Wait Patiently
DAVID LISTS IN Psalm 37 four positive attitudes that enable us to wait patiently before the Lord. The first is “Trust in the Lord.†This trust believes that God is in control and that the circumstances of our lives have not caught Him off guard. It is an expression of absolute confidence—without a shade of doubt.
The second positive attitude is “Delight yourself in the Lord.†Here is an expression that goes beyond simple trust. It moves into the realm of pleasure. You not only trust God but find joy in His presence.
The third is “Commit your way to the Lord.†This simply means to take your hands off and release the situation into His care. My wife and I learned this lesson when we sent our children off to Dalat School in Malaysia while serving the Lord in Thailand. They were out of our sight and care. We could not be near them to comfort them in their time of need. We had to commit our children into the care of others in a way we had never experienced before.
The fourth is “Be still.†This attitude captures the full meaning of the three already mentioned. Only as we put our complete trust in the Lord, delighting in him, and committing completely to Him, can we “be still†and know that He is our God.
If the LORD delights in a man’s way, he makes his steps firm; though he stumble, he will not fall, for the LORD upholds him with his hand. (Psalm 37:7)
(By Dr. R. Harold Mangham, Kissimmee, Florida, TFC Trustee, TFC Foundation. Taken from the book: Leaves From the Tree God Planted © 2006 by Toccoa Falls College, p. 124-125)