Lord, Do Not Delay

Hasten, O God, to save me; come quickly, Lord, to help me.

May those who want to take my life be put to shame and confusion; may all who desire my ruin be turned back in disgrace.

May those who say to me, “Aha! Aha!” turn back because of their shame.

But may all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you; may those who long for your saving help always say, “The Lord is great!”

But as for me, I am poor and needy; come quickly to me, O God. You are my help and my deliverer; Lord, do not delay.

Psalm 70:1-5

So much of life is about waiting, but God is never in a hurry – or so it seems. “God has His hour and delay,” suggests an old, reliable saying. Thus we wait.

Waiting is hard. We twiddle our thumbs, shuffle our feet, stifle our yawns, heave long sighs, and fret inwardly in frustration. Why must we live with this awkward person, this tedious job, this embarrassing behavior, this health issue that will not go away? Why doesn’t God come through?

God’s answer: “Wait awhile and see what I do.”

Waiting is one of life’s best teachers for in it we learn the virtue of…well, waiting – waiting while God works in us and for us. It’s in waiting that we develop endurance, the ability to trust God’s love and goodness, even when things aren’t going our way.

But waiting is not dreary, teeth-clinched resignation. We can “rejoice and be glad in (Him)” while we wait. We wait in hope, knowing that God will deliver us in due time – in this world or in the next. God is never in a hurry, but He’s always on time.

God is with us in our waiting.

Our Daily Bread – April 24, 2018