Wait

Waiting is hard. We've brought this on ourselves with our instant, fast-food society. We can get whatever we want now in a lot of cases. Yet there is plenty out there that we can't get now, especially if we want to do the right thing.

I read Psalm 13 in the New Living Translation the other day, and the LORD spoke to me through it. Here is what David wrote:

O LORD, how long will You forget me?

Forever?

How long will You look the other way?

How long must I struggle with anguish in my soul,

With sorrow in my heart every day?

How long will my enemy have the upper hand?

Turn and answer me, O LORD my God!

Restore the light to my eyes, or I will die.

Don't let my enemies gloat, saying,

"We have defeated him!"

Don't let them rejoice at my downfall.

But I trust in Your unfailing love.

I will rejoice because you have rescued me.

I will sing to the LORD because He has been so good to me.

David knew what it was like to wait. And he knew it was best, in all things, to wait on the LORD. It becomes dangerous when we take matters into our own hands and try to force an outcome that we think is from the LORD. That is plain foolishness, and will likely put us on a path moving away from God. David starts the Psalm complaining to the LORD - crying out to Him. "How long, O LORD? Are You there? Can You hear me? Turn Your attention to me! Answer me!" It seems as if he has had enough of the situation and he doesn't know what else to do, but cry out. THEN - I don't know if a few moments pass and he comes to his senses and REMEMBERS the character of the One he's crying out to, or perhaps the answer came eventually and he comes back and finishes the Psalm, giving God the glory - then he makes a godly decision. He proclaims his trust in LORD. He chooses to rejoice because God has rescued him. And he sings to LORD, for the LORD has been so good to him.

It's fascinating to me how God takes a point and drives it home week after week. Yesterday, we had a visiting pastor preach on the parable of the unrighteous judge from Luke 18. There was so much in his sermon, it was like taking a drink from a fire hydrant. But he shared with us some reasons why we may be waiting on God - why God may not have necessarily provided a specific answer to our prayers. First, our Heavenly Father knows best, and in His providential love and care for us, He knows that we don't need that for which we are asking. Our hearts might be completely focused in the opposite direction of where they need to be focused. Secondly, God is never late on His answers. We must learn to persevere - it's a necessary character trait to have. Look at the perseverance of our Savior and all He endured. Lastly, we need to grow in our faith and trust in the LORD. He is trustworthy - we need to believe that and flesh it out

So whatever you're waiting on, continue to persevere in prayer and trust in the LORD. Jesus stated right in the beginning of this parable that we should always pray and not lose heart. I'll leave you with these familiar verses ...

Trust in the LORD with all your heart

And lean not on your own understanding.

In all your ways, acknowledge Him,

And He will make your paths straight.

(Proverbs 3:5&6)

Grace and peace to you.