The Hidden Danger in “Waiting on the Lord”
Welcome back, My Fidus Achates.
In my previous blog, I explored the surprising linguistic connection between the word “come” and its cultural usage. In this blog, I’m exposing an even more consequential misunderstanding—one that keeps millions of believers stuck in perpetual passivity. The phrase “waiting on the Lord” has been so distorted that most Christians do the exact opposite of what God commands. Read on as I unravel this dangerous misconception.
The Common misconception
Many Christians misunderstand what it means to “wait on the Lord,” interpreting it as complete passivity—doing nothing, remaining silent, and simply observing their circumstances. They pray, fast, and anxiously “wait,” yet remain as passive as possible, mistaking inaction for faith. Biblically, however, waiting on the Lord means precisely the opposite.
The Biblical Meaning of Waiting
To fully grasp this concept, we must examine it from theological, hermeneutical, and ontological dimensions. The Hebrew word qavah, translated as “wait,” carries rich meaning:
- To look eagerly
- To watch intently
- To bind together (like twisting a cord into strength)
- To expect with confident anticipation
This is not inactivity or resignation. It describes a servant standing at the door—alert, muscles tensed, ready to move the instant the Master signals, eyes fixed unwaveringly on Him. Isaiah 40:31 captures this dynamic posture: “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, and they shall walk and not faint.” Notice the progression: mounting up, running, walking—all active verbs. Waiting produces strength for action, not excuses for inertia.
God Expects Action, Not Passivity
God is an active God, and as Prophet Gideon rightly observed, whenever God shows up, He does so as an active force. When He appears as fire, He’s a consuming fire—not a dormant ember (Hebrews 12:29). As wind, He’s a mighty rushing wind that moves and transforms (Acts 2:2). As water, He’s a living water (Jeremiah 2:13). Our waiting must reflect His active nature, not contradict it.
David waited for God’s promise of kingship for years—but during that waiting, he wrote psalms that still minister to millions, fought battles that established his reputation, served King Saul faithfully despite persecution, prayed constantly, strategised for the future, and prepared himself for leadership (Psalm 27:14). His waiting was full of obedience, training, and a strong desire to know God.
Abraham waited decades for God’s promise to make him the father of many nations—but while waiting, he travelled in obedience to God’s call, established altars of worship wherever he went, led and managed large households, rescued his nephew Lot from captivity, and interceded boldly for entire nations. His waiting was anything but passive.
Biblical Women Who Actively Waited
The women of Scripture also exemplify this active waiting. In my book, The Brave Acts of Unpopular Women in the Bible, I explore how women like Ruth, Rahab, and Esther didn’t wait passively for deliverance—they took bold, faith-filled action while trusting God’s sovereignty. Ruth gleaned in the fields, positioned herself strategically, and pursued her future. Esther fasted, planned, and risked her life by approaching the king. These “unpopular” women understood that waiting on God meant actively partnering with Him, even when their actions defied cultural expectations.
The Red Sea Moment: A Case Study
The most striking example appears in Exodus 14. Moses, through God’s power, had just delivered Israel from Egyptian bondage after devastating Egypt’s economy with ten plagues. The Israelites had begun their journey towards freedom, known as the Exodus. Then suddenly, they arrived at an impossible crossroads: the Red Sea stretched before them while the angry, vengeful Egyptian army—Egypt’s finest military force—closed in from behind, chariots thundering, weapons gleaming.
The Israelites were trapped between two seemingly insurmountable obstacles. As a man of faith, Moses stepped forward to address the panicking crowd:
The LORD will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace (Exodus 14:14).
It sounds spiritual, doesn’t it? Stand still. Be quiet. Let God work. But notice God’s immediate response in verse 15:
Why do you cry to Me? Tell the children of Israel to go forward.
Moses expected God to act while they stood paralysed, yet God essentially said, ‘That’s not how this works.’ Stop crying and start moving. As they stepped forward in obedient faith—toward the impossible sea—the waters parted. The miracle came in motion, not in motionless waiting.
The Danger of Misplaced Waiting
I call this misunderstanding “weighing on the Lord”—not in the sense of casting our burdens on Him as Scripture commands, but of placing an unfair load on Him by demanding that He do what He’s called us to do. Consider the scenario of a drowning person. Regardless of the rescuer’s eagerness and ability, if the drowning person becomes helpless and clings desperately without cooperation, both lives are at risk. Of course, no one can endanger God’s life, but the danger is real: He may choose not to act at all. Why? The answer is because God will never transgress His inherent nature or disregard the principles He has established. He works through partnership, not despite our passivity.
The Stone at the Tomb
At Lazarus’s tomb, Jesus demonstrated this principle powerfully. He arrived four days after Lazarus died—when the situation seemed hopeless, when the body had begun to decompose. Jesus possessed the power to roll away the stone with a thought, yet He commanded the people: “Take away the stone” (John 11:39).
The problem wasn’t that Lazarus was dead—Jesus could handle death. The problem was the stone blocking the tomb’s entrance. Even when Jesus raised Lazarus, the people still had to unbind his grave clothes. Jesus would do what only He could do (resurrection), but they had to do what they could do (remove obstacles and unwrap the living).
How many of us are waiting for miracles while leaving stones in place that we’re called to roll away?
True Biblical Waiting
Biblical waiting means actively watching for God’s direction—alert and attentive to His cues, signals, and nudges—then immediately acting as He directs. The prophet Habakkuk understood this perfectly:
“I will stand at my watch and station myself on the ramparts; I will look to see what he will say to me and what answer I am to give” (Habakkuk 2:1).
Notice Habakkuk’s posture: standing at his watch post like a sentinel, stationed strategically, looking intently, preparing his response. This is active, engaged, expectant waiting—not passive resignation.
Conclusion
True waiting on the Lord combines faith with obedience, hope with action, and surrender with cooperation. It means positioning ourselves where God can use us, removing the obstacles we can, and staying alert to His direction. No obstacle has the power to hinder us when we truly wait on the Lord this way—expectant, obedient, and ready to move the moment He speaks.
The question isn’t whether you’re waiting on God. The question is: How are you waiting?
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