The Grace to Wait

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By Charles Stanley , Christian Post Guest Columnist
February 17, 2013|10:13 am

 Psalm 62:1-2

No doubt one of your least favorite things is to wait in line. We arrive at a doctor's appointment on time or a little early only to sit and sit in that waiting room. We go to the grocery store for just a few things and get stuck in an endless checkout line. And we've all been delayed in the drive-through lane at the bank. Nobody in our culture likes to wait, it seems.

When we take something to the Lord in prayer, we bring our human impatience with us. We often make a request and expect an answer right then and there. If God doesn't spring into action immediately, many people begin to think, Well, I tried praying, but the Lord just didn't do anything. Prayer doesn't really work.

How tragic! Compare that attitude to King David's. When David was only 16 years of age, God sent the prophet Samuel to anoint him as the king. Sixteen more years would pass before that promise was fulfilled. What did David do during that time? Did he moan and groan, shaking his finger at the Lord and demanding his kingship now? Not at all. David understood that God was trustworthy. He also realized that his heavenly Father was the God not only of who and what, but also of when and how. David wanted the kingship only when the Lord was ready for him to have it. So he waited.

Is there something in your life for which it's hard to remain patient? Will you wait on the Lord as one waiting on a bank teller or doctor-or will you, like King David, trust in God's timing and provision? The Father knows every facet of your situation, and His "delay" is actually in your best interest.

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Used with permission from In Touch Ministries, Inc. © 2013
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