PSALM 40:1-3: “I waited patiently for the Lord; he inclined to me and heard my cry. He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure. He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the Lord.” (ESV)
OBSERVATION: One of the hardest things to do in life is to wait! Yet, this is one of the things we must learn to do or we will go through life continually struggling and frustrated. I don’t like to wait any more than the next person. Our culture is built upon the concept of “instant” and “fast”. Yet, we daily have to live with delays. It is a paradox in our lives. We are always in a hurry, and we always have to wait. Welcome impatience and frustration.
When this happens on the freeway we have to deal with it for a short period of time. When this happens in a fast food line we can simply walk out the door and go to another restaurant. However, when this happens in our lives we have a choice to make that will determine whether we will, through faith and patience, discover God’s will – or through presumption and impatience, pursue our own. David knew of both, and he learned how to wait patiently upon the Lord.
As I look over my life I see so many opportunities that I had to wait patiently upon the Lord – and I rushed ahead in my own wisdom, strength, and timing. I am not talking only about failures that resulted in sin, but also in trying to press ahead to do the work the Lord had given me. I learned how to make a battering ram out of Bible verses and platitudes. If the door was not going to open – then I would break it down through my own faith! As I look over these missteps I can’t help but wonder – “What would have happened if I had waited patiently upon the Lord?”
In all our mistakes the Lord is there to bring His cleansing and forgiveness as we confess our sins. He is always working toward redeeming our lives and working all things back toward His desire for the good purposes of His will to be established in our lives. When we do not wait upon Him, He does not stop loving us – but it does delay what He desires to do in our lives. We have taken time away from truly discovering HIs will that now is needed to unravel the missteps that we have taken. Every one of God’s people have struggled with this. Abraham did, Moses did, and David did – along with a host of others. Their failures are not to embolden us to fail also. They are given to instruct us, to teach us, to exhort us to – WAIT PATIENTLY UPON THE LORD!
The wonderful promise to those who learn to wait upon the Lord is the assurance of God’s Grace and deliverance! He not only delivers us from the “pit of destruction” and the “miry bog” – He establishes us by placing our feet upon a rock (Jesus). He gives us a new song in our heart (joy). And he allows our lives to become living testimonies of HIs faithfulness to teach others the wonderful blessedness of those who WAIT PATIENTLY UPON THE LORD!
Lord, this morning I pray that You would grant me grace sufficient to WAIT PATIENTLY UPON YOU!. May the sins of my youth, my previous presumption, become a constant reminder of the foolishness of running ahead of Your Grace and Your timing. Help me to face this new day with faith and patience, and to take only the steps that You direct. Place my feet firmly upon my Rock, the Lord Jesus Christ, and put a new song in my heart. In Jesus Name!
