PSALM 27 VERSE 14 COMMENTARY Written and edited by Glenn Pease

14 Wait for the LORD;

be strong and take heart

and wait for the LORD.

A. Wait for the Lord

1. We are called upon frequently in Scripture to wait on the Lord, and though the Bible tells us we must treasure every word God has spoken, this is one word we

prefer to ignore, for waiting is too big a chore. We hate to wait. The red light that

lasts too long leads us to complain. The long line at the grocery store leads us to

fume inside at the slowness of the check out girl or guy. The long wait in the doctor's

office leads us to wonder if the doctor has even showed up yet. Life is filled with

waiting, and goes on all through life. It starts with the kids in the back seat

hollering, "Arn't we there yet!" The little guy cannot wait until he is big like his

brother, and then he cannot wait until he can drive, and then he cannot wait until he

gets through school, and then he cannot wait until he gets married, and then he

cannot wait until he has a child, and then he cannot wait until the kids move out,

and then he cannot wait for grandkids, and then he cannot wait for retirement, and

then he finally can relax and stop hating waiting, for now he does not mind waiting

for death, for it can take its sweet time as far as he is concerned.

1B. Scott Hoezee wrote about the agony of waiting, "What will the lab results be

when the pathology report of your biopsy comes back? "How is that surgery on our

child going?" we wonder as we bide our time in the Waiting Room at the hospital. Is

there anything more agonizing than waiting for the dawn on those nights when your

anxiety keeps you from sleeping? Waiting can make minutes draw out like a blade.

You glance at the clock on the Waiting Room wall, you turn over in bed to see the

glowing numbers on the alarm clock's display and you sigh deeply to see that it's

been only five lousy minutes since the last time you checked. Over the past few

years, each of my children has undergone an operation. They were not major or life-

threatening surgeries, but still. And perhaps like some of you, when I've watched

the anesthesiologist put my child to sleep, I have quietly wished that I could have some of that, too. Wake me when it's over." With a lifetime of waiting it is not a

pleasant thing to be told to add another aspect of waiting, which is to be a part of

the spiritual life. We want instant spirituality, and instant answers to prayer, and

instant understanding. Waiting is a pain, and having to wait on God is even a

greater pain, for we most need what God has to offer now.

2. Wait, wait, wait, the thought I just hate,

For it often seems such a cruel fate

That even my Lord will choose to be late.

It makes life difficult there is no debate.

Patience is not a very popular trait,

For we prefer life at a high speed rate.

But God expects us to just stop and wait,

And hit the break on our high speed gait.

At first the slowness will our mind frustrate,

But the long terms benefits will truly be great.

We fret when the woman ahead of us has 12 items in the ten item check out lane,

and we feel our time is being wasted. We know all about the waste of waiting, and life is filled with it. But we know too little of the wisdom of waiting, and the Bible is

filled with it. Life says waiting is waste, but the Bible says it can be wise, and so the

goal is to understand the positive side to what is most often negative in our

experience. Many things in life cannot be rushed, for they just take time. It takes

time to make a quilt, and it takes time to raise a beautiful garden, and it takes time

to become a mature sanctified Christian. Many of the best things in life take time,

and so to achieve them takes patient waiting.

3. We all know that patience is a great Christian virtue, but the fact is, we don't like

to make a big deal about it, for we fail all too often to practice it. This is brought to

mind so quickly when we read its definition. "Patience is the ability to endure

waiting, delay, or provocation without becoming annoyed or upset, or to persevere

calmly when faced with difficulties." If you have never failed to live according to

this definition, I want to send your name in for consideration for being inducted into

the hall of sainthood. I cannot imagine anyone being able to be patient all the time.

Hopefully God is pleased with 50 or 60 percent, but it is a vain hope in the light of

the demand to be perfect as our Father in heaven is perfect. We are failures in this

area of life often, but that is why we are urged so often in Scripture to remember

just how important it is to be patient, and to wait on the Lord.

4. The great New England preacher Phillips Brooks was noted for his poise and

quiet manner. At times, however, even he suffered moments of frustration and

irritability. One day a friend saw him feverishly pacing the floor like a caged lion.

"What's the trouble, Mr. brooks?" he asked. "The trouble is that I'm in a hurry,

but God isn't!" Haven't we felt the same way many times?" "Patience is something

you admire in the driver behind you and scorn in the one ahead." ~Mac McCleary

Patience is a virtue,

Possess it if you can.

Found seldom in a woman,

Never in a man.

5. “Instant Christian, changed overnight;

Anything easy, `cause that’s what we like.

Help me grow, Lord; show me how;

Give me the patience — I want it now!”

6. Barnes says, "This is the sum of all the instruction in the psalm; the main lesson which the psalm is designed to convey. The object is to induce others, from the

experience of the psalmist, to trust in the Lord; to rely upon Him; to come to Him in

trouble and danger; to wait for His interposition when all other resources fail."

7. G. Campbell Morgan "Waiting for God is not laziness. Waiting for God is not going to sleep. Waiting for God is not the abandonment of effort. Waiting for God

means first activity under command; second, readiness for any new command that

may come; third, the ability to do nothing until the command is given.

The Hebrew word translated "waiting" . . . has affinity with a word that means "to

entrench." God works for him that entrenches himself in Him. The idea of waiting

for God here is that of digging ourselves in to God.

Waiting for God, then, means power to do nothing save under command. This is not

lack of power to do anything. Waiting for God needs strength rather than weakness.

It is the power to do nothing. It is the strength that holds strength in check. It is the

strength that prevents the blundering activity which is entirely false and will make

the true activity impossible when the definite command comes.

Waiting is far more difficult than working. . . . Waiting requires strength. It demands absolute surrender of the life to God, the confession that we are at the end

of our own understanding of things, the confession that we really do not see our way

and do not know the way. The waiting that says: "Until God shall speak we dare not

move and will not move, we will not be seduced from our resolution to wait";

requires strength." (The Westminster Pulpit, vol. ix, pp. 318-323).

8. One of the primary motives to wait for the Lord is that he is able to bring good

out of evil, and so if we don't despair and give up, or do stupid things that make

matter worst, we can come out winners in the long run, by the grace of God who

loves to bring good out of what is bad. In other words, don't be quick to jump to

wrong conclusions. Wait and see what God may have in mind in the bad things that

happen to you. Be patient and wait for the Lord to determine if what has happened

is bad or really a good thing. The Bible, history and life are filled with illustrations

of how bad things can really end up as blessings for those who wait for the Lord to

work them out. Below are just a few examples.

9. Colonel Bringle of the Salvation Army became a very popular author. He came

out of Harvard with honors, and began his ministry on a street corner in Boston. A

drunken hooligan threw a brick at him and hit him in the head. He received a

concussion that put him in the hospital for months. During his convalescence he

wrote a book called Help To Holiness. He added four volumes, and these devotional

aids sold in large numbers around the world. He said, "My brethren, if there had

never been a brick, there never would have been a book." His bad experience

opened up doors he never would have entered had they not compelled him to do so.

Don't be so quick to label bad things as a curse. Wait to see if it might be a blessing.

Even pray to that end. Grace Crowell wrote a poem that says it all.

Yet as I live them, strange I did not know

Which hours were destined thus to live and shine,

And which among the countless ones would grow

To be, peculiarly, forever mine.

If I but wait, perhaps, this hour will be

Like silver in the sun, some day, to me! 10. F. W. Borham, the great Australian preacher and author, tells of his pastor

friend who was asked in Seminary to preach at a certain church one weekend when

the pastor became ill. He had other plans with 2 of his best friends, and he did not

want to go. He suggested other names and begged to be excused, but the Professor

refused to let him off the hook. It was with deep anger that he submitted, and he

went to the church in a negative mood, wanting to curse them rather than bless

them. But all of his negative feelings were sheer waste, for he met the love of his life

there, and his whole future was changed. Had he just waited to see what the end

result would be, he could have saved himself a lot of grief. On of the most common

phrases of the Bible is wait on the Lord, and the reason is, we need to learn to wait

and see what God in his providence is going to do before we label bad things as a

curse.

11. A tornado came sweeping across the prairie of Minnesota destroying everything

in its path. When it struck Rochester, Minnesota, hundreds of people were injured,

and 23 were killed. It was a tragedy, yet millions of people have been thankful for

what God did to bring much good out of that tragic evil. After the storm, the Mayo

brothers, William and Charles, worked with their father, who was the local doctor,

in bandaging wounds, setting broken limbs, and performing operations. Sister

Alfred, the mother superior of the Convent Sisters of St. Francis was so impressed

with their work, she offered to build a hospital if the Mayo's would take charge of it.

