Patiently Waiting for the Lord By George Stroh September 12, 2010
"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." (Psalms 40:1-3)
Maybe the hardest thing we do as Christians is to wait patiently for the Lord. When we encounter various trails and tribulations, our first instinct is to try to escape the physical and emotional suffering and pain utilizing our own resources (our human wisdom, financial and other worldly resources). These resources, of course, often prove to be inadequate which can cause us to be even more stressed (no peace of mind) and worried (anxious) about our situation.
Philippians 4 instructs us to "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God." But God does not promise to immediately take away all the suffering and pain when we pray. What He does promise is to give us His strength, His wisdom and His peace; "And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:7). It is then that we must wait patiently for the Lord.
David reminds us in Psalm 40 that the Lord always hears the prayers of His children; "And He inclined to me and heard my cry." He always answers, but not always according to our specific prayers and petitions. Our responsibility, like David's, is to wait patiently for the Lord, trusting in His perfect providence and His perfect timing.
When we wait patiently for the Lord, He not only gives us His super natural peace, but also renewed confidence; "And He set my feet upon a rock making my footsteps firm." And He gives us a renewed positive outlook generating praise and thanksgiving to Him; "He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God;" When we as Christians face trails and tribulations with this godly attitude, others who are watching, are often also ministered to by the Lord; "Many will see and fear And will trust in the Lord."
Waiting patiently for the Lord may be hard at times; "Yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary." (Isaiah 40:31). Maranatha!
