Wait Patiently For The Lord

Psalm 40

Good day, readers!  Today’s meditation is on Psalm 40.  I would like to focus on the first three verses of this Psalm written by King David.  Patience is a virtue that is in short supply, and a lesson that I am still learning.  Most days I feel could use several more hours, as I rush here, rush there, trying to get done all I need to before I can go to bed at night.  With fast food drive-throughs and microwaves, we want our food right away.  Snail mail is out, being replaced by emails and texting.  So many people cannot wait even a few seconds after the traffic light changes from red to green before they start honking the horn.

With the rush of the modern world, we frequently fret and panic when we don’t see an answer from God to our prayers.  Waiting for God to answer in His time, though, has spiritual benefits.  David was anointed by Samuel as a young man to be the king of Israel.  He had to wait many years to see the fulfilment of that promise.  As he stated in the first verse, David “waited patiently for the Lord”.  During that time, David’s faith, endurance, and perseverance grew, as will ours if we also wait patiently for Him.

As we wait for God and the answer to our prayers, we can gain additional benefits.  First He lifts us from despair.  Verse 2 states that He has taken us up out of the pit and mire.  Whatever mess we are in, He will lift us up out of it.  Then God sets us on a rock, something strong and sturdy, a firm place to stand.  A pit of mud is slippery.  It is so easy for one to slip and fall while in the mud.  It is easy to get stuck in.  But God pulls us out of that and puts us on something strong, firm and steady.  When we put our trust in the Lord, when we trust that He hears and answers our prayers, He will pull us out of the mud, out of the despair of our problems, and will set us on a firm rock.  God’s promises, and the faith and trust that He hears our prayers, are as firm a rock as can be.

Finally, in verse 3, we see that God will give us a song of praise.  He may not answer our prayers as quickly as we might wish, and they may not be answered exactly the way we might wish, either.  We can rest assured, though, that He will lift us up and put us on that rock.   Knowing that He loves us just as assuredly as He did King David, we can sing praises to Him.  While in the pit, we may not feel much like praising the Lord, but, my friends,  know that He will not leave us there.  He will give us a song of praise.  Wait patiently for the Lord.