Waiting on God as He Works
Psalm 13:1-2
How long, O LORD? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me? How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart all the day? How long will my enemy be exalted over me?
One of the greatest challenges in life is waiting. Let’s be honest; we just don’t like to wait!
I recently read an article that said people spend 20 minutes waiting for a bus or train, 32 minutes waiting to see the doctor, 28 minutes waiting in airport security lines, 21 minutes waiting on someone when going out for dinner, 13 hours a year on hold waiting for customer service and 38 hours each year waiting in traffic. And speaking from experience in the Atlanta area, I suspect that number might be a tad higher!
Waiting is a part of everyday, ordinary life. We wait for our tea to steep, our coffee to brew and our ship to come in. And guess what? Waiting is also a challenge in our spiritual lives. To be transparent with you, I rarely find myself moving too slowly when God prompts me to do something; I am usually guilty of becoming impatient and running ahead of God only to later pay the price for not waiting on God to move.
Psalm 13 is a psalm of David. The Bible doesn’t tell us the specific occasion for the writing of this Psalm, however, we do know something of what is occurring in David’s life. David is waiting. Four times in vs. 1 - 2 David prays, “how long?” He finds himself in God’s waiting room. And with that waiting, he experiences some depressing thoughts.
In vs. 1 David expresses his feeling of being forgotten by God. We even find David asking God if He is hiding from him. In vs. 2 his depression turns to discouragement. David says, “sorrow has filled my heart all the day.” David is depressed and discouraged. The wait has gone on in David’s life for so long that he feels abandoned by God.
Have you ever been there? Have you ever found yourself in God’s waiting room, wondering where God is and if He has forgotten you. If so, you find yourself in good company. David was there and, truthfully, each of us can testify to these feelings at one time or another. The real question is how we handle waiting on God. Some experience discouragement or depression. Others rush around to try and force something to happen, only to find out that moving ahead of God only worsens the situation and complicates the circumstances. It reminds me of something Dr. Adrian Rogers used to say, “the only thing worse than waiting on God, is wishing you had!” I can sure resonate with that statement.
So what should we do when we find ourselves in God’s waiting room? Here are a few truths from Psalm 13 that we can put into practice in our lives.
Don’t make an emotional reaction! In the first two verses of Psalm 13 David expresses raw emotion. He feels abandoned by God. However, we know from the Word of God that God doesn’t abandon us. We know that God doesn’t leave us or forsake us, and we know that God has not forgotten about us. There is certainly nothing wrong with feeling those emotions, but don’t act on them. Fight them with the truth of God’s Word. In John 14:6 Jesus was preparing His disciples for His departure to Heaven and for the coming of the Holy Spirit. The Bible says, “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever.” God has promised the daily presence of the Holy Spirit. Our emotions will lie to us and tell us God is far away, but our hope is not in what we feel, it is in the truth of God’s promise. So don’t act on emotions, instead speak the truth to them!
Pray and trust in the name and the nature of God. In vs. 3 David says, “Consider and answer me, O LORD my God.” David made a perspective change. He moved from focusing on his circumstances and situation to focusing on God. The name “LORD” used in this verse is in all capital letters and is the name Jehovah, which is the same name God used when He revealed Himself to Abraham. It speaks of God being a promise-keeping God. When you find yourself waiting on God, remember His promises from the Word! David not only calls on Jehovah, he also appeals to God as “my God.” This was very personal to David and should be to us as well. The emotions caused doubt, but David reminded himself of a great truth… God is personal, intimate and loving to us. So when you find yourself waiting on God, pray and trust in God’s Holy name and loving nature.
Choose joy. The tone of the Psalm changes in vs. 5 - 6, but note something important. It is only the tone that has changed. The circumstances haven’t changed. David is still waiting. David is still hoping and David is still looking forward. The wait is still going on but David’s perspective has shifted. He is choosing joy. Notice vs. 6, “I will sing to the LORD, because he has dealt bountifully with me.” David is choosing joy and choosing faith. David knows that God will be faithful to him.
And we can claim the same truth. If today you find yourself in God’s waiting room, nourish yourself with God’s Word, speak the truth to your emotions and claim His promises for today.
As always, if I can encourage you in your wait, feel free to reach out to me as david@davidsmithministry.com. I will gladly pray with and for you