When God Says, Wait!

When God Says, Wait! (Psalm 37:1-9)

Psalm 37:1-9, Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb. Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. Delight thyself also in the Lord: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday. Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil. For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth.

Waiting is one of the hardest things we try to do. So many people simply cannot wait for God to work and often take things into their own hands instead. When we seek God and His answer seems to be "wait," we don't always hear it because that answer is not the one we are seeking. Often believers view waiting on God as inactivity. But waiting is not inactive, it is pro-active. It is the believer wisely choosing not to do something blindly because he or she senses the Lord is saying "wait." If we are to follow God or hear from Him, we must be sensitive to His Spirit and discern when we are to step out in faith and when we are to wait. What God desires is that we would delight in Him. These verses list a lot of practical things we must do before God will give us what we are seeking.

What are some evidences that we are not "waiting on the Lord" in our hearts (Psalm 37:1)? Fretting and being envious are evidences that we are not really waiting in our hearts.

What needs to come before the Lord will give us the desires of our hearts (Psalm 37:3-5)? We must trust Him, and we must do good. We are called to delight in Him so that He can begin to shape our desires. We need to commit our way to Him and let Him do it. Delighting oneself in the Lord means to find your greatest joy and satisfaction in your personal relationship with God. Those who delight in the Lord enjoy a sense of nearness to God, and they take great pleasure in living by the truth of God’s Word. They want what God wants, so He gives them the desires of their hearts. When we delight ourselves in God and find our greatest satisfaction in His purposes for us, God Himself places the right kinds of desires within our hearts; then He fulfills them.

The pivotal verse in Psalm 37 is verse7. Instead of becoming heated or stirred up over evildoers, we should calmly rest in the Lord. Rest means to be silent and still, to be quiet and to settle one’s nerves, to be at peace. It indicates the absence of emotional distress and the ability to be quiet and relax. We should rest in the confidence that God will deal with the wicked. God works according to His timetable, not ours. We need to wait patiently for Him and be at peace. Psalm 37:7, "Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him." But why? I believe there are lessons God teaches us through waiting on Him.

1. Waiting teaches us to keep our eyes on Him, not on our circumstances.
In 2018, for nine months, Joy was very ill. Through it all, learning to wait on the Lord strengthened our faith in Him and confirmed our love for one another.

2. Waiting teaches us that the giver is more important than the gift.
A child who always gets what he wants when he wants it is not a grateful child and ultimately isn't happy. Waiting helps us put life in perspective, and often it causes us to come to grips with what we have rather than complaining about the things we don't have.

3. Waiting demonstrates faith in God instead of in ourselves.
Waiting is a choice. It’s a decision that says, “I only want what God will provide, final!” What God provides is far greater than what we can do on our own.

When you live without worry and doubt, you will come to realize the rich blessings God has given you. You will see the fruits of serving Christ. Are you waiting on the Lord for your decision? If you are not, you will find yourself making things happen on your own. Those who are unwilling to wait for God’s will are foolishly making the choice to forfeit it.

Question to Consider:
Are you completely satisfied with God's blessings in your life?

Point to Ponder:
Every time you think about complaining, think of a praise instead. You will start developing the patience needed to live a contented life.

Prayer: Father in Heaven, I trust You, and I’m going to wait for Your timing. Forgive me for the times I’ve worried and doubted You. Teach me to trust and wait for You to act. In Jesus name, AMEN!

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