Waiting Patiently
I
waited patiently for the Lord; he
turned to me and heard my cry.1
Waiting…Patiently…those words are a
contradiction at its best! Have you ever actually waited patiently? If you
have, and succeeded, then you are among an admired few! Waiting, in itself, is
not difficult; in fact, we do it on a daily basis—in line at the grocery store,
in the waiting room at the doctor’s office, on the telephone with the insurance
company (this one requires an extra measure of patience!). But it’s when we’re
in a hurry, and who isn’t now-a-days, that patience—particularly in
waiting—becomes a learned virtue. In Psalm 40, David was once again calling out
to God for deliverance. This time he considered himself to be stuck in a muddy,
filthy pit that he could not get out of, alone. Verses 11-13 say that he was
surrounded by troubles, and he begs the Lord to come quickly to help him; yet,
in verse one we see that he waited patiently. David expected his relief to come
from God, and the fact that he waited implies that relief did not come quickly.
Nevertheless, because he knew that God would come to his aid, he was patient
and while he waited, he praised God and proclaimed His glory over and over.
If you have ever asked God to answer a
prayer, waiting for him to do so can be discouraging; especially if you are
asking for the physical or spiritual healing of a loved one, a promotion at
work, or the next meal on your table. When God doesn’t answer in what we
consider a timely manner, it is easy to say, “Well, God doesn’t hear me”, or “I
guess His answer was no”. But waiting is a lesson and doing so patiently is a
blessing. As we continue in this Lenten Season, what a great time to practice
proclaiming His name while we are learning to wait on the Lord, patiently waiting for Him to answer.
Suggested Prayer: Many, Lord my God, are the
wonders you have done, the things you planned for us. None can compare with you; were I to speak and tell of your deeds, they
would be too many to declare…Do not withhold your mercy from me, Lord; may your love and faithfulness
always protect me…may all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you; may those
who long for your saving help always say, “The Lord
is great!”2
1. Psalm 40:1 (NIV).
2. Psalm 40:5,11,16.
Today’s
Encounter was written by: Veronica B.
All articles on this website are written by
Richard (Dick) Innes unless otherwise stated.