Wait Patiently

Isaiah 40: 1-3

I waited patiently for the Lord; and He inclined to me,
And heard my cry.
2 He also brought me up out of a horrible pit,
Out of the miry clay,
And set my feet upon a rock,
And established my steps.
3 He has put a new song in my mouth—
Praise to our God;
Many will see it and fear,
And will trust in the Lord.

Have you ever had a problem that you wanted to be resolved quickly? Have you ever been in need of immediate assistance or relief? Has the weight of your trials been so great that you wanted God to remove them or save you from your troubles post haste?

Well I know exactly what you mean. There have been times when the trials seem so weighty and I just want them to go away. I was praying for direction, peace, and wisdom. God gave me direction but I wanted resolution and to be able to see an end to the situation. But God didn't make the situation change, He changed how I waited in the situation. God used the situation, trial, or circumstance to change me. He changed the way I look at the situation, the people in the situation, His ability to move in the situation, and His wisdom in not moving the trial.

David was waiting for the Lord.  How did he wait?  He waited patiently.  He received the benefits of waiting on the Lord.  What are the benefits?  God lifted him up and out of the despair; God set his feet on solid ground; God established his steps (made him steady); God put a new song in his heart.  There are benefits to waiting on the Lord. 

We run the risk of really messing things up when we do not wait.  The biblical meaning of waiting is to be aware through all of the senses of what is occurring around you and discerning the right time to do the next thing. (https://news.mhm.org/waiting-a-spiritual-discipline/)  Patiently means in a way that shows tolerance of delays, problems, or suffering without becoming annoyed or anxious. (Oxford Dictionary).  To wait patiently would mean to discern what is occurring around you and discern the right time to do the next thing and to be tolerate of the delays, problems or suffering without being annoyed or anxious.  WOW!!  Is this the way that you wait?  I can't say that I always do. 

It is imperative that we discern God's timing for the things that are occurring around us. We could move too quickly and miss the timing of God.  God knows what He is doing and He is in control of all things.  The situation or trial couldn't even get to you unless God allowed it to come.  It is also to our benefit to wait patiently - being tolerant of the delays, problems, or suffering without being annoyed or anxious.  But even if you are annoyed and anxious, you can talked to God about it. 

Romans 3: 5-7 states"3 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; 4 And patience, experience; and experience, hope: 5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us."  This is working to produce something great in us.  We are gaining experience and from that we have hope.  Hope doesn't make us ashamed, we learn how much God truly loves us. 

The scripture says that tribulation works patience.  Yes, when you ask for patience, you are asking for tribulation.  We are to glory in tribulation.  This verb form of the word means to take great pride or pleasure in. We are to "count it all joy" (James 2:2-4) "2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. 4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways."

James tells us to count it all joy when have trials because it is testing our faith.  The testing of our faith produces patience.  It causes us to be complete, lacking nothing.  We shouldn't try to get out of the trial because it is perfecting us - getting things out of us and making us who God called us to be.  We can ask God for wisdom to walk through trials and believe that He will help us.  We don't want to be double-minded.  A double-minded person is indecisive and can't unstable.  

Waiting patiently requires God's assistance.  I pray God will assist us all as we wait patiently on the Lord.  He will incline His ear (He hears us as we pray according to His will) and He will answer us.  Be encouraged, God will rescue you and give you a new song in your heart!!  Those that persecuted you will see you rejoicing.  They will come to trust in the Lord because of the way that you wait.  

Be blessed.