This is part 2 of a look through Psalms devotional. Read the series here.
“For God alone my soul waits in silence; from him comes my salvation. He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken. For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken. On God rest my salvation and my glory; my mighty rock, my refuge is God”
(1-2, 5-7).
Patience is difficult for me. Therefore, prayer is often hard as well or rather waiting for an answer to prayer. I was told once that God answers prayer in three ways. He’ll say ‘yes’, ‘no’ or ‘wait’. All in God’s time, right? David writes twice in Psalm 62 “my soul waits is silence” emphasizing the need to be still before the Lord.
I hear Him whisper, just wait and be still in my presence.
Breathe in his promises, breathe out the doubts.
Breathe in his promises, breathe out the doubts.
This verse from Isaiah really convicted me:
“For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, in returning and rest you shall be saved. In quietness and in trust shall be your strength. But you were unwilling” (Isaiah 30:15).
But you were unwilling. You who are sinful, who are too busy, who are reluctant.
Why don’t you wait?
I am unwilling to wait patiently for the Lord to speak. I am unwilling to put in the time to worship Him in the waiting. I am unwilling to give up my control in waiting.
But I will try. I will try to wait.
“For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end – it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay. Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him, but the righteous shall live by his faith” (Habakkuk 2:3-4).
I will wait, for it will surely come. I will not get caught up in my pride like the Chaldeans. For the proud trust themselves and the virtuous trust their faith in God’s timing. Trust is made up of patience with no complaints.
In Romans Paul talks about the creation waiting with “eager longing” (8:19) and “not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies” (8:23).
I love that imagery of groaning inwardly as we wait. I feel this inward cry, moaning to God. Often. Asking: why I am here? Why I should have this certainty in God?
Paul goes on to answer that, “For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience” (24-25).
We are certain in our hope. We hope in the waiting, for an answer, for a sign, for something, anything.
And we wait for our hope to become reality. We wait with patience.
