Lyrics
Verse 1
We know not the time when He cometh,
At even, or midnight, or morn;
It may be at deepening twilight,
It may be at earliest dawn.
He bids us to watch and be ready,
Nor suffer our lights to grow dim;
That when He shall come, He may find us,
All waiting and watching for Him.
Chorus
Waiting and watching,
Waiting and watching;
Waiting and watching,
Still waiting and watching for Thee.
Verse 2
I think of His wonderful pity,
The price our salvation hath cost;
He left the bright mansions of glory
To suffer and die for the lost.
And sometimes I think it will please Him,
When those whom He died to redeem,
Rejoice in the hope of His coming
By waiting and watching for Him.
Chorus (Repeat)
Verse 3
O Jesus, my loving Redeemer,
Thou knowest I cherish as dear
The hope that mine eyes shall behold Thee,
That I shall Thine own welcome hear!
If to some as a Judge Thou appearest,
Who forth from Thy presence would flee,
A Friend most beloved I'll greet Thee,
I'm waiting and watching for Thee.
Chorus (Repeat)
Video
Meaning & Inspiration
"Waiting and Watching" opens by admitting genuine uncertainty, not knowing whether a described arrival will come at evening, midnight, or dawn, before naming the appropriate response to that uncertainty, staying alert rather than growing careless. That honest admission of unknown timing frames the entire hymn around readiness rather than prediction.
Its second verse shifts from uncertainty to gratitude, recalling the cost of salvation and describing a willing departure from glory to suffer for those considered lost. That remembered sacrifice gives the hymn's anticipated reunion emotional weight beyond simple expectation of an event.
Rooted in nineteenth-century hymn tradition emphasizing Christ's promised return, the hymn functions as a meditation on faithful anticipation, its closing verse distinguishing between meeting Christ as judge or as beloved friend, expressing confident hope that ongoing watchfulness will be met with welcome rather than fear.
Related Scripture
- Matthew 24:42 Instructs watching because the exact hour of the Lord's coming is unknown, directly echoed in the hymn's opening verse.
- Mark 13:35 Describes not knowing whether the master returns at evening, midnight, or dawn, directly echoed in the hymn's list of possible times.