Wait Upon the Lord

2 Nephi 6

What does it mean to “wait upon the Lord”? (v13)

Genesis 49:18 “I have waited for thy salvation, O Lord.”

Psalms 25:5 says “Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day.”

Proverbs 20:22 “Say not thou, I will recompense evil; but wait on the Lord, and he shall save thee.”

Proverbs 27:18 “Whoso keepeth the fig tree shall eat the fruit thereof: so he that waiteth on his master shall be honoured.”

Isaiah 40:31 “But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”

1 Nephi 21:23 repeats what Jacob has just said about Kings and Queens being nursing fathers, and mothers.  “. . . for they shall not be ashamed that wait for me.”  I wrote “trust” in my margin

D&C 98:2 “Waiting patiently on the Lord for your prayers have entered into the ears of the Lord of Sabbaoth, and are recorded with this seal and testament – the Lord hath sworn and decreed that they shall be granted.”

D&C 133:45 “. . . O God, besides thee, how great things thou has prepared for him that waiteth for thee.”

In 2 Nephi 6:13 it says “ . . . For the people of the Lord are they who wait for him;”

Recompense as a verb is synonymous with reward or repay.  So that verse leads me to understand that we will not be rewarded for our evil, but we should wait on the Lord and be saved.

I’m intrigued that the fig tree is used as a metaphor.  I did a search for how long it takes a fig tree to ripen.  It was a bit fascinating.  It varies depending on the location, soil, container, etc.  But raising a fig tree obviously requires patience.  One man said his was going in the garbage this season if it didn’t produce a fig.  This also implies that not many ripen.  Isn’t that just like people?  Some ripen in the gospel quickly; some take f o r e v e r!  But if we will wait on the Lord, we will be honoured.  (Be regarded with respect.  By whom?  I guess the Lord, our Savior?  Not real certain, as I don’t think we are to aspire to be respected.  Isn’t that like being puffed up?) 

Those who wait upon the Lord trust Him and His ways.  They don’t give up when things get rough.  They keep trying over and over again.  They know a loving Heavenly Father who knows and cares about them is hearing their prayers.  They start over and over as many times as it requires, and they hang in there for the duration regardless of the outcome.  This can seem a little tough for some who feel they have not been so blessed.

This is a little fragmented, but I wanted to pursue my initial question.  What does it mean to wait upon the Lord?  Know that He has a plan for each of us and that the ultimate goal is for each of us to return to His presence when we leave this earthly existence.  Wait patiently upon the Lord (D&C 98:2) might be a better way to put it.  Patience and faith are key words.