Saturday, December 3, 2005
Psalm 27:13-14 Wait on the LORD; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the LORD!"
WAIT ON THE LORD
We humans have a problem with waiting -- even when it comes to waiting on the Lord. We tend to lose heart quickly. And every time we take matters into our own hands, we mess things up. When our lack of patience, frustration, or anger moves us to act, nothing good comes of it. Just look at how it went with Abram and Sarai with their great plans for a son through Hagar. (For the whole account, read Genesis 16 and 21.)
When we look at what waiting reveals about God, it is clear that the problem lies with us. For one thing, we need to remember that God Himself is above time. He is eternal. Peter puts it well when he writes, "But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:8-9).
When the Lord promises something, which to us may not come to pass for year upon year, for Him it is as if it is already an accomplished fact.
When it comes to waiting, God reveals incredible patience -- and amazing consistency. Promises we make are so often broken or forgotten in a matter of moments. But when God says something will happen, it does.
Think of what God revealed about His Son's coming. Did it not all happen to the letter? What has God promised you today? Forgiveness of all your sins? A place with Him in heaven forever? Eternal life? Is there any doubt that these will happen? Not when you look at God's track record.
Advent gives us the chance to ponder just what waiting and prophecy are all about. How thankful we can be that the Savior who became one of us is not like us when it comes to waiting. He doesn't break His Word no matter how long ago spoken. He is utterly patient, completely reliable, and follows through on everything.
"I would have lost heart, unless I had believed That I would see the goodness of the LORD In the land of the living. Wait on the LORD; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the LORD!" (Psalm 27:13-14).
