Wait Patiently for the Lord

Daily Devotional – Friday, December 2, 2022
I waited patiently for the LORD and He inclined to me and heard my cry.
Psalms 40:1 (NKJV)

The word ‘patient’ is a homonym. According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, as an adjective, the word means, “bearing pains or trials calmly or without complaint.” Conversely, as a noun, it means “an individual awaiting or under medical care and treatment.”

Enduring Without Complaining

Nevertheless, a closer look at the adjective and the noun reveals they share a root. The word patient comes from the Latin term ‘patiens’, which means to bear or suffer. It denotes a person who endures provocations and trials calmly and without complaining.

Now, picture a patient on a hospital bed. She endures the pain of the illness of injuries while following the doctor’s prescriptions and instructions. The patient has to follow, unquestioningly, whatever the doctor recommends.

I Waited Patiently

This reminds me of a time I was admitted in hospital after contracting Covid-19. After two weeks, I asked the doctor to discharge me. I had recovered fully and my body said so. “Not so fast”, she said. “Your latest tests must be negative before I allow you to leave.”

This Bible verse conjures up the image of a patient in my mind: “I waited patiently for the LORD and He inclined to me and heard my cry.” (Psalms 40:1). After presenting his petitions to God, David has to wait, like a sick person, for God the physician to treat and heal Him.

Why We Endure Patiently

David’s experience teaches us the importance of trusting God even in the toughest of moments. We need to have total trust in God the way a patient trust the doctor. Our confidence in God must not waver.

We cannot prescribe treatment for ourselves. Only God the Physician knows the best treatment for our illnesses. The need for patience cannot be more critical considering our helplessness and dire need of God’s intervention in our lives.

Wait Patiently for the Lord

If God makes you wait, He has a noble reason for that. He wants to heal you of impatience and lack of faith. God wants to work in you to eradicate ungodly traits. He wants you to live in tandem with His will; to live at His pace.

It is no wonder that patience is an attribute of the fruit of the spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). Considering the trials and tribulations we have to undergo as children of God in a hostile world, we need to learn how to wait patiently for the Lord.

Prayer
Lord Jesus, teach me how to wait patiently for You to inculcate Your character in me and to answer my petitions.