June 1, 2026

Business by the Book

Psalm 25:5 …on thee do I wait all the day.

Waiting is difficult. The word “wait” is used 101 times in Scripture. There are some things the Lord wants us to know about waiting. Primarily He wants us to know that there are times that we must wait. In our day and age waiting is not one of our strongest points, for we live in an instant world. Waiting is usually not an option for most people, but sometimes wait we must.

Great hunters are great waiters. I’m not a great hunter, but I love to hunt. Once my wife asked me what it was like to sit in a deer blind all day long. I told her to turn on her computer, put a picture up on the screen, and sit there for about four hours waiting for it to change. She was not encouraged to pick up deer hunting. Hunters know that they must wait in order to harvest their prey.

Business people, like great hunters, must develop the ability to wait. Wait for the right time, wait for the customer, wait for the right market conditions, wait for product developments, wait for product testing, wait for suppliers, wait for finances, wait, wait, wait.

In I Samuel chapter 13 there is a story about a king that lost his kingdom because he did not wait. Saul was the king, Samuel was the prophet of God: Samuel told Saul that in seven days they would meet in Gilgal and an offering would be made by Samuel. Saul was in Gilgal seven days and Samuel did not show. Therefore Saul, the king, took it upon himself to enter into the prophet’s office and offer the sacrifice. At the end of the sacrifice Samuel arrived and learned about the sacrifice offered by Saul. Because of the king’s transgression of performing a task that God reserved for His prophet, Saul’s kingdom was to end prematurely. It was ultimately given to David because, in part, Saul would not wait. He was pressured by the actions of his countrymen and his enemies, the Philistines. He should have waited.

Waiting is a part of business. Sometimes the waiting seems interminable, but wait we must, for proper timing is essential. The right timing must sometimes be waited for: days, weeks, months, and even years.

Dr. William Howe