Day 17
Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices! Ps 37:7
The song I don't mind waiting by Juanita Bynum comes to mind as I reflect on this verse. The year was 2019, the Holy Spirit had placed this song in my heart so I was listening to it while driving to work. Out of nowhere, I just started weeping, proper wailing and I couldn’t stop it neither did i want to. I remember some little boys and their mama waving at me from their car in traffic mouthing sorry at me and I couldn’t help but smile and wave back.
I can’t quite recall what particular scenario had been playing in my head, all I know is that it wasn’t tears of sorrow, it was tears of relief. Relief that the Lord was asking me to wait. Waiting on Him meant strength was coming Isa 40:31. Waiting on Him meant I could have hope that would not be shattered Lam 3:25-26. Waiting on Him meant that everything was going to be alright. Waiting on Him meant I did not have to figure it out on my own anymore. I was very relieved because I was tired of trying and failing.
It can be very frustrating to see others getting what they want and it feels like your own is always different. Perhaps you feel like you are always ‘waiting’ and never arriving at your hopes and desires. The bible says Fret not!
I want you to adjust your viewpoint on waiting on the Lord from today. The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. 2 Peter 3:9.
If there is one thing I hope you have learnt from my testimonies is that God is good, unequivocally good. He is the standard and definition of good. This means if He has not brought something your way yet, the time has not come for it to be of good to you. He is a good Father that desires to delight in us and rejoice over us Is 62:3-5. Don’t rush ahead, trust me, you don't want to be in a place God did not send you. Don't be like those plotting and strategising their way, compromising themselves and their values, cheating and scheming just to get ahead only to meet their doom.
Be still. The act of stillness is an intentional one, it takes discipline to sit still and wait. If you think it is easy, set a timer for 1 minute and sit still without playing with your phone and focus on one thought. So next time you feel like waiting is for lazy, unambitious people, remember how much discipline it takes to wait and wait well. Some translations use the phrase ‘rest in the Lord’ instead of ‘be still’. The time of rest is sacred to the Lord. It is denying ourselves of our usual activities and seeking the face of the Lord concerning our next steps instead, it is trusting God to lead. The act of rest is strategic, it is aligning ourselves to the vision of God.
They that wait on the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall rise up with wings as eagles, they shall walk and not be weary, they shall run and not faint Isa 40:31
As we wait, this is our portion:
Because I pause and wait to hear the voice of the Lord, I am energized, my heart is renewed. There is no burn out for me, I go far, I get to far destinations, my reach is far because I ride on the wings of the Father. I don’t go on my strength so there is no worry here, hope deferred makes the heart weak but because I KNOW my hope is in God, my heart is strong.