They agreed, and Mayo Clinic was opened in 1889.

Dr. Mayo and his two sons had never even had an hospital internship, but they

turned that hospital into one of the most famous in all the world. They probably

would never have been heard of outside of their own small territory, but because of

that tornado they got the chance, and they took advantage of it, and became some of

the best known surgeon's in America. Millions of people have been helped, cured,

and blest because of the suffering of a few. It is one of the great truths of history,

that God delights to bring good out of evil, and turn a negative into a positive.

12. God is a great example himself when it comes to waiting. He does not judge

immediately but patiently waits for the sinner to come clean and confess his sin and

seek forgiveness. He is not willing that any should perish,and that is why history has

not yet ended with the final judgment. He is longsuffering, and it takes a lot to bring

God to respond in judgment. This means that we too must wait to see the justice of

God done in the world. There is so much injustice that we would like to see set right

in our eyes right now, but God lets evil get by with their schemes. The day is coming

when he will get justice, but meanwhile we must wait and live in a world where

crime seems to pay for a great many. We wait as God waits, for many of the wicked

repent and become a part of the family of God. They never would have had this

chance if God was not patient. We need to see this and not be in a hurry to send

people to hell.

13. Jesus is patient with all of us. Rev. 3:20 says he stands at the door and knocks

waiting for us to open the door that he may come in and have fellowship with him.

He will not break the door down, but waits for us to open it. He respects our

freedom of choice and waits for us to respond to him. The Prodigal Son had a father

who waited for him to come home. He did not go after him and drag him from the

pig pen. He waited for the son to make up his mind that coming home was the wise

thing to do. The point is, waiting is part of the experience of everyone, including

God and Jesus. We all have to endure it and recognize it is the only wise thing to do

in many situations in life. The art of waiting is what we all must learn to live a wise

and godly life. Howard Whitman wrote, "Life is composed of waiting periods. The

child must wait until he is old enough to have a bicycle, the young woman until she

is old enough to drive a car, the medical student must for her diploma, the husband

for his promotion, the young couple for savings to buy a new home." Life does not

happen all at once, but in segments, and we need to learn to wait for the right time

to enjoy each segment.

14. When people are impatient and jump the gun they usually end up regretting it.

Joseph could have rebelled so many times along his difficult way. He was sold into

slavery and could have chosen to hate his brothers and get revenge later. He was

tempted to sleep with his master's wife, but he chose to go to prison rather than sin

against God. He could have given up hope in prison when he was neglected and

betrayed. He could have forsaken God and his will completely, but he held on and

out of all his misery came gloriously victory and happiness. It took a great deal of

patience to endure the path that God took him on, but he waited for the Lord to

make sense of it all, and the Lord did just that and he ended up as the savior of his

people. This is often a hard road to travel, but those who wait for the Lord will be

glad to reach the destination that God has in store for the patient waiter.

14B. Psalm 106:13 says of the people of God in the wilderness, "They forgot what he

had done, and they did not wait for his counsel." They knew he knew what they did

not, and they knew he was their guide and redeemer, and yet they went ahead and

did things without waiting for his counsel, and the result was they did stupid things

that cost them dearly. Many died needlessly, and all of them lost victories they could

have had by listening to the Lord. In Isa. 30:1-2 we read," Woe to the rebellious

children," declares the LORD, "Who execute a plan, but not Mine, And make an

alliance, but not of My Spirit, In order to add sin to sin; Who proceed down to

Egypt, Without consulting Me, To take refuge in the safety of Pharaoh, And to seek

shelter in the shadow of Egypt! Such was the folly of Israel, and over and over they

had to learn the hard way that not waiting for God is like playing Russian Roulette

with a fully loaded gun. You can't win.

14C. Pink gives us more examples of non-waiters, "It is extremely painful not to

wait patiently, for it points out our unwillingness to accept God’s timing, which is

really a spirit of insubordination. Fretful impatience takes issue with God’s

authority and calls into question His goodness. Solemn indeed are the sins of this

nature recorded in the Word. "When the people saw that Moses delayed to come

down out of the mount, the people gathered themselves together unto Aaron, and

said unto him, Up, make us gods, which shall go before us; for this Moses, the man

that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him" (Ex.

32:1). And Aaron yielded to their evil demand. When the servant of God bade Saul

tarry seven days at Gilgal until he should come and offer sacrifices and show the

king what he should do (1 Sam. 10:8), because the prophet did not appear when

Saul expected, he impatiently and impiously took matters into his own hand, and in

consequence lost his kingdom (1 Sam. 13:8-14). Fearful also was the wickedness of

that king who asked, "Should I wait for the LORD any longer?" (2 Kings 6:33). He

grew weary of tarrying for the Lord and opposed his own will against Him."

14D. Tragic are the stories of those who lose patience and jump the gun in doing

things in their own passion and bring themselves a curse, rather than waiting for

God to bring the blessing he has in store. Someone has told this story as an example:

"The young man excitedly entered his father’s study waiting for his college

graduation gift. He had had his eye on the bright red sports car at the car dealer

down the street. Cost would be no object for his dad. For you see, he was a wealthy

man. The young man stood before his dad and his father, who was also a very

devout follower of Christ. Dad was concerned about his son, he was concerned

about the values he was choosing to live by. So he decided to give him a gift that he

felt would teach the son what really is important in life. A beautifully wrapped box

was presented to the son who eagerly tore the wrapping paper off. His excitement

turned to dismay and then to anger when he found a beautiful leather Bible in the

box. "This is what I get?!" the son demanded. "How could you do this to me?"

Angrily he tossed the Bible on the father’s desk and stormed out of the room. Years

later, the son, now a middle aged man, was going through the items in that study the

day after the funeral of his father. He came across that Bible. Still in the box. He

opened the box and pulled out the Bible. As he opened it, something fell out of it.

The son bent down to pick up what had fallen and discovered that it was set of car

keys to that red sports car that he had wanted so many years before."

15. Waiting is an act of humility in which we acknowledge our ignorance and

inability to guide our own life without God's help. Not waiting is to go ahead and say

I don't need any help. I am self-sufficient and need nobody. I will do it my way, for

nobody else is going to tell me what to do. This is the way of pride and self-

centeredness. Humility admits ignorance and inability.

16. Charles Swindoll wrote, “It’s time to say it: more often than not we face life in a

quandary. Searching, disturbing questions far out number absolute, air-tight

answers. Even though we love the Lord and are committed to His plan. Even

though we obey His Word and seek His will. If we are honest enough to admit it,

there are days-no, there are even months-when we simply cannot figure out what

God is up too. The longer I live, the more I believe that one of the most profound

subjects in the Christian life is the will of God. The deeper we dig into it, the more

we realize how little we know. When we stop and think deeply about the way He

leads us along, we must conclude that it is one of the most mysterious subjects in the

spiritual life. Yet I’ve observed that we use words like “It’s the will of God” or “We

hope God will have His will and way in this” rather glibly. Someone has said that

getting an education is going from an unconscious to a conscious awareness of our

ignorance.”

“So let’s settle this point right at the outset. All of these things and so many more

we will never understand in this life, despite all of our searching and all of study of

the Scriptures. I’ll never be able to see everything clearly, to fully grasp and

understand and answer all the questions. They are beyond our comprehension-a

puzzle, a mystery.” Isa. 55:8-9 says, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts,

neither are your ways my ways declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher

than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your

thoughts.” Rom. 11:33-34 says, “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and

knowledge of God! How un-searchable are His judgments and un-fathomable His

ways! For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who became His counselor!”

17. It is because we are not wiser than God that wisdom waits for God to see what

his providence is going to work out before making any absolute decisions. We do not

always have the liberty or the time to wait, but often we do, and when we do it is

wise to let God make the determination. Wait for the Lord to act, and if he does not,

then you have the freedom to make a choice in what to do. Andrew Murray put it,

"It is, then, because Christians do not know their relation to God of absolute

poverty and helplessness, that they have no sense of the need of absolute and

unceasing dependence, or the unspeakable blessedness of continual waiting on God.

But when once a believer begins to see it, and consent to it, that he by the Holy Spirit

must each moment receive what God each moment works, waiting on God be-

comes his brightest hope and joy."

