Psalm 40 – I Waited Patiently
Hurry up and wait. That’s life. As the saying goes, life happens while you are waiting. For all of the waiting we do are any of us good at it. The writer of Psalm 40 says he waited patiently, but did he? What can we learn about waiting from Psalm 40 – I waited patiently?
Psalm 40
Psalm 40 is a psalm of thanksgiving. The writer extols the benefits of waiting for the Lord. “I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry.” (1)
Then he reflects back on a time when he was in dire straits. God rescued him and put his feet on solid ground.
“He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.” (2)
The writer goes on to praise God
“He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear the Lord and put their trust in him.
Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, who does not look to the proud, to those who turn aside to false gods.
Many, Lord my God, are the wonders you have done, the things you planned for us. None can compare with you; were I to speak and tell of your deeds, they would be too many to declare.” (3-5)
Lament
But then the writer breaks into a lament, talking further about problems that beset him.
“Do not withhold your mercy from me, Lord; may your love and faithfulness always protect me.
For troubles without number surround me; my sins have overtaken me, and I cannot see. They are more than the hairs of my head, and my heart fails within me.
Be pleased to save me, Lord; come quickly, Lord, to help me.
May all who want to take my life be put to shame and confusion; may all who desire my ruin be turned back in disgrace. Those who say to me, “Aha! Aha!” may they be appalled at their own shame.
But may all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you; may those who long for your saving help always say, “The Lord is great!” (11-16)
How quickly he forgot his earlier patient trust in God. Come quickly, Lord, he pleads. At the end, for all of his patience, the writer asks God hurry.
“But as for me, I am poor and needy; may the Lord think of me. You are my help and my deliverer; you are my God, do not delay.” (17)
Tortoise or Hare
Are you a tortoise or a hare? Me, I’m in the slow lane. Been there all my life. I prefer to take my time, assess all options before moving ahead. I have spent most of my life waiting, so I guess I’m fairly good at it. If I’m waiting for God, then all will come out for the best in the end. That longed for job or move that never happened, it was for the best. The supposed lost opportunity while I prayed and asked God for direction – all for the best. If you are waiting, it helps to have company. What better company than God!
I know from experience that God’s time is not my time, that it is better to wait for God than to push ahead with my own agenda. So many times, the outcome God provided was so much better than what I thought I wanted. And so, I have learned to wait, biding my time like the tortoise rather than rushing ahead like the hare.
Psalm 40 – I Waited Patiently
So, what do we learn about waiting from Psalm 40 – I waited patiently? For all of his experiences of God’s goodness and experience with waiting, the writer still struggles to wait patiently. You have to question whether he ever waited patiently. Looking back on a past event, it is so easy to forget how it really was, how you complained everyday while sitting in that pit. So much easier to wait patiently in retrospect than in the present.
I know I have had my years of experience with waiting. Does it make it easier? Maybe, but don’t count on it. Try though I might, I’m probably just as likely to pray for God to come quickly as to submit myself to God’s will.
With the psalmist I proclaim: “I desire to do your will, my God; your law is within my heart.” (8) That is my fervent desire.
Now if God would just hurry up and do it.
What has been your experience of waiting? Have you gotten better at it?
(for another take on this psalm, see Psalm 40: Transformed by God – Patricia M Robertson)
This post is part of a series of blog posts on the Psalms. Sign up to follow this blog and and receive a free copy of Still Dancing, the second book in my Dancing through Life Series. click here to sign up
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