I WAITED patiently and expectantly for the Lord; and He inclined to me and heard my cry. He drew me up out of a horrible pit [a pit of tumult and of destruction], out of the miry clay (froth and slime), and set my feet upon a rock, steadying my steps and establishing my goings. Psalm 40:1-2 AMPC
The Context:
This is David, the main protagonist of praise in the Bible. He was called a man after God's heart, because he knew how to catch God's attention. But this is the clincher: he didn't have it all smooth. He made some pretty bad choices and also some good ones too, but one thing was constant: his love for God. And that is my first takeaway: knowing God does not insulate me from issues and problems. Sometimes, I will make terrible mistakes, but I just know that I have help that the world cannot explain, define or limit. And that lesson runs through the whole of today's extract.
I see the word: WAITED all in capital letters in the AMP version, and I wonder why. Could it be that the summary of the lesson God wants me to learn about Him is that He is a God with whom I have to learn patience and perseverance? I am yet to find a man or woman who went far with God who did not learn what patience meant. With God, there is plenty of room to learn to trust His move and even his silence. How do you define waiting if there was no time when it appeared that God was silent? If He answered as soon as I called, the word waited won't apply here. What is it then that God would have me learn about Him, even as I wait for Him to speak? I believe the lessons differ from person to person, and depends on each person's walk with God.
The Message:
It must be said that even for the world, there is a place for waiting. No man is rewarded with instant riches; it has to be worked for and built up over time, except you want the instant, microwave type the devil gives, which will take something of value from you. If the world wants you to wait for what it offers, imagine what God wants me to know if I am to get all that He intends for me. I must know WHO it is I am asked to wait for.
Check again: David was in need of help but he knew WHO, not WHAT he needed at this point in time. We can get confused too; focused on the need that we ignore the One who is all we need and who can give us all we need. We focus so much on the problem that it becomes bigger than the God who can help us out. The eyes were built for focus. That is why we make a distinction between looking and seeing. I cannot keep my eyes on two different extremes at the same time; I have to choose my priority.
David had this one figured out: he was going to focus only on God. When he helps me, He will take care of me, and if he wants to, He will take care of the problem as well. In this case, that is what God did. But if like Paul, He gives me grace and strength but doesn't take away the thorn in my flesh, would I still trust Him? Is my love and devotion to God based on what He can do for me, what I get in return, or simply because I know that no matter what the physical realities around me are, God remains my true friend, the One whose help is all I really need?
Time and space are constraints here but look at God inclining his ear to David. A God who uses the whole earth as His footstool bending down to my level to hear the faintest cry for help. David was in a pit, even below ground level, yet God heard him. God drew him out of slippery ground and placed his feet on solid ground. It does not say whether the pit was of my own making or the result of other people's evil actions, but God's salvation and deliverance are sure and certain. I don't see the actions or help of any man here; even if God decides to use anyone, the glory belongs to God alone.
The God who shut the mouth of lions also joined the three Hebrew boys in the fiery furnace. The God who allowed Stephen to be stoned to death was the same God who went into the prison and brought out Peter from among 16 soldiers. I have to decide if I will trust God completely no matter how he chooses to deal with me, otherwise when the challenges come, I might not be able to stand. Like David, I must use the quiet time I have to build up a relationship with God, so that when the storms come, I am prepared. Vain is the help of man if God does not help you. Vain is the opposition of man if God helps you. You just have to be sure who is helping and holding you up.
The Response:
What would God have me do then? I have to decide here and now what it would be for me. Would I trust God totally, no matter what He allows, or am I all about convenience and comfort? And when the trouble comes, what do I do: cry to God or to man? Complain, grumble or murmur or simply cry out to God? As Peter walked on water and came to Jesus, imagine if he had kept quiet as he sank. He cried out, and Jesus helped him. That help is still available today, and Jesus wants to show Himself strong in the lives of all who trust Him.
Like David, He will first place my feet on a rock where I can stand, then he will steady my steps, then establish my goings. The God who can help me fly will build me up to that level, and it will take time. God does not do magic, and he does not rush the process of making. He won't place on me that which I cannot bear and He is able to hold my hand through all the experiences no matter how they turn out. I just need to cry out and cry right. The one who made me knows me, and He can help me be all I have been fashioned, gifted and placed to be and do. However He chooses to help, the fact that He heard and answered me should be enough for me. At the end of it all, it will be clear that God came through for me, even if I did not understand how at the time. Who are you waiting for: the results of your human connections and circle of influence, or the help of the owner of the Universe? Both are parallel lines that will never meet, and with different eternal realities. Don't give up God's help for temporary, ephemeral help that cannot stand the test of time. God's time of favour is here.
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