The Agony of Waiting - Pt 1

How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I take counsel in my soul and have sorrow in my heart all the day? How long shall my enemy be exalted over me? Consider and answer me, O Lord my God; light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death, lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed over him,” lest my foes rejoice because I am shaken. But I have trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation. I will sing to the Lord, because he has dealt bountifully with me. (Psalm 13:1-6 ESV).

Waiting can be agonizing. I have found it is the hardest to wait when I am uncertain about the outcome. It seems to be those times when I’m trusting God for the best, while at the same time preparing for the worst that make me most anxious. It would be much easier if I had a guaranteed good outcome. Our reading today speaks to this dilemma. The psalmist asks, “How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I take counsel in my soul and have sorrow in my heart all the day?” (vv. 1-2). I have asked that question many times. If I knew God would eventually answer my prayer with “Yes,” it would be different. But with no such assurance, even a “No” would often be easier than “Wait.” Since I am often asked about waiting for the answer of God I have done a little research through the years. Many people want a promise that would help them in the midst of the wait. They want a verse that would assure them of eventual satisfaction. Perhap[s the best is tucked into one of my favorite letters. The Apostle Paul wrote: “No unbelief made [Abraham] waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised” (Romans 4:20-21). This verse can be easily misunderstood and frustrating. Of course Abraham never wavered. He had a direct word from God. If we could have a direct promise from God, an assurance of our answer, then we’d be more likely to be content to wait. However, I know of no one other than Abraham who had such a promise from God. He had an easier time waiting because he knew he’d get what he wanted in the end. Or, did he really have such assurance? Remember the whole story. Abraham and Sarah wavered, just as we are tempted to do. They even made some very questionable choices along the way. We need to exercise caution in our journey. Instead of continually begging God for the answer we desire, we should learn the secret of contentment in the waiting. This is our topic over the next few days. For now, end where the psalmist ends: I will sing to the Lord, because he has dealt bountifully with me (v. 6).