18. Andrew Murray goes on, "If an army has been sent out to march into an

enemy's country, and tidings are received that it is not advancing, the question is at

once asked, what may be the cause of delay. The answer will very often be : Waiting

for supplies.' All the stores of provisions or clothing or ammunition have not arrived

; without these it dare not proceed. It is no otherwise in the Christian life : day by

day, at every step, we need our supplies from above. And there is nothing so needful

as to cultivate that spirit of dependence on God and of confidence in Him, which

refuses to go on without the needed supply of grace and strength." We wait for God

because if we go on our own we can fail, but if we wait until God has supplied us

with the necessary supplies we can succeed. 19. Prayer is obviously a part of waiting for God to supply us and guide us, and to

go before us, but waiting is also somewhat different from prayer. Prayer is

primarily asking God for what we need and want, but waiting for God, or on God, is

seeking to be available for what he needs and wants from us to achieve his purpose.

Prayer is mainly self-centered, but waiting is mainly God centered. We lie in the Sun

to get its benefits. We just wait on it to do its thing, and do nothing. So also we are to

just wait in the presence of God for his light to shine on us and benefit us in the way

his light can do it. Meditation is a form of active waiting, for we are trying to enter

into a truth to better grasp it and its implications. Andrew Murray wrote, “God is

Light God is a Sun. Paul says God hath shined in our hearts to give the light.' What

light? 'The light of the glory of God, in the face of Jesus Christ.' Just as the sun

shines its beautiful, life-giving light on and into our earth, so God shines into our

hearts the light of His glory, of His love, in Christ his Son, Our heart is meant to

have that light filling and gladdening it all the day. It can have it, because God is our

sun, and it is written, Thy sun shall no more go down for ever. God's love shines on

us without ceasing.”

20. An American poet wrote,

Despair may tangle darkly at your feet,

Your faith be dimmed, and hope, once cool and sweet,

Be lost: But suddenly above a hill,

A heavenly lamp set on a heavenly sill

Will shine for you and point the way to go,

How well I know!

For I have waited through the dark, and I

Have seen a star rise in the blackest sky

Repeatedly-it has not failed me yet.

And I have learned God never will forget

To light His lamp. If we but wait for it,

It will be lit.

21. Because we hate to wait, we tend to give up on many things we do in Christian

service. It just does not seem to pay off, and so we give up. This is not to say there is

never a time to stop doing what does not work, and seek ways to do the Lord's work

in a wiser way, but the fact is, we give up on things too soon because we lack the

patience. Here is an example: "A man use to hand out gospel tracts seeing anyone

trust Christ as savior, he quit. Two years later he happened to pass that same

familiar corner and was a person handling out tracts. He walked over to the

stranger and struck up a conversation. He learned that a little more than 2 years

earlier the man had become a Christian after reading a tract he had received at that

corner. “Many a time I’ve come back here to find the man to thank him,”, said the

stranger, “but he never came back. So I decided he must have died and gone to his

reward. That’s why I’ve taken his place!” When you’re doing God’s work, it’s

always too soon to quit."

22. What this means is that waiting is not a merely passive experience where we sit

and meditate on the Word of God, and listen to God through his Word. If we really

grasp the truth of it, we have to respond, and so part of waiting is to act on what we

gain from waiting. It is active as well as passive. Wait for the Lord seem so passive,

but is not. It is an active waiting that is meant. To get material things we take our

money to a store and we exchange it for those things that we desire to possess. We

cannot do this with spiritual values, for they are not purchased with money. They

can only be possessed by the giving or our time, not our money. Time is the value

that we exchange for the knowledge and wisdom of God. We give time to read his

Word. We give time to worship and praise him. We give time to carry out his known

will to the degree that we understand it. The intellect, emotions and the will are all

involved, and each demands time to function and grow. The whole man is involved

and all takes time. The more time you give to study, the more you know. The more

time you give to worship, prayer, and praise, the more you feel. The more time you

give to service, the more your will is committed to God and his kingdom. Time is the

only thing you have that can be exchanged for spiritual growth in all areas of life. 23. Buddy Greene sings a song that reveals the need to act on what God gives us in

our waiting for him. Some of the lyrics go-

Jesus has left the building

He's back out on the street

He's busy dealing His mercy

To every hurting soul He meets.

He's out helping the homeless find shelter

He's out helping the jobless find work

He's donating His time to the feeble of mind

And for this some people think He's berserk

But He's just helping the helpless find justice

And mercy in a cold, cruel world

You see, His heart aches for all kinds of people

For every man, woman, boy, and girl

And that's why...

Jesus has left the building

He's back out on the street

He's busy dealing His mercy

To every hurting soul He meets.

Back inside some people just keep on waiting

And prayin' that He would come down

But Jesus has left the building

He's out spreading His love all around.

24. There is a time to be passive, silent and submissive with a surrendered heart to

the Lord. V. Raymond Edman wrote. “Committal is an act with finality about it. To

commit is to hand over a matter to someone else. It is a letting go of it completely so

that another can take over. For example, we commit a letter to the post office

department when we drop it in the mailbox. Not until we release it completely and

let it drop into the box will the postal service take the responsibility to deliver it to

its destination.” This is the idea behind the let go and let God advice, but when God

makes his will clear, we are not to just keep waiting. We are to pursue his will with a

life of action to obey that will. There is a time to sit, and a time to walk, and a time

to run. All of these are a part of waiting for God.

B. be strong and take heart

1. Be strong and take heart. He is saying that we are not to lose our patience and

give up on God because he is so slow in answering our prayers. Be patience with

God and never give up. It may be agonizing to keep on waiting when it seems to go

on forever without any change. People give up on trusting God, and take matters

into their own hands. Instead of waiting for God to deal justly with those who are

unjust and evil, people take matters into their own hands and do foolish things that

do not honor God or man. Impatience leads to all sorts of folly. It takes great

strength to hold back the spirit of revenge on those who have done you wrong. You

need a strong commitment to God to just wait and let him deal with sinners in his

own way. We all feel like giving up at some point in our lives, but David is saying to

all believers for all time, "Never give up!" We think it is being strong to take action

and move ahead, but often that is the weakness of the flesh. It takes more courage

and strength to just hold back from action and let God work according to his time

table rather than ours. Waiting can be the hardest thing we can do, and we have to

be strong in faith to do it. Abraham had to wait for what seemed like a lifetime

before God gave him the child he promised, but he never gave up and lost heart.

Rom 4:20 says of him, "He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief;

but was strong in faith, giving glory to God.." Paul wrote in Eph 6:10 "Finally, my

brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might." And we seldom

think that this means having the strength to wait, but that is the power we often

need most.

2. David speaks out of personal experience, for he had to run from Saul for many years. Saul was out to kill him and his life was in constant danger, and God was not

quick to resolve the conflict by getting rid of Saul so David could be king. It took

many years of running and hiding and living in fear of being captured. It was

painful to be told you are going to be the next king, but having to spend your days

living in fear of the king in power. David did not speed things up by killing Saul

when he had the chance several times. He let God do it in his way and in his time

frame. It was hard for his men to understand such waiting on God, but he did it and

God rewarded him for his patience in letting God do it his way. He learned also by

his experience with Nabal not to take things into his own hands. He was going to kill

Nabal for his rejection of what he owed David and his men for their protection of his

ranch. He refused to give them food and David went with anger to kill him. Abigail

came and persuaded him to not do this evil thing he would later regret as king, and

he listened to her and backed off. Ten days later God took the life of Nabal in

judgment, and David learned to wait on the Lord and let him take care of revenge.

He almost blew it, and it is a constant temptation to all of us to take matters into our

own hands and give up on God's slow moving justice, but it is folly to do so, and so

David is telling people for all time, wait on the Lord. Never give up on him and his

plan. It is hard, but his way may even lead to your enemy becoming your brother in

Christ, for the whole purpose of letting God do it his way is because he is willing to

give people a chance to repent and be forgiven.

3. David never gave up hope of becoming king for that dozen years that he had to keep escaping from Saul. He held on though the storms of life, and God brought him

to a place of peace and success. It was a long hard road to follow, but because he

never gave up on the promise of God he became one of the great men of God in the

Old Testament. Most of us will not have to wait as long as David did to see the

blessing of God on our lives, but even small trials and short times of depression

demand that we be committed to never give up and stop waiting on God. We don't

all need the patience of Job, or even the patience of David, but we all need patience

to keep going on in faithfulness and loyalty to the Lord when life just will not be all

that we desire it to be.

