Psalm 40:1-17 I Waited
David sings of the joy that comes from actually having waited for the Lord. Life is SO MUCH better when we wait on His timing!
When I started reading this psalm I was immediately taken back to my Aunt Victoria’s recording of the first part of it. Her reading is dramatic and draws the listener in. It also emphasizes the dangers of not waiting. I’m not sure if she uses a different translation than I have that adds in the pitfalls, or if she added them by inspiration from the Lord. But they are certainly there WHEN I don’t wait. One line in particular that cuts me when I realize I ‘forgot’ to wait is “He drew me out of a pit of my own making.” The final line is; “I’m SO GLAD I waited!”
David is saying he is SO GLAD he waited too. He is seeing all the benefits that he would have missed if he had rushed ahead on his own. And he is NOT afraid to tell about them! “I have told the glad news of deliverance in the great congregation; behold, I have not restrained my lips, as you know, O Lord” (verse 9).
When God blesses you SHOUT about it! When He forgives you, PRAISE His name!
Did you notice I didn’t say “if” in those two statements? There is NO ‘if’ when You are God’s child. There may come times when we have to wait for some of those blessings but He NEVER forgets His children and He delights in giving them the desires of their hearts. He doesn’t give us every whim and wish we come up with but He KNOWS our needs. He works with us to help us line up our wants with His word too.
Any of you who have spent any time with me on this journey know that I am NOT that skilled at “waiting” for things. I am a lot better than I used to be but I still get anxious and ask God to “hurry up” with His answers. I also still occasionally strike out on my own and expect Him to catch up to me ‘in due time’. Those are some of the hardest lessons I’ve learned over the years. Just because a path LOOKS encouraging and ‘safe’, it doesn’t mean it is the right path for me or even one I should go exploring on. I have discovered that sometimes the one strewn with boulders along the way is the one I’m supposed to walk. Probably because I need practice in trusting Him to help me scale those boulders.
My son-in-law just got hired for a new job today. He has been trying to find a different job than the one he is at for some time now but no one was calling him back. He faithfully does his job, even when those he works with aren’t even reliable. He was beginning to get discouraged. But today, he was told to go an apply at this one specific agency. After putting in his application he went home. BEFORE he even made it home, they were calling him in for an interview. In less than 5 hours from the time he started the process he now has a job that REALLY speaks to him. I told my daughter that all his waiting was due to the Lord having an even better plan in mind for him. And I fully believe this is 100% true.
When I graduated school the last time, I went job hunting. Every door held fast and I felt defeated. I couldn’t stop though because I am the one who has to bring home the paycheck. A few months into the process we were presented with the opportunity for me to become my husband’s paid caregiver. This was PERFECT because not only did it provide a paycheck but it also alleviated my worries for my husband’s safety when I was away from the home. Then, within a year, my husband needed open heart surgery. He was in the hospital for three weeks. Because of my employment as his caregiver I was able to be with him the whole time and able to help him with even the simplest things when we came home. There is NO WAY I would have been able to be there for him if I had any other job! God KNEW what we needed and He made sure I “waited”, even if it wasn’t voluntarily. PRAISE GOD, HE KNOWS what tomorrow holds! And as David said; “I will sing His praises!”
Father God, thank You for teaching me to wait. I KNOW it wasn’t an easy job. I KNOW that there are more lessons to come too. I trust You in them, whatever they may be. I think the hardest waiting is seeing my children struggle with their relationship with You. I KNOW You know their needs and what it is going to take to bring them back to You. I TRUST You! I TRUST You with their lives. Teach me to wait (gently please).
