How to Live Faithfully While Waiting for God to Act

In a world that often rejects God's ways, how should believers live while waiting for the Lord to fulfill His promises? Psalm 119:121-128 provides profound guidance for those seeking to remain faithful during seasons of waiting.

This passage shows us how to maintain spiritual integrity when surrounded by opposition, and how to keep our hearts aligned with God's truth when everything around us seems to be moving in the opposite direction.

What should I do when I'm waiting for God to act?

Waiting for God to act can be one of the most challenging aspects of the Christian life. When we see injustice, when we face opposition, or when we simply long for God's promises to be fulfilled, the waiting can test our faith.

Psalm 119:121-128 offers three essential practices for those waiting seasons:

1. Plead for God to be your advocate

"I have done what is just and right; do not leave me to my oppressors. Give your servant a pledge of good; let not the insolent oppress me. My eyes long for your salvation and for the fulfillment of your righteous promise." (Psalm 119:121-123)

The psalmist begins by asking God to stand with him and uphold him through judgment. He specifically asks for a "pledge of good" - a legal term referring to someone who steps in to cover another person's debt. He's asking for an advocate, a guarantor, a co-signer.

What's remarkable is that the psalmist isn't merely afraid of suffering at the hands of his oppressors. His deeper fear is being drawn away from the Lord by them. He's not just saying "make the oppression stop" but rather "don't let me stray." He fears becoming like his oppressors more than he fears their actions against him.

This points directly to the heart of the gospel. The psalmist is longing for someone to stand between him and condemnation - exactly what Jesus Christ has done for us. As Hebrews 7:22 tells us, Jesus is "the guarantor of a better covenant." He is our pledge of good, our advocate who stands in our place.

2. Depend on God's love to walk in His ways

"Deal with your servant according to your steadfast love and teach me your statutes. I am your servant; give me understanding, that I may know your testimonies." (Psalm 119:124-125)

To faithfully persevere, we need more than protection - we need formation. The psalmist asks God to reshape him through His Word. He appeals to God's "steadfast love" (the Hebrew word chesed, referring to God's covenant, loyal love for His people).

The psalmist's request is simple yet profound: "Teach me. Give me understanding." This acknowledges a crucial truth - understanding God's Word doesn't come naturally. As 1 Corinthians 2 reminds us, spiritual truths are spiritually discerned. True understanding of Scripture is a gift from God, not merely the result of human intelligence.

This understanding comes through the Holy Spirit, who writes God's laws on believers' hearts (Hebrews 8). When people describe how "the Bible suddenly made sense" at their conversion, they're describing this supernatural illumination.

If you feel spiritually stuck, if Bible reading feels dry, don't just try harder. Instead, pray for God to teach you according to His love. Approach Scripture not as information to be mastered but as divine wisdom to be received through God's gracious teaching.

3. Align your desires with God's Word

"It is time for the LORD to act, for your law has been broken. Therefore I love your commandments above gold, above fine gold. Therefore I consider all your precepts to be right; I hate every false way." (Psalm 119:126-128)

The psalmist doesn't just want to act rightly; he wants to feel rightly - to love what God loves and hate what God hates. He's living in a world where God's law is broken and rejected, where sin is celebrated and righteousness seems strange.

In this environment, the psalmist makes two important "therefore" statements:

• "Therefore I love your commandments above gold" - he's cultivating a desire for the very wisdom others reject
• "Therefore I consider all your precepts to be right; I hate every false way" - he's aligning his moral compass with God's

This isn't about holding personal grudges but about refusing to affiliate with those who would make us less vigilant against sin. It's about walking in wisdom by not just knowing what is true but loving what is true.

How can I value God's Word more than worldly treasures?

The psalmist declares that he loves God's commandments "above gold, above fine gold." While most of us don't literally treasure gold, we all have things we value highly - entertainment, comfort, security, achievement, reputation, family, or even the dopamine hit from smartphone notifications.

Do we love God's Word more than these things?

It's important to remember that the psalmist wasn't superhuman. Later in this same psalm, he admits to straying from God's ways, experiencing sorrow, and needing understanding because of his ignorance. He was weak and scared, just like us.

The question isn't whether we currently love God's Word more than everything else, but whether we aspire to grow in that direction. Can we join in the psalmist's prayer that we would love God's Word more tomorrow than we do today?

Application

As we wait for God to act in our lives and in our world, we're called to be people who:

• Cry out for an advocate - recognizing our need for Christ to stand in our place
• Beg to be taught - acknowledging our dependence on God's Spirit for understanding
• Long to love what God loves - aligning our affections with His truth

This week, consider these questions:

• Where am I placing my confidence? Is it in my own goodness or in Christ as my advocate?
• Am I approaching Scripture with a posture of dependence, asking God to teach me according to His love?
• What competes with God's Word for my affection and attention? How can I cultivate a greater love for His truth?
• In what areas of my life do I need to realign my loves and hates with God's perspective?

Take time to pray through Psalm 119:121-128, making it your own prayer. Ask God to help you wait faithfully, growing in your love for Him and His Word even as you long for His promises to be fulfilled.