3B. This Psalms says we are to wait with a spirit of courage, confidence and

commitment. It calls for strength and courage because you are not just waiting on a

couch, but in a conflict with dangers all around. David is facing enemies. He is not

waiting in his castle with peace about him, but in a tent with warriors all about him

ready to rise up and fight another battle to survive. Waiting can be difficult because

you are fighting for survival all the while, and you can get battle weary and want to

throw in the towel, or drop your weapons and go AWOL. You need encouragement

to keep fighting in hope that it will all end well. David is encouraging himself in

knowing that he has to face still other battles. He has won many, but there are more

to come, and so he has to wait yet for those days of peace to come. They did come,

but it was a long wait and he needed to keep reminding himself that he had to be

courageous and confident to keep going and never give up on God's plan for him.

3C. Stand but your ground, your ghostly foes will fly--

Hell trembles at a heaven directed eye;

Choose rather to defend than to assail--

Self confidence will in the conflict fail:

When you are challenged you may dangers meet--

True courage is a fixed, not sudden heat;

Is always humble, lives in self distrust,

And will itself into no danger thrust.

Devote yourself to God, and you will find

God fights the battles of a will resigned.

Love Jesus! love will no base fear endure--

Love Jesus! and of conquest rest secure.

--Thomas Ken (Bishop), 1637-1710-11.

3D. Calvin wrote, "But as nothing is more difficult than to give God the honor of

relying upon him, when he hides himself from us, or delays his assistance, David

stirs himself up to collect strength; as if he had said, If fearfulness steal upon thee; if

temptation shake thy faith; if the feelings of the flesh rise in tumult, do not faint; but

rather endeavor to rise above them by an invincible resolution of mind. From this

we may learn, that the children of God overcome, not by sullenness, but by patience,

when they commit their souls quietly to God; as Isaiah says,“ In quietness and in

confidence shall be your strength,” (Isaiah 30:15.) As David did not feel himself

equal to great and difficult efforts, he borrows strength from God by prayer."

Calvin here seems to use the Septuagint version. What he renders in the text, “Be of

good courage,” is rendered by the Septuagint, �νδρνδρνδρνδρ�ζουζουζουζου “Be manly, or act like a

man.” The Vulgate reads, “vinliter ae,” following the Septuagint, as it generally

does. Paul uses the same phraseology in 1 Corinthians 16:13. "Watch ye, stand fast

in the faith, quit you like men, be strong." “These,” says Ainsworth, “are the words

of encouragement against remissness, fear, faintness of heart, or other infirmities.”

3E. Some translations have be strong and courageous, and some unknown author wrote, "Paul had come to this mood. He had been tormented with some strange

experience. There was a thorn in his flesh; it was cutting and tearing there every

moment. It was a messenger of Satan sent to buffet him. That this thorn might be

removed, Paul threw his whole soul into prayer. It was an intense, a passionate and

persistent cry to God for relief from terrible pain. It was a cry for a changed

environment. It represents the great burden of the world's prayer in all ages.

Ninety-nine out of every hundred prayers that have been offered since the morning

of time have had reference to environment. We pray to be delivered from pinching

poverty, from uncongenial tasks, from the presence of people who are unfriendly

and unsympathetic. We pray that failure may be averted, that sickness may not

come near our beloved, that the shadow of death may be turned back. We pray for a

heavenly environment, for a lot in life accordant with our dreams of good, for a

Paradise without a forbidden tree and without a serpent. These are the burden of

the world's prayers ; and these are the prayers to which the great denial comes.

To our first reflections, there is something appalling in the absolute negative which God returns to most of the prayers that are offered to Him by mortal men. Paul's

prayer was not granted, but something better came than that for which he prayed,

enduring strength, victorious manhood, the joy of the Lord, the sense of a

triumphant God working in the very heart of his human weaknesses and sufferings.

Thus it was that the world as God made it became for Paul the best of all possible

worlds. Here Paul came upon the great vindication of God's ways to men, the final

theodicy."

4. James Smith wrote, "Dark seasons you will have, for it is the lot of all Christians.

A cloud may come over your prospects, and the sentence of death may be passed on

many of your comforts. Your gourd may be smitten and wither, and the Lord may

take away the desire of your eyes with a stroke. He may seem to turn against you, to

turn his hand against you all the day. There may be no sweet intimations of his love,

no pleasant communion with him at his throne, no sensible communion with him in

his ordinances- all within may be cold, cheerless, and dreary; and all without

disheartening and discouraging. Instead of success, there may be losses; instead of

comfort, trouble; instead of friendship, enmity and alienation. Business may decline;

employment may fail; health may give way; all things may seem to be against you.

"But however discouraging your circumstances may be, however dull and dreary

you may be in your soul, or cast down on account of the difficulties of the way, still

wait on the Lord, nor shall you wait in vain. Deep and almost overwhelming were

the trials, distresses, and soul troubles of David, but though his soul was cast down

within him, he waited on the Lord, and he has recorded the result- "I waited

patiently for the Lord; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. He brought me

up also out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and

established my goings. And he has put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto

our God- many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the Lord." However dark,

then, your way, however trying your circumstances, however severe the exercises of

your soul, still wait on the Lord; hold fast by the promise; so "shall your light rise in

obscurity, and your darkness be as the noonday; and the Lord shall guide you

continually, and satisfy your soul in drought."

4B. Smith goes on, "What can we do? Do as the prophet of old did, who said- "I will wait upon the Lord, who hides his face from the house of Jacob, and I will look for

him." Yes, wait on the Lord, who has given you this precious promise- "I will

instruct you and teach you in the way which you shall go; I will guide you with my

eye." He will point out the way, he will teach you in the way, he will guide as a

loving Father or a faithful friend. There are no difficulties with him. He sees the end

from the beginning. He has directed thousands, millions, who have been in as great

or greater difficulties than you are. What he has done for others, he will do for you.

Hear his own word- "I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not; I will lead

them in paths that they have not known; I will make darkness light before them,

and crooked things straight. These things will I do unto them, and not forsake

them." Wait, therefore, on the Lord, and say- "Behold, as the eyes of servants look

unto the hand of their masters, and as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her

mistress; so our eyes wait upon the Lord our God, until that he have mercy upon

us."

5. Don't give up hoping when the ship goes down,

Grab a spar or something--just refuse to drown.

Don't think you are dying just because your're hit,

Smile in face of danger and hang on to your grit.

Folks die too easy--they sort of fade away;

Make a little error and give up in dismay.

Kind of man that's needed is the man of ready wit,

To laugh at pain and trouble and keep up his grit.

---Louis E. Thayer

6. Maxie Dunnam wrote, "Sir Edmund Hillary was the first person to conquer Mt.

Everest. The first time he tried, he failed. He was knighted by the Queen of England,

and at that gala occasion, on the wall behind the head table, was a huge picture of

Mt. Everest. The people gave him a standing ovation for even daring to attempt the

climb. When they ceased applauding, Hillary turned his back to the audience, faced

that picture of the awesome mountain and said, "Mt. Everest, you have defeated

me once and you might defeat me again. But I'm coming back again and again, and

I'm going to win because you can't get any bigger, Mt. Everest, and I can. "What an

attitude! What a difference it would make if we would say when we face the

mountains in our own lives, "You may defeat me once, you may defeat me twice, but

you're not going to defeat me forever. I 'm coming back, and I'm going to win,

because you can't get any bigger, and I can!"

7. "Sharon Komlos has been blind since 1980, but that grim fact has only sharpened her focus as Florida's most eloquent advocate for the victims of violent crime.

"Recently, State Attorney General Bob Butterworth demonstrated some extremely

acute vision of his own in naming the Boca Raton woman his assistant director for

the Division of Victim Services and Criminal Justice Programs. "Komlos, 45, was

attacked 15 years ago while driving her car in Broward County. She was shot and

blinded by her assailant, who then took her to his apartment and raped and stabbed

her. Amazingly, the mother of three survived the attack and eventually testified

against her attacker, who was convicted and sentenced to 100 years in prison.

