Scripture
I waited patiently for the Lord;
And He inclined to me and heard my cry.
2 He brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay,
And He set my feet upon a rock making my footsteps firm.
3 He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God;
Many will see and fear
And will trust in the Lord.
Psalms 40:1-3 NASB
Observation
When you’re in the midst of pain and uncertainty, when you’re in the pit, the last thing you want to do is wait on the Lord to hear your prayer. Pain, worry, feeling uncomfortable is not fun. We might even wonder if God is real or if He is really listening when our prayers aren’t answered.
We can try to do it on our own. We can try to claw and fight our way out of the pit. We can manipulate the situation as much as we can. We might “feel” like we get out of it faster. We might “feel” like we are doing something other than sitting and waiting on the Lord. We might see some relief, but then we might not. One thing for sure, we will miss what God wants to do in our life.
But, if we can wait on Him, the outcome is always better. His ways are not our ways. The God who created the universe will come through for you! With what? A new song!
You’ve had those feelings of joy before when you were caught smiling and would even whistle or hum a favorite toon. Can you imagine what it is like when God gives you that joy? Can you imagine how awesome it is when God gives you the new song to sing?
Application
I will learn to wait on the Lord. That is hard. But it doesn’t mean finding a quiet place in the corner and not doing anything! I can surround myself with the things of God while I wait for His Word, His direction, His new song.
I must learn not to look at the current situation. That is temporary. The things of God are eternal and everlasting. Trust is what is needed. I trust that God will come through. Because He is God and because He has proven Himself over and over.
Prayer
Lord, thank you for your perfect timing. I don’t always understand it, but knowing You and walking in Your ways has helped me to trust You because You always come through. Help me to focus on You by surrounding myself with things that glorify You.
Peace
Todd