Waiting Patiently for the Lord

‘I waited patiently for the LORD; And He inclined to me, and heard my cry. 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’ (Psalm 40:1). 

"Patience is the willingness to respond to irritating circumstances with love, grace and kindness as you wait on the Lord to guide you in how to handle a situation" (James Merritt). Also, patience is what God gives you when bad things remain unchanged. Faith comes by hearing, but sometimes, patience comes by silence. Psalm 40:1 is a Messianic Psalm and it foretold Christ’s agony in the garden of Gethsemane and on the Cross, and how He responded in patience, trusting the Father to help and deliver him. Like Christ, all men have their periods of Gethsemane and Calvary. It is the place where the pains of our troubles seem unbearable and throwing in the towel and giving up on one’s faith in God, sometimes seems like the best option. However, in periods like that, holding unto one’s faith in God a little bit longer and staying faithful to Him always leads to victory.

Waiting for the Lord, involves patient endurance. Abraham was already 75 years old when God promised that he will be the father of many nations, but it was after Abraham was 99 and his wife was 90, that they finally had Isaac (Genesis 21:1-2). So Heb 6:15 says ‘after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise’ . ‘Those that wait patiently for God do not wait in vain’ (Matthew Henry). So, apart from faith you also need patience to fulfill your destiny. Also, it is impossible to wait on the Lord without prayer. It is the strength we receive from the Lord through prayer that makes waiting possible. In Psalm 40:1, the psalmist said that God listened and heard his cry, meaning he cried unto God in prayer.

As we wait for God, it is important to trust his goodness and faithfulness. Knowing that God is good and He has allowed your troubled times for a purpose, gives one strength to hold on. Secondly, reminding yourself of God’s faithfulness also brings strength in troubled times to remain faithful to him. ‘Christ is the Rock on which a poor soul can alone stand fast. Where God has given steadfast hope, He expects there should be a steady, regular walk and conduct’ (Matthew Henry). Finally, after God has delivered you out of the ‘horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set your feet upon a rock, and established your steps, it is important to sing his praise, so that many will hear of the glorious things He has done, stand in awe of him and put their trust in him. ‘We overcome the enemy not only by the blood of the Lamb but also, by the word of our testimony (Rev 12:11).

Do you feel like giving up? Have the faith to wait a little bit longer. ‘There is power enough in God to help the weakest, and grace enough to help the unworthiest of all that trust in him’. ‘Those who trust in the LORD Are like Mount Zion, Which cannot be moved, but abides forever’ (Psalm 125:1). Trust in God through prayer, hold unto his word and endure the present storm. As you wait on him remember He is a good and faithful God.