8. No one could have faulted Komlos if she had retreated into a shelter of darkness and self-pity after her ordeal, but she chose instead to turn her misfortune into a

beacon of hope and fulfillment for crime victims. She began making public speeches

on fighting crime and in 1982 joined the Palm Beach County chapter of

Crimestoppers International as a volunteer spokeswoman. Crimestoppers

coordinates television reenactments of unsolved crimes, persuades newspapers to

publish photographs of fugitives, and operates tip lines that offer cash rewards for

information that helps police solve crimes. In her spare time, Komlos raised her

children, who were 3, 7 and 9 at the time she was blinded. One has graduated from

college, another has nearly earned a degree and the youngest recently graduated

from high school." (Palm Beach County (FL) Sun-Sentinel, June 26, 1995, p. 6A).

Two truths clamor to be heard through this woman.

1) It is not the circumstances of life that shape us -- but our response to those

circumstances.

2) Any event, however horrible and tragic, can be a beginning and not the end.

These are my perceptions. I'm Maxie Dunnam at Asbury"

9. Spurgeon said, “Wait at His door with prayer. Wait at His feet with humility.

Wait at His table with service and wait at His window with expectancy.”

If but one message I may leave behind,

One single word of courage for my kind,

It would be this-O brother, sister, friend,

Whatever life may bring-what God may send-

No matter whether cloud lift soon or late-

Take heart and wait.

C. and wait for the LORD.

1. This Psalm is advocating patience, and to make it as clear as possible the

importance of being patient, David says it twice, wait for the Lord. What is often not

needed is more faith, but instead more patience. This is one of the major themes of

the Bible, and it is necessary because God's time table and ours just do not match

up. God's plan is based on his willingness to give mankind time to repent, and so

things move slowly because men are not willing to quickly obey God and get on the

right path of pleasing him. He will wait, however, as he did in the days of Noah

before he destroyed the world in the flood, and many times since before he sent

judgment. God is longsuffering, which means he will suffer man's sinful

disobedience for a long time before he sends judgment. If God judged sin

immediately nobody would ever survive beyond the day of their rebellion. As we look at the Scripture that deals with the need to wait on God we see it clearly that

we need the patience of God. To be godly means to be patient.

2. The Bible teaches us to wait on the Lord in so many places that it is obvious that

it is a primary virtue to develop patience. Look at some of the texts on this matter.

Psalm 5:3 In the morning, O LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my

requests before you and wait in expectation.

Psalm 25:5 "Lead me in your truth, and teach me; for you are the God of my salvation; on you do I wait all the day."

Psalm 33:20 We wait in hope for the LORD; he is our help and our shield.

Psalm 37:7 Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when

men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.

Psalm 37:34 Wait for the LORD and keep his way. He will exalt you to inherit the land; when the wicked are cut off, you will see it.

Psalm 38:15 I wait for you, O LORD; you will answer, O Lord my God.

Psalm 106:9-15

He rebuked the Red Sea, and it dried up;

he led them through the depths as through a desert.

10 He saved them from the hand of the foe;

from the hand of the enemy he redeemed them.

11 The waters covered their adversaries;

not one of them survived.

12 Then they believed his promises

and sang his praise.

13 But they soon forgot what he had done

and did not wait for his counsel.

14 In the desert they gave in to their craving;

in the wasteland they put God to the test.

15 So he gave them what they asked for,

but sent a wasting disease upon them.

Psalm 119:166 I wait for your salvation, O LORD, and I follow your commands.

Psalm 130:5 I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope.

Psalm 130:6 My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning,

more than watchmen wait for the morning.

Proverbs 20:22 Do not say, "I'll pay you back for this wrong!" Wait for the LORD,

and he will deliver you.

Isaiah 8:17 I will wait for the LORD, who is hiding his face from the house of Jacob. I will put my trust in him.

Isaiah 26:8 Yes, LORD, walking in the way of your laws, [ Or judgments ] we wait

for you; your name and renown are the desire of our hearts.

Isaiah 30:18 Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you

compassion. For the LORD is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him!

Isaiah 51:5 My righteousness draws near speedily, my salvation is on the way, and my arm will bring justice to the nations. The islands will look to me and wait in

hope for my arm.

Isaiah 64:4 Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has

seen any God besides you, who acts on behalf of those who wait for him.

Lamentations 3:24 I say to myself, "The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait

for him."

Lamentations 3:26 it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD.

Hosea 12:6 But you must return to your God; maintain love and justice, and wait for your God always.

Micah 7:7 But as for me, I watch in hope for the LORD, I wait for God my Savior;

my God will hear me.

Zephaniah 3:8 Therefore wait for me," declares the LORD, "for the day I will stand

up to testify. [ Septuagint and Syriac; Hebrew will rise up to plunder ] I have

decided to assemble the nations, to gather the kingdoms and to pour out my wrath

on them— all my fierce anger. The whole world will be consumed by the fire of my

jealous anger.

Acts 1:4 On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: "Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised,

which you have heard me speak about.

Romans 8:23 Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit,

groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our

bodies.

Romans 8:25 But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.

1 Corinthians 1:7 Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait

for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed.

1 Corinthians 4:5 Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the

motives of men's hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God.

1 Thessalonians 1:10 and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the

dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.

Titus 2:13 while we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great

God and Savior, Jesus Christ,

Jude 1:21 Keep yourselves in God's love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.

Revelation 6:11 Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and brothers who were

to be killed as they had been was completed.

2B. If we could see beyond today as God can see,

If all the clouds should roll away, the shadows flee;

O’er present griefs we would not fret,

Each sorrow we would soon forget,

For many joys are waiting yet for you and me.

If we could know beyond today, as God doth know,

Why dearest treasures pass away and tears must flow;

And why the darkness leads to light,

Why dreary days will soon grow bright,

Some day life’s wrong will be made right,

Faith tells us so.

If we could see, if we could know, we often say,

But God in love a veil doth throw across our way;

We cannot see what lies before,

And so cling to Him the more,

He leads us till this life is o’er,

Trust and obey.

3. Even in heaven the saints need to be patient, for they want history to be over and

all the evil judged and begin the eternal journey with their Lord and loved ones with

no more waiting. We long for it too in this life, for waiting is such a struggle, and

there is so much to make us inpatient. We need to pray constantly for the ability to

be patient. How often do we need to pray like the following, which was written by an

unknown author.

"Oh, God give me patience!

With this child who's telling his eager, long-winded story. Let me keep smiling

and pretending I'm enthralled. If I don't, if I cut him off he'll not only be hurt, he

will not come to me with something really important next time. But dear Lord, help

me to guide him gently to the climax soon.

Oh, God, give me patience!

With this baby who's dawdling over his food. He must eat, the doctor says, and I

mustn't coax, threaten, or grab him and shake him as I'm tempted to --even though

I know it would only make things worse and damage us both. Help me to sit quietly

waiting, waiting, learning patience.

Oh, God give me patience!

With this boring old lady who wants me to look at all the pictures of her grandchildren, and listen (again) to her oft-told tales. Help me to remember that I

may be just as difficult some day, and that in showing warm interest I can add a

little joy to her few remaining days. Let me love her instead of resent the time she's

taking. Let me gain something from enduring this hour with her. Let me learn

through her the lesson of patience.

Oh God, give me patience--as I wait for a friend who is late, or for a line that's

busy, or for traffic to clear. Let me be fully aware of my surroundings as I wait--the

feel of the chair upon which I sit, the passing parade of people or the scent and color

and sound of the very air. Help me to realize that no time is really wasted in this life

so long as we are fully awake to the moment so long as we are aware.

Oh, God give me patience--with myself!

With my follies, my hasty words, my own mistakes. The times when I seem a hopeless bumbler unworthy of friend or family, or the company of any human being

so that I get into a panic and think. Why am I taking up space on the earth? Why

can't I flee, vanish into eternity, simply disappear?

Help me to stop wrestling with remorse. Taking a futile inventory. Waking up

in the night to berate myself for "things I ought to have done and things I ought not

to have done." Reassure me, oh God, that there is health and hope and goodness in

me, and that if I just have patience they will take over. I'll become the person I

want to be and that you expect me to."

4. Why is it so important to wait on God and be patient? It is because God works though time to get through to people. He does not violate their free will, but lets

them think and reason, and deal with doubts and questions of all kinds. He does not

force his way into their lives, but works by natural means, and this often takes a

long time. "Some of the greatest missionaries of history devotedly spread the seed of

God's Word, and yet had to wait long periods before seeing the fruit of their efforts.

