To Wait Is to Wait

God is always working for our good—even when the answers we want are delayed.

June 3, 2024

Psalms 40:1-3

It’s likely we’ve all had the difficult experience of praying for something and wondering how long God would take to respond. We express our desire, pray sincerely, and sometimes get impatient when we don’t get our answer. We might even begin to create a backup plan if it seems He’s taking too long to come through.

Learning how to wait patiently on the Lord is an acquired skill—and an essential one. David, who learned to do so in times of joy, exile, and conflict, wrote in Psalm 40:1 that he “waited patiently” for God. In fact, the Hebrew word qawa is repeated, which gives the verse a literal sense of “to wait, I waited on the Lord.” That repetition also lets us know the writer is stating something important. David recognized that patient stillness helped his faith to grow—a truth he emphasized by writing it twice.

The psalmist was saying that he persevered in prayer and anticipated God’s answer. For us as well, waiting develops perseverance. Then, as Romans 5:3-5 teaches, perseverance will lead to character, and character will bring about hope. If, while waiting, we look to God for wisdom and direction, we will begin to see His work in our life and recognize His goodness. Not only does waiting patiently express our trust in and reliance on God; it also helps us develop greater faith.

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