Wait on the Lord - Exodus 19
We live in a world that moves fast.
Need dinner? Use an Instant Pot.
Need groceries? Order Instacart.
Need to share photos? Post them on Instagram.
Need your car washed? Find a quick wash.
Need an oil change? Visit a quick lube.
Everything around us seems designed to eliminate waiting. We prize speed, efficiency, and instant results. Yet Scripture repeatedly teaches us something that feels completely countercultural:
Good things come to those who wait on the Lord.
The Problem with Waiting
Most of us don't mind the phrase, "Good things come to those who wait," until we get to the last word.
Wait.
That's the hard part.
Waiting feels uncomfortable. It feels unproductive. Sometimes it even feels like weakness.
But God's kingdom often operates differently than the culture around us. While the world tells us that urgency is everything, God teaches us that waiting can be an act of faith.
In Exodus 19, the Israelites arrive at Mount Sinai after a difficult journey through the wilderness. They have crossed the Red Sea. They've endured thirst, hunger, uncertainty, and fear. For 90 days they've been learning to trust God one step at a time.
And when they finally arrive at the mountain, what does God tell them to do?
Wait.
Waiting Is Not Weakness
Many of us have been conditioned to believe that if we slow down, we'll fall behind.
The message of our culture is simple: If you snooze, you lose.
But Scripture offers a different perspective.
Isaiah 40:31 says:
"They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength."
Psalm 27:14 tells us:
"Wait for the Lord; be strong and let your heart be courageous. Wait for the Lord."
Lamentations 3:25 reminds us:
"The Lord is good to those who wait for him."
Waiting isn't weakness.
Waiting on God is wisdom.
When we wait on the Lord, we are acknowledging that He sees what we cannot see and knows what we do not know. We stop trying to force outcomes and instead trust that God is already at work.
God Has Been Carrying You
As God speaks to Moses on Mount Sinai, He reminds Israel of everything He has already done for them.
He says:
"You have seen what I did to the Egyptians and how I carried you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself." (Exodus 19:4)
Think about that image.
An eagle carries its young above dangers they cannot navigate on their own. The young don't have to control the flight. They simply trust.
God tells Israel that He has been carrying them all along.
He freed them from slavery.
He parted the sea.
He provided water from a rock.
He fed them in the wilderness.
He defeated their enemies.
And perhaps God is reminding some of us of the same thing today.
The breakthrough didn't happen because of your strength alone.
The provision wasn't just your hard work.
The protection wasn't merely good luck.
God has been carrying you, even when you couldn't see it.
You Are God's Treasure
God goes on to tell Israel something remarkable:
"You will be my own possession out of all the peoples." (Exodus 19:5)
The Hebrew word used here carries the idea of a treasured possession—a king's most prized treasure.
Think about that for a moment.
The God who created the universe delights in His people.
Zephaniah 3:17 paints a beautiful picture:
"He will rejoice over you with gladness. He will quiet you with his love. He will delight in you with singing."
God isn't reluctantly putting up with you.
He delights in you.
He rejoices over you.
He loves you deeply.
When we understand that truth, waiting becomes easier because we realize we are waiting in the hands of a loving Father.
The Missing Piece: Consecration
The most challenging part of Exodus 19 may not be the waiting.
It's what God tells the people to do while they wait.
He tells them:
"Consecrate yourselves."
The word "consecrate" means to make clean or set apart.
Before Israel could experience God's presence in a new way, they needed preparation.
Before transformation came consecration.
Before the blessing of tomorrow came the surrender of today.
Joshua 3:5 echoes this same principle:
"Consecrate yourselves, because the Lord will do wonders among you tomorrow."
We often want God's breakthrough without God's preparation.
We want transformation without surrender.
We want the blessing without the refining process.
But God knows that preparation matters.
What Needs to Be Laid Down?
Later in Joshua, God reveals another aspect of consecration.
He tells the people that there are things among them that have captured their devotion—things that have become idols, distractions, or misplaced loyalties.
The same question confronts us today:
What has captured your attention more than God?
What devotion, loyalty, commitment, habit, fear, or distraction is standing between you and deeper intimacy with Him?
For Israel, it was often the mindset of Egypt. Even after leaving slavery, they struggled to let go of the values and patterns they had learned there.
We face a similar challenge.
Many of us have left certain things behind physically, but we still carry them spiritually.
We carry anxiety.
We carry control.
We carry bitterness.
We carry the constant need for immediate results.
God invites us to lay those things down.
Consecration Prepares Us for Transformation
One of the most powerful truths from Exodus 19 is this:
Consecration is preparation for transformation.
God was about to reveal Himself to Israel in a profound way. He was about to give them His law and shape them into a people who reflected His character.
But first, they had to prepare their hearts.
The same is true for us.
If we want to hear God's voice more clearly, we must make room for Him.
If we want to see God working in our lives, we must remove the distractions that cloud our vision.
If we want transformation, we must embrace consecration.
A Question to Carry With You
As you reflect on this passage, consider this question:
What is God asking you to lay down so that you can see Him more clearly and hear Him more fully?
Maybe it's a fear.
Maybe it's an unhealthy attachment.
Maybe it's a hurried lifestyle that leaves no room for God.
Maybe it's a habit of trying to control everything yourself.
Whatever it is, God invites you to surrender it.
Because good things do come to those who wait.
Not simply those who wait passively, but those who wait on the Lord with hearts that are surrendered, attentive, and prepared.
The waiting may be difficult.
The consecration may be uncomfortable.
But God is already at work.
And He has it all figured out.
