Wait Like a Watchman

“I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope; my soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning.” 

– Psalm 130:5-6 -(ESV). 

There’s a moment from childhood I can’t seem to forget—especially when I’m tired of waiting. 

I’m eleven, camping in my backyard under a clear Tacoma sky, wide awake, watching the stars. Morning means a long-awaited trip with friends to Point Defiance. But in the silence of the night, I wonder, “Will the morning ever come?” 

The Psalmist also knows the weariness of waiting. However, unlike an impatient boy, who focuses more on immediate gratification, the Psalmist chooses to “wait” like a watchman. 

In biblical times, a watchman was a guard, sentinel, or lookout—usually stationed on the city wall or in a tower, tasked with scanning the horizon for danger or signs of approaching messengers (Isaiah 21:6, Ezekiel 3:17). 

Their role was protective and prophetic, requiring vigilance, discipline, and unwavering attention. In other words, watchmen were active in their waiting. 

Watchmen serve through the darkest hours. Alone, alert, and surrounded by uncertainty, they scan the horizon for signs of hope. But they do so with confidence—because the morning always comes. 

Waiting like a watchman is an intensely active, hope-filled posture. This “anticipated, hopeful waiting” is possible because we know with assurance that morning will come. It’s not a question of if the sun will rise—we know it will. 

Our question is, when will the sun appear? 

Waiting on God (especially when God seems slow) frequently prompts a question of when. However, waiting on God is not wishful thinking—it’s a confident expectation in God’s character and promises. 

“For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience” (Romans 8:24-25).

Like a watchman, learning to wait teaches us to be vigilant and ready. There’s no dozing off. We’re careful not to be distracted. We’re scanning the horizon. In spiritual terms, waiting on God involves prayerful alertness (Mark 13:33), attentiveness to His Word (Proverbs 4:20-22; Psalm 130:5), and readiness for God’s movement (Luke 12:37). 

The psalmist says, “In His word I put my hope.” Like a watchman who trusts the cycle of day and night, we can wait on the unshakable promises of God (Isaiah 40:31, Lamentations 3:25-26) when we are anchored in God’s Word.

I find it interesting that the watchman’s most important work is accomplished at night, when darkness intensifies uncertainty. But God does some of His finest work in the darkness. 

“I will give you the treasures of darkness and the hoards in secret places, that you may know that it is I, the Lord, the God of Israel, who call you by your name” (Isaiah 45:3).

Waiting most frequently happens in darkness, because light is most anticipated when we can’t see. 

This “watchman metaphor” is essential for our waiting and reminds us: 

• Faithful waiting isn’t passive—it’s participatory. 
• Remaining on the wall, eyes open and heart alert—is essential.
• Rushing the dawn is impossible—but honoring the space between darkness and light is where trust grows. 
• Watchmen wait with trust, attentive to what God is doing now, and filled with “hopeful anticipation” that His light will break through. 

Jesus’ words are timely for each of us: 

“Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore, you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” 

– Matthew 24:42-44.

So, stand your post. The night won’t last forever. Morning is coming—and with it, the light of God’s faithfulness.

REFLECTION:

• What “night” am I currently standing in? How will I stay alert in hope like a watchman?
• Will I choose to trust God’s presence in my darkness willingly?
• What promise of God do I need to cling to while I wait?