Better Wait Than Never

This month’s blog is a tad bit longer but bear with me and spend a few minutes pondering God’s Word with me.

As a child, waiting was never easy. but it was always in expectation of something. That expectation brought with it a sense of good fortune (the sound of the ice cream truck around the corner) or it brought a sense of foreboding (“Wait until your father gets home!”).

Waiting means there is a delay in receiving whatever is expected. One definition for waiting is, “to stay in place in expectation of.” Staying in one place as a child was hard enough, but as we get older that simple task seems to become even more elusive. Why? Because we have things to do, people to see, places to go! This kind of mentality seems to seep into our walk with the Lord because we are, even as Christians, impatient people.

We have an example of a man who was very busy yet decided that it was important for him to wait on the Lord. King David of Israel wrote the following in Psalm 40:1-4

“I waited patiently for the LORD; And He inclined to me and heard my cry. He brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay. And He set my feet upon a rock making my footsteps firm. He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God; Many will see and fear and will trust in the LORD. How blessed is the man who has made the LORD his trust, and has not turned to the proud, nor to those who lapse into falsehood.”

Let’s take a few moments to break this down and see what it means to us today…

I waited patiently for the LORD. Living in the 21st century means we have almost instant access to almost anything we want: we can pop our meal in a microwave and have it NOW; we can go online and reserve airline tickets NOW; we can stream our favorite movies and shows and watch them NOW; we can take a photograph and download it to a printer and get it NOW.

To wait is a foreign concept to most humans living in the world today. We have been geared and primed to expect our desires to be granted instantly, much like the proverbial genie in a bottle. Many may even take up the chant, “What do we want? We don’t know! When do we want it? NOW!” Why should we wait? And besides, what is this “patience” thing?

We may be able to wait, but it is seldom patiently. This first phrase paints the picture of serenity. There is no rush, no “gotta-have-it-now” feeling. The object of our waiting can produce either feelings of anxiety or it can evoke calm assurance. If we are waiting for the LORD, we can be assured of His love, His grace, and the fact that He will always do what is in our best interest. We need to learn to align ourselves with His timing and wait patiently for His plan to unfold.

He inclined to me and heard my cry. He, God Almighty, our Creator, listens to me. HE listens to ME! What an incredible thought to ponder! In a world filled with a cacophony of noise and voices screaming for our attention, it is reassuring to know that God actually turns and listens. He hears us and pays attention to what we say. But, He doesn’t just listen…He does something.

He brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay. God helps us in times of trouble. When we face those times where it seems as though the walls are closing in and there is no way out, HE is the way out! We don’t have to get stuck. God is there to pull us out and lift us up!

And He set my feet upon a rock making my footsteps firm. God doesn’t just pull us out of the muck, just to set us down in it once more. No! He sets us down on solid ground. It is up to us to stay on the solid ground!

He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. He gives us a new outlook, a new perspective on life. Are we willing to accept it? We can go along and sing the same old “song” that we’re used to and the one everyone else is singing…OR…we can allow God to write a new theme song for us, one that honors Him.

Many will see and fear and will trust in the LORD. If we let Him, God will use us to reach others around us with His Good News. While the rest of the world is running around in turmoil, we can stand in stark contrast as we wait patiently (and calmly) for the LORD. People will notice there is something substantively different about us and will want to know what that difference is.

How blessed is the man who has made the LORD his trust… The one who places their trust in God will be content and can actually relax and enjoy life. We can enjoy this life because we trust God for the outcome.

…and has not turned to the proud, nor to those who lapse into falsehood. We certainly can turn to others for help in times of trouble. But, we must be careful to whom we turn. The world has nothing to offer us. Our government is a pitiful source for help or encouragement. If we are to live a godly life, one that Jesus promised we would live abundantly (see John 10:10), we must not succumb to the false hope this world offers. We must hold on to our hope that is in Jesus!

What (or Who) are you waiting for?