Waiting can quietly become an excuse for doing my own thing and living life on my own terms. I can tell myself, “I’m waiting on the Lord,” while slowly drifting onto a path of my own choosing. But David doesn’t separate waiting from obedience. He says to wait on the Lord and keep His way. That tells me waiting is not just a posture of the heart—it is a pattern of life marked by faithfulness and obedience.

David even prays like a man who knows his weakness: “Let integrity and uprightness preserve me; for I wait on thee.” That’s honest. It tells me that when life gets messy and the wait gets long, integrity needs preserving. Waiting isn’t easy, and we naturally want to take matters into our own hands. David had that desire, but he asked the Lord for help to wait and trust.

I’ve seen how pressure tempts people to compromise—small steps, small excuses, “just this once.” But waiting is trusting God enough to keep walking in His way even when you don’t understand and things seem to be falling apart. The wait becomes a proving ground: will I obey God without immediate results?

If I’m waiting but I’m not keeping His way, I’m not truly waiting on the Lord—I’m only delaying while my heart turns elsewhere. Waiting done God’s way is steady and faithful.