Psalms 27:14

My Notes

What Does Psalms 27:14 Mean?

David closes Psalm 27 with an exhortation that brackets a promise: wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.

Wait on the LORD — wait (qavah) means to bind together, to look eagerly, to hope with expectation. The waiting is not passive resignation. It is active expectation — the binding of oneself to God's timing and purposes. The object of the waiting is the LORD — not circumstances, not relief, not answers. The LORD himself.

Be of good courage (chazaq) — be strong, be firm, take courage. The command is sandwiched between two calls to wait, suggesting that courage is required during the waiting. Waiting is not easy. It demands strength. The command acknowledges that waiting feels like weakness and instructs the opposite: be strong while you wait.

And he shall strengthen thine heart — the promise responds to the command. You are told to be courageous — and God promises to provide the strength. The heart (leb) is the center of will, emotion, and decision. God strengthens the interior — not just the exterior circumstances. The heart that waits on the LORD receives divine fortification.

Wait, I say, on the LORD — the repetition is emphatic. David says it twice — as though the reader might have missed it the first time, or as though he needs to say it again to convince himself. The double exhortation suggests that waiting is the hardest spiritual discipline and the most necessary one.

The structure is: wait → be courageous → God strengthens → wait again. The waiting produces the need for courage. The courage opens the door for God's strengthening. The strengthening sustains more waiting. The cycle is the spiritual life distilled to its essence.

Reflection Questions

• 1.Why does David repeat 'wait on the LORD' twice — and what does the repetition reveal about the difficulty of waiting?
• 2.How does the command to 'be of good courage' redefine waiting as active strength rather than passive resignation?
• 3.What does God strengthening 'thine heart' mean — and how does interior strengthening differ from changed circumstances?
• 4.Where are you being called to wait right now — and what would courageous waiting look like?

Devotional

Wait on the LORD. The first instruction. And the last instruction. The verse begins with wait and ends with wait. As though David is trying to drill one single truth into your heart: wait. On the LORD. Not on the answer. Not on the change. On the LORD himself.

Be of good courage. The command between the two waits is courage. Because waiting is not passive. It is one of the hardest things you will ever do. Waiting when you cannot see the outcome. Waiting when nothing seems to be happening. Waiting when every instinct says act, fix, move. Courage is required to wait — more courage than it takes to act.

And he shall strengthen thine heart. The promise meets the command. You are told to be courageous — and you think: I do not have the courage. And God says: I will strengthen your heart. The courage is not manufactured from your own reserves. It is supplied by the one you are waiting on. He strengthens the heart that waits for him.

Wait, I say, on the LORD. David says it again. As though once was not enough. As though the human instinct to stop waiting is so strong that the instruction needs repeating. Wait. I say. Wait. The repetition is not filler. It is desperation — the prophet preaching to himself because the waiting is that hard.

The cycle is your life: wait, take courage, receive strength, wait again. The waiting is not wasted time. It is the space where courage is demanded, strength is given, and the LORD is found. Wait on him. He is worth the wait.

Commentary

Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.

Cross References

Related passages throughout Scripture