Let's face it - we don't like waiting in line, waiting on the phone, waiting at a restaurant, waiting on an internet search, waiting at the doctor's office, waiting at the airport and waiting on someone to come home! In Psalm 25:1-5, it says:
To You, O LORD, I lift up my soul.
O my God, in You I trust,
Do not let me be ashamed;
Do not let my enemies exult over me.
Indeed, none of those who wait for You will be ashamed;
Those who deal treacherously without cause will be ashamed.
Make me know Your ways, O LORD;
Teach me Your paths.
Lead me in Your truth and teach me,
For You are the God of my salvation;
For You I wait all the day.
Waiting has always been hard and God's children have always been asked to do it. We see long periods of waiting all throughout Scripture. Waiting may be even harder in this instantaneous culture we live in. We are used to obtaining information in seconds and food almost that fast! Perhaps the art of waiting on the Lord has been somewhat lost in the busyness of our lives. When I was reading this Psalm - these things stood out to me.
*Waiting involves TRUST -- We are not just waiting on anyone - we are waiting on God, Himself. He is trustworthy. He is never late. He is faithful. He cares.
*Waiting will not bring us shame. Don't we spend a good deal of time worrying about what is to come? When will this happen? Why isn't is happening faster? Perhaps the Lord is protecting us. Perhaps there is crucial timing at stake here. He will not put us to shame.
*Waiting is active. I am to "know" God's ways. This involves studying His Word, spending time talking to Him and spending a lot of time listening. He says that He will teach me and that He will lead me. Often, these times of waiting are some of the richest in terms of learning and growing in the Lord.
*Waiting can take a while! I know that seems a little redundant - but the Psalm says, "For you I will wait all day." I don't really think this means a simple 24 hours. I think the idea here is that no matter how long it takes, I will wait. God is not restricted by the clock or by the calendar. I need to let those restrictions go as well.
How often have you gotten yourself
in trouble by waiting?
If you are like me, not very often. I am more likely to get myself in a mess by being impulsive. I have acted too fast, spoken too quickly and made important decisions in haste. Learning the discipline of waiting is HUGE. It is key to maturity in Christ and is indicative of our trust in Him.
What are you anxious about?
Are you waiting on the Lord and the wait seems too long?
Are you feeling anxious in your waiting?
You are among good company. This would be an excellent time to read over Psalm 25 and take a deep breath. Remind yourself of God's faithfulness in the past and that His timing is always perfect. Our vision is so restrictive and our knowledge so narrow. He sees it all - He knows it all - He cares more than we can imagine.
Lord, grace us with the ability to wait on You
and please grow us up in the process.
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