How Much Longer?

 

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).

 

I’m actually writing this the day after an unusual snowstorm dropped a thick blanket of snow across our area. In fact, we had about five inches at our house. That’s a rare occurrence for this part of the world. It was beautiful. And, I was motivated to post a few pictures on social media (as did many of our friends). It was wonderful seeing the children sledding down some of the snow covered “hills.” I thoroughly enjoyed the snowmen and snow angels created and photographically shared. It was a marvelous respite from all the bad news and crises so often posted. Perhaps it was just a momentary suspension of the difficulty we face in our day, but it was good. It reminded me of the Winston Churchill quote in our meme today; and, that took me to our Scripture for the day.

 

Without seeming to discount the reality of the difficulty so many are facing today, I do want to draw on some important principles of Scripture.  Job was one of those individuals who was severely tested, losing all his children and flocks and herds, and then eventually his health. And yet he did not lose his faith and did not sin against God (cf.  Job 1-2; 42). If we look at Job’s life, we might think he had every right to be angry. Throughout his defense we see some notes of righteous anger against his friends, who spoke unfairly to him. But in all his suffering and complaints, Job did not sin.

 

In the heat of the moment, anger often wins over patience. Let anger go and you can avoid its terrible consequences. Letting go of anger means releasing your right to be vindicated. God is in control of all things and knows the truth. Not unlike a wild horse that needs training to accept a bridle, the emotional power of unrestrained anger can be redirected and refocused into God’s hands.

 

I know and believe that with all my heart; however, I struggle with how long will it be before God makes things right? It’s all in the Lord’s timing. We will struggle with sin until Christ returns, but in the meantime we will have access to the patience to resist anger and the other deadly sins scratching at our door and seeking a place in our hearts. Persevere in the Lord’s steadfast love today, and, in his strength, keep waiting patiently for the Lord. He is coming… perhaps sooner than anyone thinks