William Carey, for example, labored 7 years before the first Hindu convert was

brought to Christ in Burma, and Adoniram Judson toiled 7 years before his faithful

preaching was rewarded. In western Africa, it was 14 years before one convert was

received into the Christian church. In New Zealand, it took 9 years; and in Haiti, it

was 16 years before the first harvest of souls began." The point is, had believers not

waited on the Lord, but given up in frustration, there never would have been a

harvest. You can't give up just because it is hard and because it does not seem

fruitful. It is so easy to become weary in trying to do good in a world that often does

not appreciate it, but it is God's clear will that we do not quit. Galatians 6:9 - "And

let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not." 2

Thessalonians 3:13 - "But ye brethren, be not weary in well doing." Keep on

keeping on, and plugging away, waiting for the Lord to bring forth fruit.

5. We need patience because we do not get all the answers in a short time. We all have times of doubt and mysteries that we do not understand, and we need to have

patience to live and learn, and come to understand what God's will and plan is all

about. The Bible is filled with mysteries that take time to figure out, and so if we are

impatient and want to know all now without waiting to learn we will give up and

forsake the Word, as many do. They cannot understand now, and so they quit trying

and lose the joy of coming to understand in time. Time is what keeps everything

from happening at once, which is what God can experience. Past, Present and future

can be in his mind all at once, but it takes infinite capacity of mind for this, and we

don't have it, and so it takes time and a process for us to grow and learn, and come

to understanding. Without patience people just give up trying to grasp it all, and

they fall away from their faith. They cannot live with their doubts, and so they let

their doubts be their guide instead of their faith. Faith waits on God, but doubt gives

up on God.

6. Waiting can mean so many different things. Spurgeon brings out some of the

meanings as he writes, "What do we mean, then, by, “wait on the Lord”? I say, first,

let us wait on the Lord as a beggar waits for alms at the rich man’s door. We are

very poor and needy, laboring under such necessities that the whole world cannot

supply what we require. Only in God is there a supply for the deep poverty of our

souls! We have gone to His door, many of us, and knocked and waited. And, in so

doing, we have obtained very gracious answers." Spurgeon writes of the great

patience the warriors of Israel needed as they spent the whole week marching

around the walls of Jericho. They were anxious to get on with the battle, and God

has them wasting their time playing such nonsense games. In the end they saw the

wisdom of waiting and letting God do it his way, but it took a lot of patience to keep

doing what made no sense to them. The same thing was true in the long miserable

march in the wilderness. God had a plan, and most felt it was all meaningless and a

waste, and they were always in a bad mood with their complaining and grumbling.

Moses, Joshua and Caleb, however, waited in patience, and saw the blessing of God

in bringing them into the Promised Land. God's people have always needed patience

with God's ways of doing things. Adam and Eve lost patience with God and chose to

do it their way, and that was the beginning of sin, and loss of patience with God is

what all sin is about. In contrast, patience with God, and waiting on God is what all

virtue is about. All the sins of David can be traced to losing patience with God's way

of meeting his needs. He almost killed a man in his wrath, but Abigail calmed him

down, and he learned to wait on God's time table to bring revenge. He fell into

adultery because he could not wait to get his needs met by one of his many wives. He

angered God by counting his fighting men, as if to say, he was counting on his own

forces rather than the promise of God to protect him. Every time he lost patience

with God he did something stupid.

7. For me, waiting is what I do in study. I keep looking at what others say about a

passage, and I search the sermons of others for insight, and look at what scholars

say about the original Hebrew and Greek, and then meditate on all the resources I

have and then pray for wisdom as I write out my understanding of what God has

revealed in his Word. All of this is a part of waiting on the Lord. Understanding

may come by means of men, or by means of insight imparted by the Holy Spirit, but

it is all a process that takes time and effort. It is not just expecting the Lord to drop

it into my mind, for it takes time in exposing myself to all that God has made

available. It is a process of waiting on the Lord. That is what Bible study is in my

mind. It is coming to the Bible with a hunger to know, and then waiting on all the

ways God can feed that hunger. Spurgeon put it like this, "Let us catch the faintest

whisper of His Spirit and yield to each Divine impulse. “Wait, I say, on the Lord.” If you are to be instructed disciples it must be by a diligent, patient, persevering

waiting upon Him who is the Fountain of all knowledge and the Sun of all light."

7B. An unknown author give his concept of waiting. "This is sometimes very

difficult, especially when the conflict within is severe, and the storms of trouble roar.

Yet it is a duty, and not only a duty, but a privilege. Reasoning will do but little

good. Resistance will injure us. Therefore David took another course. Hear his

words- "Lord, my heart is not proud; my eyes are not haughty. I don't concern

myself with matters too great or awesome for me. But I have stilled and quieted

myself, just as a small child is quiet with its mother. Yes, like a small child is my soul

within me." Here was quiet waiting upon God. The soul was humble; it bowed

before God; it lay at his feet, and in stillness of soul, waited for his appearing. This

was wise- "The Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says, Only in returning to

me and waiting for me will you be saved. In quietness and confidence is your

strength." Isaiah 30:15

8. Spurgeon sees another aspect of waiting on the Lord. It can be like a servant

waiting on the master. He wants to know what the master wants him to do, and then

he does it. That is waiting on the Lord by doing his will. We are waiters and

waitresses in that we have orders from the Lord, and we then serve him in carrying

them out in obedience, and that is a form of waiting on the Lord. It is performing

service for the Lord, and so it is an active and not just a passive thing of waiting in

stillness for revelation, but a waiting in action to fulfill his purpose. It is the logical

progression from what we learn in quiet waiting by carrying out the truth of what

we learn in service. I wait on the Lord and learn truth he wants people to know, and

then I wait on the Lord by sharing that truth with others who will not have the time

nor inclination to do that kind of waiting. There are plenty of such people waiting

for this. One wrote about his impatience in trying to read through the Old

Testament. "Psalms tried my patience. Isaiah tried my patience. And after

struggling for two weeks to get through Jeremiah, a book I initially thought would

be fun to read, in so much that there should be huge parts I can identify with, I’m

ready to drop kick most of the Old Testament into my backyard, where it can rot

with the shingles falling off the garage roof."

9. Patience is a vital virtue because the lack of it is the cause of many of the worst

sins of life. People commit suicide because they just cannot stand to live with their

present pain and sorrow. If Judas had just waited another day or so he would have

seen the risen Lord, and would have had time to repent and seek his forgiveness.

Many who commit suicide could have had successful and joyful lives had they just

held on in the storm. It is not just self murder, but all murder that is related to lack

of patience. People murder because they cannot stand the offenses they are feeling

right now by the betrayal and rejection of the one they murder. They have lost all

concept of time healing all wounds, and that life can go on, and the future can still

be bright inspite of this great disappointment. They want revenge right now, and

they kill not knowing that they are killing their own future as well as the one they

are killing. A little patience and talking with someone about their rage could save

both of them, but they do not have the patience to wait and see other alternatives to

murder. Many other sins can be traced to lack of patience as well, and that is why it

is a major virtue, for its presence in our lives saves us from much evil and folly.

10. There is much wisdom for life in quotes about patience.

Patience is the ability to count down before you blast off. ~Author Unknown

One moment of patience may ward off great disaster. One moment of impatience

may ruin a whole life. ~Chinese Proverb

Patience is the companion of wisdom. ~St. Augustine

How poor are they that have not patience!

What wound did ever heal but by degrees?

