Waiting, Submitting and Trusting – an Often-Needed Message
We who struggle with various medical conditions are often either seeking guidance from God about specific decisions or awaiting results and answers to our prayers. In Psalm 130, the author writes about being in deep distress facing a situation that feels like the blackest of nights. He writes in verse one “out of the depths I cry to You Lord; Lord, hear my voice. Let Your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy.” But in the midst of his troubles, he chooses to trust God and stay alert like a guard on duty charged with announcing daybreak. “I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits and in His word I put my hope. I wait for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning (v.5-6).” The anticipation of God’s faithfulness breaking through the darkness gives the Psalmist hope to endure even in the midst of suffering. Based on the promises of God found throughout Scripture, this hope allows him to keep waiting even though he has not yet seen the first rays of light.
In Psalm 130:5-6, the word “wait” appears five times. In God’s development of our personal faith, He often delays an answer to prayer to deepen our trust in Him. At times this can be perpexing. Asking for His intervention often carries a sense of urgency. We pray, “Lord, I need Your help now!” But “waiting on the Lord” takes discipline and develops a perseverance in our faith that only steadfastness can yield. Remember Abram waited years for Isaac, the child God had promised to him. This came about only through his wife Sarah’s unlikely conception when she was advanced in years and well beyond the age of childbearing. Abram waited on God in prayer and eventually God granted him generations of offspring too numerous to count. (Genesis 12, 16 and 17).
What prayers are you waiting for God to answer? In what ways might your heavenly Father be developing your faith as you wait? Be encouraged if you are in the midst of a dark night. The dawn is coming. In the meantime, don’t give up hope but keep watching for the deliverance of the Lord in one way or another. He will be faithful. A good prayer would be “please bring light to my darkness. Open my eyes to see You at work and to trust You. Father, I am grateful that You are faithful”. If you are unsure of your own personal relationship with God as your heavenly Father, see the following link.
The above was an excerpt from the May 1st, 2018 devotional written by Lisa Samra appearing in Our Daily Bread, published by RBC Ministries.