PODCAST
Waiting Is Painful
January 13th, 2014
Psalm 37:1-15
At their advanced age, Ray and his wife have been given the opportunity of rearing a little girl (not their own). She is seven years old. Being still and waiting are not for her. When it comes to receiving what we want, most of us are still childlike. At their age they have no trouble being still, unlike their little girl, but they have trouble waiting. We want instant answers, instant results, maybe even to become instant saints in five easy steps. God, however, never seems to get in a hurry. Nevertheless, He does seem to always arrive on time.
This Psalm is really a call to have faith in God’s providence, a theme through its verses. The issue is who will “inherit the land,” (vv. 9, 11). It contains a series of proverbs summarized in the one used by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount: “The meek will inherit the land” (v. 11). We try to help God fulfill His promises. The psalmist encourages us to recognize the influence faith can manifest in our struggle for existence. In a word, “Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture” (v. 3).
Author: H. Ray Dunning