~William Shakespeare, Othello, 1604

"Patience serves as a protection against wrongs as

clothes do against cold. For if you put on more clothes as the

cold increases it will have no power to hurt you. So in like

manner you must grow in patience when you meet with great wrongs, and they will

then be powerless to vex your mind." --Leonardo da Vinci

George Matheson wrote, "We commonly associate

patience with lying down. We think of it as the angel that

guards the couch of the invalid. Yet there is a patience that I

believe to be harder -- the patience that can run. To lie down

in the time of grief, to be quiet under the stroke of adverse

fortune, implies a great strength; but I know of something that

implies a strength greater still: it is the power to work under

stress; to have a great weight at your heart and still run; to

have a deep anguish in your spirit and still perform the daily

tasks. It is a Christlike thing! The hardest thing is that most

of us are called to exercise our patience, not in the sickbed but in the street." To

wait is hard, to do it with "good courage" is harder! Our Daily Bread, April 8

All your life an unattainable ecstasy has hovered just

beyond the grasp of your consciousness. The day is coming

when you will wake to find, beyond all hope, that you have

attained it. C . S . L E W I S The Problem of Pain

"Paul, speaking to the Hebrews, brings us up short by writing that, even after

faithful disciples had "done the will of God," they "[had] need of patience"

(Hebrews 10:36). How many times have good individuals done the right thing only

to break or wear away under subsequent stress, canceling out much of the value of

what they had already so painstakingly done? Sometimes that which we are doing is

correct enough but simply needs to be persisted in patiently, not for a minute or a

moment but sometimes for years. Paul speaks of the marathon of life and of how we

must "run with patience the race that is set before us" (Hebrews 12:1). Paul did not

select the hundred-meter dash for his analogy!" "The passage of time is not, by

itself, an automatic cure for bad choices; but often individuals like the prodigal son

can "in process of time" come to their senses. The touching reunion of Jacob and

Esau in the desert, so many years after their youthful rivalry, is a classic example of

how generosity can replace animosity when truth is mixed with time." "There is also

a dimension of patience which links it to a special reverence for life. Patience is a

willingness, in a sense, to watch the unfolding purposes of God with a sense of

wonder and awe, rather than pacing up and down within the cell of our

circumstance. Put another way, too much anxious opening of the oven door and the

cake falls instead of rising. So it is with us. If we are always selfishly taking our

temperature to see if we are happy, we will not be." Neal Maxwell

11. The Bible makes it clear that patience is a major virtue.

Proverbs 19:11 A man's wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an

offense.

Proverbs 25:15 Through patience a ruler can be persuaded, and a gentle tongue can

break a bone.

Ecclesiastes 7:8 The end of a matter is better than its beginning, and patience is better than pride.

Isaiah 7:13 Then Isaiah said, "Hear now, you house of David! Is it not enough to try the patience of men? Will you try the patience of my God also?

Romans 2:4 Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and

patience, not realizing that God's kindness leads you toward repentance?

Romans 9:22 What if God, choosing to show his wrath and make his power known,

bore with great patience the objects of his wrath—prepared for destruction?

2 Corinthians 6:6 in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love;

Galatians 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,

goodness, faithfulness,

Colossians 1:11 being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so

that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully

Colossians 3:12Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.

1 Timothy 1:16 But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst

of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those

who would believe on him and receive eternal life.

2 Timothy 3:10 [ Paul's Charge to Timothy ] You, however, know all about my

teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance,

2 Timothy 4:2 Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.

Hebrews 6:12 We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through

faith and patience inherit what has been promised.

James 5:7 [ Patience in Suffering ] Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord's

coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how

patient he is for the autumn and spring rains.

James 5:10 Brothers, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the

prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.

2 Peter 3:15 Bear in mind that our Lord's patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him.

11B. Arthur Pink has strong words about the importance of patience in the

believer's life. He wrote, "Quite a lot is said about the grace and duty of "patient

waiting" in the Scriptures, though there is comparatively little of it in the lives of

most Christians, which fact is not only displeasing and dishonoring to God but

detrimental to their own spiritual condition. Few of them have any clear scriptural

conception of what "patient waiting" actually consists, for there has not been

sufficient really definite and practical teaching on it; consequently the thoughts of

few rise any higher than those of the natural man. When commenting upon

Colossians 1:11, we threw out some general hints on this subject, and expressed the

hope of later supplementing them. We shall therefore consider something of what

God’s Word teaches on this most necessary fruit of Divine grace. The Savior

Himself exhorted us, "In your patience possess ye your souls" (Luke 21:19), and His

apostle declared, "Ye have need of patience" (Heb. 10:36). Patience is a most

necessary grace for the Christian. That requires little proof, for the experience of

every believer confirms it. Some difficulty accompanies every duty and the putting

forth of every grace, not only because the commandments of God run counter to our

corruptions but also because they run counter to the spirit and course of this world.

Therefore patience is required in order to perform our duties constantly, and to

continue in the exercise of that grace. To swim against the tide of popular sentiment,

willing to be deemed singular, plodding along the narrow way, which is an uphill

course throughout, and not fainting near the end, calls for much fortitude and

endurance.

This patient waiting for Christ may be defined as "the grace of hope fortifying our resolutions for God and His way, that we may be steadfast till our work is finished

and our warfare is ended." There is a threefold patience spoken of in Scripture.

First, a laboring patience, which consists in our doing the will of God in self-denying

obedience, however irksome it proves to the flesh. The same Greek word rendered

"patiently waiting" in our text is translated "patient continuance in well doing" in

Romans 2:7, which is in contrast with those whose "goodness is as a morning cloud,

and as the early dew it goeth away" (Hosea 6:4). Christ defined the stony-ground

hearers as those "which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away." He

described the thorny-ground hearers as they who "are choked with the cares and

riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection." But He declared

that the good-ground hearers are they who "having heard the word, keep it, and

bring forth fruit with patience" (Luke 8:13-15). "Many of his disciples went back,

and walked no more with him" (John 6:66), but of the apostles He said, "Ye are

they which have continued with me" (Luke 22:28).

12. Shannon Engstrom wrote, "Have you ever considered what it really means to have patience? I grew up hearing a little song that started out, "Have patience, have

patience, don't be in such a hurry..." and I always thought that it meant just that I

couldn't rush things, or that I just needed to learn how to wait. When I started

looking it up, though, I was surprised at what patience really meant.

Looking up patience in the dictionary was fairly enlightening. It comes from the

Latin "patior," which means "to suffer." I have to suffer to be patient? It's Biblical.

The Bible says that tribulation worketh patience. (Romans 5:3) Unfortunately, our

tendency as humans is to try to alleviate any kind of tribulation or suffering as

much as possible. In Hebrews 5:8, though, it says that Jesus learned obedience

through the things that he suffered, and in my mind, in order for me to be obedient,

I have to be patient. I have to be able to endure those uncomfortable situations that

He's put me in so to teach me to obey, that I might be a son of God. For ye have

need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the

promise. (Hebrews 10:36) In Acts 14 we read that it is through much tribulation

that we enter into the kingdom of God. (v.22) Romans 8:17 says that in order for us

to be glorified with Christ, we must also suffer with Him.

One of the first definitions that I found for patience was this: "possessing or

demonstrating quiet, uncomplaining endurance under distress or annoyance; long-

suffering." Oh, my. I knew I was in trouble when I read this. I always thought that I

was a fairly patient person, but quiet? Uncomplaining? Those I know I am NOT,

especially when under "distress or annoyance." But if we're the people of God,

that's how we are required to be. Philippians 2:14-15a says, 14Do all things without

murmurings and disputings: 15That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of

God, without rebuke. To me, that means that, no matter how much it grates me, I

have to quietly and without complaint, submit to whatever circumstance I find that

God has put me in. For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye

shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently,

this is acceptable with God.(1Peter 2:20) But he that shall endure unto the end, the

same shall be saved. (Matthew 24:13)

12B. Engstrom continues, "Another definition for patience was "capable of tranquility awaiting results or outcomes." Yet another trouble spot for me. A long

time ago the Lord spoke to me out of Numbers 23:19, God is not a man, that he

should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he

not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good? So many times I have

prayed and wanted an instant answer, and I have gotten so bent out of shape when I

haven't gotten one, or when I haven't gotten the one I wanted, especially when I've

asked Him about something He's promised me.

Most of the time, when you find the word "patience" in the New Testament, it's from the Greek hupomone (Strongs #5281), which means "cheerful or hopeful

endurance, constancy:-enduring, patience, patient continuance (waiting)." Romans

8:25, 25But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.

Romans 8:24, For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what

a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? Hebrews 11:1 says that faith is the substance

of things hoped for. Have you ever seen an impatient person who has a lot of faith?

It seems to me that they would be thinking more of a pessimistically, thinking that

God wouldn't do what He's said because it's taking so long for the manifestation to

come. I think about how long this end-time word has been preached and how I hear

of people who leave off believing the word because they don't see it happening yet.

The Bible tells us, though, in Habakkuk 2:3, For the vision is yet for an appointed

time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it

will surely come, it will not tarry.(emphasis mine) James 5:7-8, Be patient therefore,

brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the

precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early

and latter rain. 8Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord

draweth nigh. The Bible states that it is through patience that we possess our souls."

(Luke 21:19)

13. John W. Ritenbaugh wrote, "We all know people who are easily irritated. They

invariably let others know it, either by a steady stream of grumbling, carping and

griping accompanied by a face painted with the pain of having to suffer the fools

surrounding them, or they "blow up" in red-faced fury, shouting a torrent of

invective intended to let everyone within hearing distance know they have been put

upon and have "had it." The great bulk of us are in between. We may not show

much agitation on the outside, but inwardly we are churning with varying degrees

of stress, wishing that people would "just get on with it" so we can do our thing."

