Be Prepared
Yes, let all who hope in You be not shamed. Let the treacherous be shamed, empty-handed. Psalm 25:3 Robert Alter translation
Hope – After our recent discussion of batah, you might expect to find that word behind the English “hope.” To trust is to hope. The result is a public display. But that’s not what the psalmist wants to communicate here. Here the word is qawa’. It is used in Psalm 130:5, Isaiah 40:31, Job 14:7 and Proverbs 23:18 and many other places. The important connection, hidden from us in translation, is that qawa’ is about waiting. To trust God is to hope in His benevolence, but to hope in Him is to wait! Perseverance, steadfastness, loyalty, tenacity, patience, endurance, stamina: all of these characteristics reveal the character of the one who hopes in the Lord.
God is never in a hurry, but He is never late.
If I trust in Him, I know that His timing is “never hurried-never late.” And I must be patient. My faithfulness is the action of waiting for Him to act. This is no passive attitude. There is much to be done during the time of anticipation. We must be prepared for God’s action. When He acts, the sea parts, the mountains split, the graves open, the stars fall. Woe to those who stand unprepared. But whenHe acts is not up to us.
Ah, of course you already knew that, didn’t you? It’s just that we so easily forget. We want to climb to the top of the Temple and throw ourselves off so that God has to do something now! But it doesn’t work that way. We hope. We wait. We wait some more. Never hurried—never late. Do you think it’s possible to adopt that attitude about your needs, your problems, your desires? What a change that requires in a world where tomorrow is already too late.
What if faith is determined by your ability to wait for God? What if believing in Him, trusting Him, hoping in Him is all measured by how long you can wait? Why are you living according to a five-year plan rather than God’s thousand-year purpose? Isn’t waiting the essence of kairos, that Greek word for the exact moment when everything is harmonized, that Greek word for which there is no English equivalent? What would happen if I examined your life in terms of waiting? How would you fare? Did you wait for God’s timing with the job, with your spouse, with your community, with your location? Did you eagerly expect, constantly prepare but restrain from acting while He was involved in kairos timing? Did you?
Those who hope-wait will not be shamed. They will enjoy the fruit of endurance in the light of public. God vindicates those who wait. Just ask the man who cited Psalm 22 during his execution.
Topical Index: hope, qawa’, wait, Psalm 25:3
Paul states that God worked in him mightily for His own good pleasure. Why doesn’t God just do that with everybody? Well, the Concorde does have to have a runway to land and take off on. When we wait, trust, hope and pray we are not ‘making’ God do something; we are getting ourselves out of the way so that He can. He is already waiting on us to do just that: He is already at land/takeoff timing. His return, too, is already poised and ready. Our waiting is not like His waiting: our waiting consists of getting ourselves off the runway of our hearts so that we aren’t collateral damage when He does show up. He is waiting for us to wait on Him instead of everything else.
Be anxious for nothing!
Good word. Thanks. Could see your soul in your words today. Beautiful.
When I woke up this morning the first words I spoke were “I wait on the Lord, my soul waits and in his word do I hope “. They looked unto him and were lightened and their faces were not ashamed !
One of my major scriptures comes out of the first chapter of James. The “letting” or “allowing” the time of waiting to have it’s intended affect or work, bringing us into maturity. As you said, this is a difficult period, waiting on someone else’s timing. Just look at the picture of childbirth and you get an idea of God’s program. But the cool part is, although we so rarely get it, in that period of time that he has called us into, the waiting time, there can be real peace, serenity and calmness. Being still and knowing that he is God! Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for him, he will never suffer the righteous to be moved! Truth be told, I rarely enjoy peace, I’m always a bit anxious and hurried. Not necessarily a good confession, but the truth. If I can recognize that maybe there is a hope of it changing as I lean into Him. It reminds me of the old song “leaning on the everlasting arms“. What have I to dread, what have I to fear, leaning on the everlasting arms. I have blessed peace with my Lord so near, leaning on the everlasting arms !
I believe this is a place he calls us to. Didn’t he say, “come unto me all you who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and “learn of me” for I am meek and lowly of heart and you will find rest unto your souls, for my yoke is easy and my burden is light“. I guess we get a little taste of it and then we crave it which drives us further and further into God. Oh taste and see that the Lord is good! Oh to be able to live there and not just visit! Shalom
Very timely. Thank you for helping me continue to wait and showing me how I can shift my perspective to wait with the right mindset.
Thank you!
I’ve got something to tell you. Hang on a sec . . .
Are you sure you’re not English? Love the dry humor.
I know people today who are still waiting
for the cows to come home.
They’d be a far sight better off if they’d just
hope in Him who has the cattle on a thousand hills.
You can’t beat going right to the Source!
Allow me to share a personal testimony of hope, I was out of work for almost 11 months this past year, rejection after rejection. I never gave up thinking that God had prepared the perfect job.provision for me but I just couldn’t see it. I worked hard at trying to find work knowing one day God would in His perfect timing open the right door for me. And it happened, and now I have a job that is better than anything I ever expected. God came through in a big way but I had to wait, show patience and continue to walk out each day in faith and hope. I am so grateful for what God has done in my life and He always comes through. There are other areas of my life that I know God will provide the perfect opportunity so I do not get dismayed when things don’t work out according to my plan. I take an active role but somewhere in my spirit I know Gods perfect plan will come about and I will give Him all the glory for His grace and mercy He has shown me. So if you are waiting may I encourage you to keep hoping, keep your faith strong and believe all things are possible with our Messiah, Yeshua. Blessings,
Rabbi Eric