Unshakably Calm While Waiting On the Lord
Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash
Impatience is not a virtue
By nature, most of us are not very patient. I know I'm not. I don't like to wait in lines at stores, the TSA airport check, in traffic, and various other things. And I know I’m not alone in this.
I see this in others too while driving, at check-out registers, in restaurants, and at fast-food counters and drive-throughs. And I’m right there with them. Even though I know commercials generate revenue, I’ll switch channels to avoid them.
In general, Americans are impatient and in a hurry. Think not? Think of how reliant we are on fast-food places, drive-through convenience, convenience stores, and businesses open 24 hours a day.
And then there's online shopping. Why drive somewhere when you can shop online and have it express delivered? Consider all the quick and easy prepared meal services available because our lives are too busy for cooking!
Sadly, this carries over to our spiritual life. When we pray, we want immediate answers and results. Who wants to go to church to hear a sermon when you can listen to a message via podcast or online while doing something else?
This is true more than ever after the great interruption Covid-19 imposed upon our lives. Perhaps going to a church service or Bible study in person has become passé for you or others you know. At a minimum, going in person may seem inconvenient.
Now is when we need to be reminded of what is true and needful for our souls. True in a present and an eternal sense. Although it runs contrary to what others may say and counter to relying on ourselves and our feelings, we need to learn to wait on the Lord.
Scripture
For the choir director; according to Jeduthun; a psalm by David.
My soul waits calmly for God alone. My salvation comes from him.
He alone is my rock and my savior—my stronghold. I cannot be severely shaken.
How long will all of you attack a person? How long will you try to murder him, as though he were a leaning wall or a sagging fence?
They plan to force him out of his high position. They are happy to lie.
They bless with their mouths, but in their hearts they curse. [vss 1-4] Selah
Wait calmly for God alone, my soul, because my hope comes from him. He alone is my rock and my savior—my stronghold. I cannot be shaken.
My salvation and my glory depend on God. God is the rock of my strength, my refuge.
Trust him at all times, you people. Pour out your hearts in his presence. God is our refuge. [vss 5-8] Selah
Common people are only a whisper in the wind. Important people are only a delusion.
When all of them are weighed on a scale, they amount to nothing. They are less than a whisper in the wind.
Do not count on extortion to make you rich. Do not hope to gain anything through robbery. When riches increase, do not depend on them.
God has spoken once. I have heard it said twice: “Power belongs to God. Mercy belongs to you, O Lord. You reward a person based on what he has done.” [vss 9-12]
[Context– Psalm 62]
Reflections and Insights
This psalm begins and ends with a confession of faith. A confession of trust in God—who He is—and the assurance this trust in God brings.
The middle of the psalm has three parts to it—a redirection of personal questions and concerns, a self-exhortation, and another confession of faith, an exhortation to others who ignore God.
The term waiting on God is used especially in older versions of the Bible, especially noted in Psalms 37:7 and 40:1, along with Isaiah 40:31). It expresses the same idea of trust in God. A calm, patient trust and the two Selahs (in bold) underscore this idea.
This gets to the heart of our tendency towards impatience. We all have a hard time trusting and waiting when it comes to God and His kingdom. His timing is way different from ours!
It's not just because He's eternal and we're not, although that is true. Time is a restrictive constraint for us. When we're young, we can hardly wait to get old enough to do certain things. As we get older, time seems to go by faster and faster, and it's easy to think back to and long for earlier times.
God knows all this about us and He waits for us.
He longs for us to trust Him—for all things, at all times. Even when we are impatient, he wants to hear us pour out our hearts to him. He understands.
The Lord enjoys it when we turn to Him in a personal way, as a grandchild to a grandparent. He especially loves it when we pour our hearts out to Him, then trust Him implicitly, like a contented child.
Psalms 62 provides us with a wonderful example of how to pray and worship in times of uncertainty. We live in a time of uncertainty and confusion, both nationally and globally. And as said earlier, most if not all of us don’t like to wait, especially when things are uncertain in our lives.
It’s important to note the form of this worshipful prayer. The focus is on a trust that waits upon God calmly and confidently. It is not an exhortation to take action, but an exhortation to rest in God—to wait on Him.
Reflection—
When was the last time you poured out your heart to God? He longs for you to do so. He is waiting for you and you'll be blessed when you learn to wait on (trust in) Him.
Prayer Focus—
When things are uncertain in your life or the world around you, go to the Lord with calm and confident prayer. Pour your heart out to Him with confidence and openness. Trust in Him as your refuge in times of uncertainty.
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