Psalm 33:20-22 "Our soul waiteth for the LORD: he is our help and our shield. (21) For our heart shall rejoice in him, because we have trusted in his holy name. (22) Let thy mercy, O LORD, be upon us, according as we hope in thee."
Sometimes it seems we spend our entire lives waiting on someone or waiting for
something to happen. The question this morning is concerning our frame of
mind while we are waiting. David said, "Our soul (our mind) waiteth
for the LORD." I am practiced in the art of impatience. I admit I
get "antsy" while waiting for something to happen. The problem
with being impatient is that we begin to try to help things along. We can
get into deeper problems when we feel like we have to help things happen.
My helping the situation usually tends to be more of a hindrance than a help.
David had concerns for the nation of Israel both while Saul was king and after
David, himself, became king. Many things could have been done by David to
try to speed things along toward a better situation. But David understood
the need for patience while waiting upon the Lord. As he set his mind
(soul) upon the Lord, he was able to find peace and calm in understanding the
Lord has full control.
During the time of waiting, David reminded himself of past deliverances from
the lion, bear, and the giant. I keep referring back to these instances because
they are the main ones that we think about when our minds go back to the days
of David. My point being this: As we are at a point of having to wait on
something, we should use that time to think back on ways in which the Lord has
indeed been our "help and our shield." He has delivered every
one of us from so many situations when we realized our need for help outside of
ourselves.
The result of using that waiting period to think upon past deliverances is that
we begin to rejoice again as we remember times when we absolutely knew God's
hands were upon us. We trusted Him and He delivered in a wonderful miraculous
manner. The more we think upon the successes of the Lord, the less time we have
to fret about having to wait until His timing is right for us. Our hearts
rejoice as we think upon His goodness and mercy. We have trusted Him in the
past and we will trust Him now. "Let thy mercy, O LORD, be upon us,
according as we hope in thee."
When I am having to wait, I try to think upon this particular verse of
Scripture: "But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their
strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be
weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." (Isaiah 40:31)