Wait Patiently!

"I waited patiently for the LORD, and He inclined to me and heard my cry." Psalm 40:1

Patience is one of the hardest virtues for us to understand. We pray to an omnipotent God. We know He is able to help us at any moment. Likewise, we know that He who defines Himself as "love" and gave His Son for us is not reluctant to help us. So, when we ask such a God to intervene in our circumstances, why is there so often a delay?

We have needs, and we do not understand why those needs must be prolonged. But God has His reasons. Perhaps our needs are being prolonged because they are accomplishing something in us that nothing else will. Maybe they are being prolonged because God is doing necessary work in the life of someone else who is involved in our situation.

Psalm 25:3 says, "Surely none who wait for You will be put to shame, but those who are faithless without cause will be disgraced."

If we can wait patiently on God, He will reveal the truth and perfect our faith. Maybe He is even letting us identify with Jesus in the fellowship of His sufferings—it is, after all, His overarching purpose to conform us to the image of Christ. How can we be conformed if we have no identification with His pain?

Sometimes God will clarify that our answer is delayed because the delay will further His work in our hearts or another area. Sometimes He gives us no reason at all. The Christian's wise response, in either case, is to know that if we are waiting on God, there must be a very good reason. And if we wait in faith and expectancy, the wait will be amply rewarded. His timing is always perfect. Psalm 25:5 says, "Guide me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; all day long I wait for You."

Prayer:
1. Father, help me to wait on you.
2. Oh Lord, help me to keep my hope in you. Help me to trust with all my heart and soul in Jesus' name. Amen.