Our soul waiteth for the Lord: He is our help and our shield.
Waiting for the Lord
I. the subject of the exercise--“our soul.” Not our souls, but “our soul.” Believers are said to be “of one soul.” Drops of water brought into contact will run into one. So with the souls of God’s people.
II. the exercise itself--waiting for the Lord. It includes conviction, desire, hope, patience.
III. the encouragement given--“He is our help and our shield.”
1. Their help. They need aid, and know their need.
2. Their shield, to defend from all the power of the adversary both from without and within. (W. Jay.)
A description of true worship
I. waiting on the Lord for a good reason (Psalms 33:20).
1. Waiting upon Him implies faith--faith in His existence; desire, a craving after some good; patience, biding His own good time. But how are you to wait on Him?
(1) Wholly. He must be waited upon in every event, purpose, action, and place. True worship is an all-pervading spirit, not an occasional feeling or service.
(2) Lovingly. It cannot be done perfunctorily or formally.
(3) Constantly. It is spirit running through the life, giving unity, meaning, and worth to existence.
2. Such is the waiting but what is the good reason? “He is our help and our shield.” A “shield.” If He be for us, who can be against us? God is our refuge and strength. A “help.” Life’s labours are arduous, life’s trials are heavy: He is the only effective helper in both. We will wait, therefore, on Him.
II. rejoicing in the lord for a good reason (Psalms 33:21).
1. True worship is joy--the only satisfactory and lasting joy of a moral intelligence. It is a rejoicing in His--
(1) Works.
(2) Government.
(3) Character.
(4) Fatherhood.
(5) Promises.
What is the good reason for rejoicing? “Because we have trusted in His holy name.” All joy is the fruit of that tree that is rooted in an unbounded confidence in God. All the streams that “make glad the city of our God” rise out of a settled faith in Him.
III. praying to the Lord for a good reason (Psalms 33:22).
1. Were we innocent sufferers, we should pray for justice, not mercy; but we are sinful, and mercy is what we require: mercy to pardon, to cleanse, and to qualify us for the high service and fellowship of the Holy One.
2. What is the good reason for this prayer? “According as we hope in Thee.” We pray because our confidence is in Thee, and our expectation is from Thee. Men would never pray without this hope in God, and the compass of the prayer is measured by the expanse of this hope. We ask for little because our faith and hope are feeble. (Homilist.).