Patiently

“I waited patiently for the Lord; and He inclined to me, and heard my cry”. Psalm 40:1

Patiently – This Hebrew word (qawa) is actually used two times in succession in this verse.  Both ‘waited’ and ‘patiently’ are the same word.  It means to look for with eager expectation. 

According to the Old Testament, waiting involves the very essence of a person’s being.  The true child of God is characterized by a steadfast endurance in the belief that God will decisively act on behalf of His people.  True faith finds renewal in this patient waiting because it grows in its reliance on the promise of God despite circumstances.  God strengthens those who wait upon Him with both grace and power.  Waiting is a spiritual mark of inner integrity. 

In this verse, the Psalmist declares that placing trust in God by eagerly anticipating His deliverance was rewarded when God bent down to lend His strength.  How important it is for those of us seeking calm out of chaos to remember the spiritual reorientation of waiting on God!  Our old ways wanted nothing but instant relief, instant reward or instant recovery.  Waiting was impossible.  But now God has bent to our weakness.  He has supplied us with what we could not make for ourselves – patience in progress.  We are learning to wait.

Waiting is perhaps the most difficult spiritual discipline.  Everything in our world pushes us to rush.  But God has all the time He needs.  He is never in a hurry.  And since His purposes for us are in His hands, He knows exactly how long it will take to accomplish what He has in mind.  So, relax.  Wait for God.  He always arrives when He needs to. Patience is not doing nothing.   Patience is progressing toward God. 

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