“When God Waits, There is Always a Good Reason”

“Wait for the Lord, and keep to his way, and he will exalt you to inherit the land; you will look on the destruction of the wicked. ³⁵ I have seen the wicked oppressing, and towering like a cedar of Lebanon.³⁶ Again I passed by, and they were no more; though I sought them, they could not be found.³⁷  Mark the blameless, and behold the upright, for there is posterity for the peaceable. ³⁸ But transgressors shall be altogether destroyed; the posterity of the wicked shall be cut off. ³⁹ The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord; he is their refuge in the time of trouble. ⁴⁰ The Lord helps them and rescues them; he rescues them from the wicked, and saves them, because they take refuge in him.” Psalm 37:34-40

“The king of a certain country was growing old, and he had no son to succeed him. He announced to his people that he would choose an heir to the throne from among the young men of the country by a competitive test which would give all an equal chance. On the day appointed a great number of young men presented themselves. A certain test was made, and some failed while others passed. Then other tests came, and each time some were rejected till at last only three were left. They were put through test after test, but all seemed equally able to meet them, so the king announced through his heralds that on the next day the matter would be decided by a foot-race. The course was marked off, the judges were at their places, and all was ready. Just at this time a man came up to each of the contestants and said secretly to him, “The king is taking special note of you. Do not run when the signal is given until the king gives you a special signal.” The three took their places eager for the race. The signal was given, one bounded forward quickly, then hesitated and stopped; then another sprang forward after him, upon which the first started forward again and they ran for the goal with all speed. The third stood looking anxiously at the king and at the two runners, murmuring to himself, “I can make it yet, I can make it yet.” The king gazed at the runners and gave no heed to the one still standing. The waiting man thought himself forgotten and soon realized that it would be impossible for him to win the race. He felt that all was lost for him. The two runners ran on at top speed, reaching the goal together. They were brought back, and all three stood before the king. To the first he said, “Were you not told not to run until I gave you the signal? Why then did you run?” “I forgot,” said the man. Of the second he asked the same question. His reply was, “I thought it would be but a moment till you would give the signal, and seeing the other running I ran also.” To the third he said, “And why did not you run?” “Because you did not give me the signal, sir,” he answered. “My son,” said the king, “I knew that you could run, but I did not know that you could wait.” (C.W. Naylor, “Heart Talks”, p. 118-120)

We all can work, we all can focus for a time, we all can handle more than one thing at a time. But, can we all wait patiently? I am someone who struggles with waiting patiently. If I am standing in a line to order a coffee and the people in front of me are thinking and talking instead of ordering, it upsets me. “I have places to be”, I think to myself. “Don’t they realize I am in a hurry?”, I mumble under my breath. Too much of society is in a rush to get nowhere – and they are waiting to trample over whomever might get in their way.

“Wait for the Lord, and keep His way”, the Psalmist says. The people in Egypt possibly wondered why the Lord waited so long before rescuing them from their burdens under Pharaoh. They most likely wondered why – and determined that there must be some good reason for the Lord to seemingly forget their plight. When G-d waits, there is always a good reason. Moses needed time to develop his character to be a good leader. Pharaoh needed to wait for his heart to harden enough to push the Lord to act.

When we learn to have patience, and allow G-d to act, in G-d’s time, then we will reap the benefit of that patience.

Pastor Dave