In Psalm 5 vs 3, the author comes to the Lord in the morning, lays out requests or questions before Him, and waits in expectation. I see two implications in that simple phrase:
Waits means that he takes time; waiting isn’t quick and efficient. It involves settling and waiting for the other party to speak or act.
Expectation means that there’s a basic level of faith; the psalmist is actually expecting to hear something from the Lord
If we really want to develop intimacy with God, waiting and expectation both need to be part of what we call our quiet time.
Maybe morning isn’t the best time for some. For me, it’s the perfect time, because I’ve developed the habit of waking early and having time in the Word before the day’s activities begin. I read my Bible while drinking my morning cup of coffee. But for some people, that time of day is more like “morning rush hour,” trying to squeeze in quiet time between making breakfast and getting the kids off to school, or getting things ready for going to work.
We need to find the time and the ways to incorporate waiting on the Lord - like my friend who prays and listens to God while he is walking the dog every morning, or people who listen to an audio Bible while commuting to work, or those who worship and wait on God while doing the ironing or taking a bath... or simply planning in time to sit in God’s presence, with no other agenda.
And we need to find ways to incorporate expectation. Some years back, I began to develop the habit of beginning my quiet time by writing the date in my notebook, even before praying or reading the Bible. It was a way of expressing my expectation that there would be something from God to write down that day. Another example would be the more classic way of beginning by praying for God to speak to you.
There are some precious promises in this psalm for those who do take refuge in the Lord.
Why not take time to read the whole psalm and write down some of the blessings God promises for those who make time to spend alone with Him?
