wait. Or even better, I will wait certain. I love the following excerpt from the Barnes Notes on the Bible commentary on this verse:
"I waited patiently for the Lord - Margin, as in Hebrew, 'In waiting I waited.' That is, 'I continued to wait.' It was not a single, momentary act of expectation or hope; it was continuous; or, was persevered in. The idea is, that his prayer was not answered at once, but that it was answered after he had made repeated prayers, or when it seemed as if his prayers would not be answered. It is earnest, persevering prayer that is referred to; it is continued supplication and hope when there seemed to be no answer to prayer, and no prospect that it would be answered." [emphasis mine]
I will persevere in waiting. I will continuously pray and wait. I will knock and knock, I will keep coming before the judge, though there seems no hope. Here is another attempt to capture the intensity of the Hebrew:
"[I waited patiently] Such renderings as I waited, yea I waited, or, I waited waitingly ... are closer to the original." -- Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
In waiting I waited. I continued to wait. I waited, yes I waited. I waited and waited. Do you ever feel like that? I know that some of you, like me, have been waiting decades. But what encouraged me today, what keeps me praying is the Barnes note above. That though David's prayer was not answered at once, that after continued prayer amidst withering hope, when there was no answer and it seemed as though his prayers would never be answered - that even then, he did not just pray once in a burst of wishful pleading and then give up. No, he chose trust in a faithful, loving Father. He waited waitingly and continued to wait and persevered in prayer, certain of an eventual answer, and he was able to testify that the Lord inclined to me (turned to me) and heard my cry.
Wait for and confidently expect the Lord; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for and confidently expect the Lord. Psalm 27:14 (AMP)
We wait in hope for the Lord; he is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. May your unfailing love rest upon us, O LORD, even as we put our hope in you. Psalm 33:20-22 (NIV 1984)
Indeed, none who wait for you shall be put to shame … Psalm 25:3 (ESV)
LORD, I wait for you; you will answer, Lord my God. Psalm 38:15
... you will answer ...
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