Waiting on the LORD

"I waited patiently for the LORD;
He inclined to me and heard my cry.
He drew me up from the pit of destruction,
Out of the miry bog,
And set my feet upon a rock,
Making my steps secure.
He put a new song in my mouth,
A song of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear,
And put their trust in the LORD."

(Psalm 40:1-3)

Sometimes we want a quick fix to our problems. Not to wait patiently for the LORD.

But waiting patiently brings about the right answer at the right time. We would rather that our lives be easy. That our problems be few - and brief.

But I think that waiting patiently for the LORD to act, helps us to learn that we really didn't solve that problem on our own. No easy ten steps to recovery. No simple three Hail Mary's and the Lord's Prayer.

When we wait patiently for the LORD, we realize that He is the one who listened.

He is the one who pulls us up out of the pit of destruction. Not our own self-determination. Not pulling ourselves up by our own bootstraps.

He is the one who pulls us out of the slime and sets us upon a rock.

He is the one who makes our steps secure.

He is the one who changes the song in our mouths from a song of despair and bitterness to a song of praise to God.

We can't learn that if we're in a hurry.

It may take months or years. Not days or weeks.

But God will bend His ear to listen.

And then many will see. They will notice the change. They will notice the stability. They will notice the new song.

And then many will fear. The difference will be so obvious that they will see that God really means what He says. Sin will be punished. Sin has consequences. Sin can be resolved.

And then many will put their trust in the LORD. Not in you. Not in your recovery plan. Not in the marvelous counseling that you received.

They will realize that God has been at work in your life. They will want God to work in their lives, too.

But it all begins when we wait patiently for the LORD.