"....would Jesus ever act or react like this? He certainly became justifiably angry on occasion, but the Bible never illustrates Him even remotely losing control even while

under intense pressure from blinded and stubborn fools, some of whom were

intentionally baiting Him. Nor does the Bible ever indicate He fell into a self-pitying

pout to draw attention to His irritation. God clearly holds Jesus up to us as the

example we must strive to follow. For what credit is it if, when you are beaten for

your faults, you take it patiently? But when you do good and suffer for it, if you take

it patiently, this is commendable before God. For to this you were called, because

Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps:

"Who committed no sin, nor was guile found in His mouth"; who, when He was

reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but

committed Himself to Him who judges righteously. (I Peter 2:20-24) Here we see

patience in direct connection to our calling! Can patience possibly be that

important? It is when we understand it in light of Christ's suffering for us, leaving

us an example of how we are to live. We, too, are called to suffer for righteousness'

sake, though Peter does not limit our calling to suffering patiently."

14. An unknown author wrote, "Here is David's grand recipe for all troubles

waiting on the Lord waiting on him in faith, and

prayer, and humble submission to his will. Troubled

believer, let no delays discourage thee ; let no appa-

rent denials dishearten thee. Hope on, hope ever;

pray on, pray ever; trust on, trust ever. Be not in

haste to suppose that God has forgotten thee, because

he does not come to thy relief at once. Such is the

import of David's words in the last verse of our

psalm. They teach us a lesson that we cannot learn

too thoroughly, that we should never cease seeking

the favor of God till we have obtained it. It was

thus that David sought: he renewed his suit con-

tinually, till the blessing came. It was thus, too, that

the Syrophenician mother, seeking relief for her poor

tormented daughter, urged her suit. At first not

only denied, but apparently repulsed, she still perse-

vered; only becoming more importunate as her case

seemed more hopeless, till at last the blessing came,

with the words, "O woman, great is thy faith: be it

unto thee even as thou wilt." Matt. xv. 28. "Wait

(then) on the Lord; be of good courage, and he shall

strengthen thy heart: wait, I say, on the Lord."

Wait on him in faith, and prayer, and humble sub-

mission, and he will, in his own good and best time,

enable you also to say from the heart, "The Lord is

my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear! the

Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be

afraid!"

15. I hate to wait,

I have places to go

I have people to see

I have things to do.

I love me

and I have a wonderful plan

for my life.

I hate to wait.

I don't like obstacles

in my way

or people that disagree

or processes that take too long.

I hate to wait.

I don't like lines

or traffic

or delayed appointments

or tardy people.

I hate to wait.

I wake up everyday

with an agenda.

I know

what I want to accomplish.

I know

how I want it done.

I know

where I want it done.

I know

when I want it done.

I know

who I want to do it.

I know

why it has to be done this way.

I hate to wait

because

I am the one having to wait.

I don't mind

that you have to wait

but I don't want to have to

wait with you.

I hate to wait

because

I tend to put myself

in the one place

I am never supposed to be

and

I tend to want to be

the one thing

I should never crave to be.

I hate to wait because

I want to be

in the center of my universe

and I want to be

my own sovereign.

When I forget your plan

When I lose sight of your will

When I begin to think

that my life belongs to me

When I fall prey to

the delusion

that I am wiser than you

and

my way is better than yours

Then I hate to wait

and

I curse the obstacles in my way.

But you are sovereign

and you are

Good

and loving

and gracious

and kind

and mighty,

filled with compassion

overflowing with mercy.

You bought me

with the price of your Son.

You forgave me

and the cost was his death.

For all my attempts

at independent wisdom

and

self-sovereignty

the truth is

that my life does not belong to me.

So

once more I fall to my knees.

Once more I open my hands

and

give my life back to you

and say

"You do in, with, and through me

what you think is best

and

I will follow

and when

your wisdom and grace

require it,

I will be willing

to wait. posted by Paul Tripp

16. Paul Tripp adds, "When you're waiting on the Lord, you've placed your hope in One who's the ultimate source of everything that's wise, good and true. When you

wait for the Lord, you're placing your safety in the hands of One whose power is un-

measurable. When you wait for the Lord, you're getting your comfort from One

whose love is boundless. When you wait for the Lord, you can be secure in the

reality that he rules over all things. When you wait for the Lord, you can live with

confidence because you know that every one of his promises is true. When you wait

for the Lord, you can be hopeful even in weakness because you know that his grace

is sufficient."

17. Russell Kelfer wrote, "Wait"

Desperately, helplessly, longingly, I cried

Quietly, patiently, lovingly God replied.

I pled and I wept for a clue to my fate,

And the Master so gently said,

"Child, you must wait."

"Wait? You say, wait!" my indignant reply.

"Lord, I need answers, I need to know why!

Is Your hand shortened?

Or have You not heard?

By Faith, I have asked, and am claiming Your Word.

My future and all to which I can relate

Hangs in the balance, and

YOU tell me to WAIT?

I’m needing a ’yes’,

A go-ahead sign,

Or even a ’no’ to which I can resign.

And Lord, I’ve been asking, and this is my cry:

"I’m weary of asking! I need a reply!"

Then quietly, softly, I learned of my fate. As my Master replied once again,

"You must wait."

So, I slumped in my chair,

Defeated and taut and grumbled to God,

"So, I’m waiting... for what?"

He seemed, then, to kneel,

And His eyes wept with mine,

And He tenderly said,

"I could give you a sign.

I could shake the heavens,

And darken the sun.

I could raise the dead, And

Cause mountains to run.

All you seek, I could give, and pleased you would be.

You would have what you want -

But you would never know Me.

You would not know the depth of My love for a Saint;

You’d not know the power that I give to the Faint;

You’d not learn to see through the clouds of Despair;

You’d not learn to trust just by knowing I’m There;

You’d not know the joy of resting in Me

When darkness and silence were all you could See.

You’d never experience that fullness of Love

As the peace of My Spirit descends like a Dove;

You’d know that I give and I save... for a Start

But You’d not know the depth of the beat of My Heart.

The glow of My comfort late into the Night,

The faith that I give when you walk without Sight,

The depth that’s beyond getting just what you Asked

Of an infinite God, who makes what you have LAST.

You’d never know should your pain quickly Flee,

What it means that ’My Grace is sufficient for Thee.’

Yes, your dreams for your loved one overnight would come True,

But, Oh the loss! If I lost what I’m doing in You!

So, be silent, My Child, and in time you will See

The greatest of gifts is to get to know Me.

And though oft’ may My answers seem terribly Late,

My most precious answer of all is still, ’Wait’."

18. Tony Brazen, "A mother shared this story. When her son was quite small, he

had a small stuffed gorilla that he wagged around with him everywhere -- and I do

mean EVERYWHERE -- he went. She could sometimes sneak it away for a quick

laundering during nap time, but Heaven help her if her son awoke before his friend

"Rilla" was out of the dryer! Rilla’s seams gradually began to weaken and his

stuffing began to leak. Poor old Rilla was in desperate need of some corrective

surgery, not to mention a stuffing transplant. One day, John waddled up to me and

held up his battered, beloved Rilla and said, ’Mommy, Rilla’s broked.’ I explained

that I would be happy to fix Rilla up -- a little new stuffing, some seam

reinforcement, and he would be ’all better’ again. John held Rilla out toward me,

and said ’Fizzit, Mommy!’ But, when I reached down to take the little gorilla in my

hands, I found that it had a two-year-old firmly attached to it. A tug of war between

the mom and toddler ensued with Rilla the prize. Finally, in exasperation, I said, ’I

can’t fix it until you let go of it!!!’ And just at that moment, the Spirit of God tapped

me on the shoulder, as it were -- and I realized that God was waiting for me to let go

of several things, too. "It’s so hard for us to get out of his way and let him "fizzit" in

his own good time, because we’re living in the present moment and He is living in

eternity." The whole let go and let God theme is a part of waiting on the Lord. Let

go and let Him fix it."

19. A study of all the texts and comments on waiting for the Lord would fill many

volumes, but I feel that what I have put together here is adequate to give the basic

truth of what God wants from us. Wise are all those who can say with David, "Lead

me in your truth, and teach me; for you are the God of my salvation; on you do I

wait all the day." Psalm 25:5