The Discipline Of Waiting

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The Discipline Of Waiting by David H. Roper

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

Waiting is hard. We wait in grocery lines, in traffic, in the doctor’s office. We twiddle our thumbs, stifle our yawns, and fret inwardly in frustration. On another level, we wait for a letter that doesn’t come, for a prodigal child to return, or for a spouse to change. We wait for a child we can hold in our arms. We wait for our heart’s desire.

In Psalm 40, David says, “I waited patiently for the Lord.” The original language here suggests that David “waited and waited and waited” for God to answer his prayer. Yet as he looks back at this time of delay, he praises God. As a result, David says, God “put a new song . . . a hymn of praise” in his heart (40:3 niv).

“What a chapter can be written of God’s delays!” said F. B. Meyer. “It is the mystery of educating human spirits to the finest temper of which they are capable.” Through the discipline of waiting, we can develop the quieter virtues—submission, humility, patience, joyful endurance, persistence in well-doing—virtues that take the longest to learn.

What do we do when God seems to withhold our heart’s desire? He is able to help us to love and trust Him enough to accept the delay with joy and to see it as an opportunity to develop these virtues—and to praise Him.
Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
Thou art the Potter, I am the clay;
Mold me and make me after Thy will,
While I am waiting, yielded and still. —Pollard

Waiting for God is never a waste of time.

Insight
When David wrote this psalm, he had been through some pretty tough times that were brought about by both his own sins and by the actions of his enemies (vv.2,12,14). David wrote of how he struggled to trust God (vv.11-17), even as he persisted in prayer for God’s help and waited patiently for God’s deliverance (vv.1-5). Despite the prolonged and uncertain waiting (vv.13,17), David testified that God hears and answers prayers and is worthy of our trust (vv.1-4) and called on the congregation to join him in praising God (vv.5,9-10,16). Perseverance in prayer, patient waiting, and unwavering trust is the consistent call and exhortation of the psalmists (Pss. 25:1-2; 27:13-14; 33:20-22; 37:7; 62:1).