In Psalm 130, the psalmist reminds us of the importance of patience and perseverance in the development of our spiritual lives. Too often we miss what our Lord desires to teach us in seasons of waiting because we want Him to act immediately instead of in His perfect timing.
“I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope.” -Psalm 130:5
When we explore the Scriptures, we find that almost every Old Testament hero endured a period of waiting for God to act on a promise He made:
- Moses stood in the gap for God and wandered in a foreign land for 40 years until God spoke to him again and used him for His purposes.
- David was anointed king of Israel, but spent 13 years escaping Saul’s murder plots before he became king.
- Abraham and Sarah waited 25 years before their promised son—Isaac—was born. In the waiting, they got impatient and tried to produce a son apart from God’s supernatural intervention.
Believers—especially those with an American “I want it now” mentality—struggle to wait and be patient. So why does God put so much emphasis on the waiting periods of His promises?
The answer to that question can be found in the book of Isaiah.
“[B]ut those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” -Isaiah 40:31
Waiting with great hope allows God to strengthen our perseverance and do His work according to His timetable—the best timetable of all.
However long it takes us to allow God to reconstruct us for His purposes will determine the length of our waiting period. During these periods, seek to be teachable and allow God to grow your faith and set the stage for His maximum glory. Trust that He alone knows the best time to execute the best plan.
After all, Jesus was born at the right moment of time (Galatians 4:4). Even His resurrection after three days is a reflection of God’s perfect timing.
Our Lord is never early and never late, but is always right on schedule for His name’s sake.
So if we suffer in waiting, we can trust there’s a divine reason.
“Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.” -Romans 5:3-6
Brothers and sisters, keep clinging to our Lord’s promises with hopeful certainty that He will fulfill them. We can take what He says to the bank even when we must wait for Him to work.
Praise Him in the days, weeks, months, and years of waiting knowing that His timing is perfect.