Watching and Waiting: Psalm 59-Supplication through the Scriptures

Watching and Waiting

Psalm 59

May God teach us the blessedness of waiting on Him.
Andrew Murray 

“O my Strength, I will watch for you” (Psalm 59:9). 

David writes these words when his life is yet again in danger. He needs the Lord’s help and protection. In confidence, he says, “I will watch for You.” David is keeping vigil, waiting and expecting the Lord’s help. 

When our family is expecting visitors, especially sweet friends or family, my younger children like to pull up chairs to the large windows in the front of our house and watch the road for the arrival of our guests. The anticipation of the arrival of guests means my children are watching while they are waiting. They’re eagerly looking down the road to see the first sign of the guest’s car. And to me this serves as a good picture of our posture while we wait for the Lord.

These ideas of waiting and watching are connected in the Scriptures.  In Psalm 130, the psalmist cries, “Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord!…my soul waits for the Lord more than the watchman for the morning.” In ancient times during times of hostility, the night was especially feared, and the watchman who stood on the walls would eagerly anticipate the first rays of dawn knowing this meant the morning was arriving and the dangers of the night had passed. Their eyes eagerly watched while they waited. And the psalmist uses that analogy to show how he is waiting for the Lord “more than the watchman for the morning.”

Micah tells us, “But as for me, I will watch expectantly for the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation. My God will hear me” (7:7). He watches expectantly while waiting for the Lord. Again, Psalm 5:3, “In the morning, O Lord, You will hear my voice; in the morning I will order my prayer to You and eagerly watch.” Again, he eagerly watches while he waits for the Lord to answer his prayer. 

Waiting is hard. Our response can often be, “How long, O Lord? Will You forget me forever?” But what if we decided to not just endure waiting, but instead decided to keep watch with eager anticipation for the Lord and all He is doing while we wait? What if we, with the eyes of faith, looked for what God is doing in us, looked for how He is meeting us moment by moment with His sufficient and sustaining grace, and joyfully embraced waiting? “Joyfully embrace waiting. Waiting is a gift. A moment for God to teach me things that I wouldn’t have learned if He had given me everything I wanted immediately. An opportunity to trust Him” (Vroegop). 

We have sure promises that can bolster our faith while we are waiting. Lean into these promises. He is working all these things for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28). These light, momentary afflictions are producing for us an eternal weight of glory far behind all comparison (2 Corinthians 4:17). Our God acts on behalf of those who wait for Him (Isaiah 64:4). And He will supply new strength to us while we wait for Him (Isaiah 40:31). So, “Wait for the Lord. Be strong and let your heart take courage. Yes, wait for the Lord” (Psalm 27:14). And while you wait, watch with eager anticipation, joyful longing, and confidant assurance that He will accomplish His purposes for and in you. 

“Let us resolve at once that it shall be the one characteristic of our life and worship, a continual, humble, truthful waiting upon God. We may rest assured that He who made us for Himself, that He might give Himself to us and in us, that He will never disappoint us. In waiting on Him we shall find rest and joy and strength, and the supply of every need” (Murray). 

Pray through Psalm 59 for the times of watching and waiting.

Awake, O Lord

59:1-8 Deliver me from my enemies, O my God; protect me from those who rise up against me; deliver me from those who work evil, and save me from bloodthirsty men. For behold, they lie in wait for my life; fierce men stir up strife against me. For no transgression or sin of mine, O Lord, for no fault of mine, they run and make ready. Awake, come to meet me, and see! You, Lord God of hosts, are God of Israel. Rouse yourself to punish all the nations; spare none of those who treacherously plot evil. Selah Each evening they come back, howling like dogs and prowling about the city. There they are, bellowing with their mouths with swords in their lips— for “Who,” they think, “will hear us?” But you, O Lord, laugh at them; you hold all the nations in derision. 
Lord, I pray:
▫️You would deliver me from all anxiousness and fretting about my situation in which You have called me to wait on You.
▫️Protect me, Lord, from doubt, discouragement, confusion, fear, and unbelief.
▫️Awake, Lord, and come to meet me in this time of waiting. Come and see my own languishing and pour out Your grace on me to give me eyes of faith to see Your hand at work even while I am waiting for You to answer.
▫️You would rouse Yourself for the wrong that has been done to me, and You would work out what is best and give me rest.
▫️When others discourage me with their words, I would remember the truth of Your Word and You would give me new strength while I wait on You.

Watching for the Lord

59:9-15 O my Strength, I will watch for you, for you, O God, are my fortress. My God in his steadfast love will meet me; God will let me look in triumph on my enemies. Kill them not, lest my people forget; make them totter by your power and bring them down, O Lord, our shield! For the sin of their mouths, the words of their lips, let them be trapped in their pride. For the cursing and lies that they utter, consume them in wrath; consume them till they are no more, that they may know that God rules over Jacob to the ends of the earth. Selah Each evening they come back, howling like dogs and prowling about the city. They wander about for food and growl if they do not get their fill. 
Lord, I pray:
▫️You would be my strength and I would order my prayer to You and eagerly watch (Psalm 5:3). You will hear me and You are acting on my behalf.
▫️Be my fortress and protect me from the wiles of the devil who would desire my hurt, my doubt in Your good promises, and would love to see me stumble and fall.
▫️In Your steadfast love, meet me! Come to my aid and supply exactly what my soul needs for this season of waiting.
▫️Be a shield to me. Cover me with Your wings and let me shelter myself under Your loving care. Protect me from dangers that I am unaware of.
▫️You are sovereign, and You rule all things and You have ordained this time of waiting, and I know that although I am waiting, You are working.

Praise the Lord

59:16-17 But I will sing of your strength; I will sing aloud of your steadfast love in the morning. For you have been to me a fortress and a refuge in the day of my distress. O my Strength, I will sing praises to you, for you, O God, are my fortress, the God who shows me steadfast love.
Lord, I pray:
▫️I would wait patiently for You, and You would incline  Yourself to me, bring me up out of the pit, set my feet upon a rock, and put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to You (Psalm 40:1-3).
▫️I would faithfully praise You and sing of Your steadfast love, not just when I receive an answer from You, but I would praise You while I watch and wait.
▫️I would continually sing praise to You for You have been to me a fortress and a refuge in my day of distress, and You have shown me Your steadfast love.

May the Lord do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, for His glory and our good. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Psalm 59 quoted from the ESV.
Photo credit toandrewtneel

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