Waiting Patiently

Psalm 37:7 - Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him. (NKJV)

Isaiah 40:31 - But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint. (NKJV)

As I stood standing in the check-out line, I couldn't help but notice the young mother and her toddler just ahead of me. As they often do, this toddler was becoming more and more impatient. It was almost amusing to watch him as he tried to inch the grocery cart ahead.

What a clear picture of what I try to do when waiting on God. What about you, do you try to push ahead of His plan for your life? It's easy to become impatient, and it's tempting to do things in our own strength, instead of waiting for God's perfect timing.

God knows everything about us. He knows exactly what we need and when we need it.

The next time your tempted to push ahead, remember the words of this song:

In His time, in His time
He makes all things beautiful in His time.
Lord, please show me every day
As You're teaching me Your way
That You do just what You say
In Your time.

I love what Spurgeon said about this:

“I waited patiently for the Lord.” (Psalm 40:1)

Patient waiting upon God was a special characteristic of our Lord Jesus. Impatience never lingered in his heart, much less escaped his lips. All through his agony in the garden, his trial of cruel mockings before Herod and Pilate, and his passion on the tree, he waited in omnipotence of patience. No glance of wrath, no word of murmuring, no deed of vengeance came from God's patient Lamb; he waited and waited on; was patient, and patient to perfection, far excelling all others who have according to their measure glorified God in the fires. Job on the dunghill does not equal Jesus on the cross. The Christ of God wears the imperial crown among the patient.

What a marvel is it that our Lord should have to cry as we do, and wait as we do, and should receive the Father's help after the same process of faith and pleading as must be gone through by ourselves!

The Saviour's prayers among the midnight mountains and in Gethsemane expound this verse. The Son of David was brought very low, but he rose to victory; and here he teaches us how to conduct our conflicts so as to succeed after the same glorious pattern of triumph. Let us arm ourselves with the same mind; and panoplied in patience, armed with prayer, and girt with faith, let us maintain the Holy War.