Times such as these make us come to grips with the fact that when we are in a situation where there is nothing we can do to get out of, we should wait patiently for the LORD to aid and strengthen us.
Jeremiah, the prophet, had witnessed the most devastating destruction of the Temple and his homeland because of their deportation to Babylon. Jeremiah offers encouragement of his prophecy that their only hope was to wait on the LORD and to seek Him while enduring the devastation. Jeremiah declares that even amid the ruin, the LORD extends His benefit to those who wait on Him, and those that trust in Him.
When we wait for the Lord, we pause to pray before we act. The act of waiting is to seek God’s counsel in prayer before any attempt is made to solve the problem ourselves. When we wait for God’s counsel, we are submissive and open to it. “but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” (Isa. 40:31)