Psalm 27: 14 “Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.”
Have you ever waited patiently for something which you were not sure if it would come or not, for instance, a job, a husband, a course, a child…? Or have you ever waited for something which kept on getting delayed continuously? I believe that one of the greatest ways to test your patience is waiting for public transport buses.
I am sure someone reading this knows what I am talking about; that whole patiently waiting at the stop not knowing whether the bus is cancelled or simply delayed can be frustrating. Or even standing at a train station or airport watching the board that says delayed not sure of when the train or plane will appear.
In those times it can be difficult to contain the frustration, anxiety, disappointment or anger depending on the situation. But in those times when you have no control of the outcome of the situation you need to stay strong.
There is a popular quotation that has circulated around social media sites and among friendship circles taken from the poem the serenity prayer by Reinhold Niebuhr. It reads,
“God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference.”
This prayer reveals the attitude we ought to strive to have when circumstances that will leave us powerless to affect the outcome arise. An example of this is running late to a meeting whilst sat in a train. Sadly no matter how much you panic, scream and voice out your frustration or anger the train is not going to go any faster.
There is nothing legal which you can do to cause the train to arrive at its destination faster. The train has a set time to arrive at its destination. Therefore, all you can do is to be strong, take heart and be patient.
Some of the best things in life are brought about through patience, a great example of this is in planting and growing food. This process requires the utmost patience in order to reap the utmost reward. So many experiments and mutations have been performed on many food items to help them grow quicker in some cases.
However, these genetically modified products are often not as good in quality and taste as the original. Hence why it is always important to take heart and wait until the fruits are ripe at the right time.
Another situation where patience reaps great reward and potentially (for women anyway) the most important example of patience is being pregnant. A 9-month phase that incurs so many emotions and hormonal shifts. The mother, as well as the father, have to patiently pass through this phase in order to gain the reward of one of God’s most precious gifts, the gift of life in the form of a beautiful newborn baby. After baring all the hardships of being pregnant and childbirth, it is quite easy to understand why mothers are so protective of their children.
Have you ever lost hope, or felt like time was not on your side?
Well guess what, God says, “Be Patient, Be Strong and Take Courage” no matter how big or small the storm is.
So when I read Psalm 27:14, I examined David’s life in order to figure out why David wrote this verse. After examining David’s life it is easier to see why. He was appointed the king of Israel at the age of 16 but did not become King until he was 30 years old; 14 years later! This was after his faith and trust in God had been strengthened due to the hardships and strongholds he had met on the way.
Interestingly David had many opportunities to kill Saul and claim his promise as King. However, he waited upon the Lord and trusted in God’s timing. In the same way throughout our lives, we will have to bare many trials, tribulations and temptations but it is important for us to stay strong, take heart and wait upon the Lord in these times.
“God causes things to happen at exactly the right time! Your job is not to figure out when, but to make up your mind that you won’t give up until you cross the finish line and are living in the radical, outrageous blessings of God! The more you trust Jesus and keep your eyes focused on Him, the more life you’ll have. Trusting God brings life. Believing brings rest. So stop trying to figure everything out, and let God be God in your life.” – Joyce Meyer
5 “Wait on the Lord” Bible Verses
We will all have seasons of waiting on the Lord in our lives, in those times I pray that you will hold this scripture close to your heart.
- The Lord is good to those who wait for Him,
To the soul who seeks Him.
26 It is good that one should hope and wait quietly
For the salvation of the Lord. – Lamentations 3:25-26
- Have you not known?
Have you not heard?
The everlasting God, the Lord,
The Creator of the ends of the earth,
Neither faints nor is weary.
His understanding is unsearchable.
29 He gives power to the weak,
And to those who have no might He increases strength.
30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary,
And the young men shall utterly fall,
31 But those who wait on the Lord
Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint. – Isaiah 40:28-31
- Therefore I will look to the Lord;
I will wait for the God of my salvation;
My God will hear me. – Micah 7:7
- For since the beginning of the world
Men have not heard nor perceived by the ear,
Nor has the eye seen any God besides You,
Who acts for the one who waits for Him. – Isaiah 64:4
- I wait for the Lord, my soul waits,
And in His word I do hope.
6 My soul waits for the Lord
More than those who watch for the morning—
Yes, more than those who watch for the morning. – Psalm 130:5-6
The testing of our character helps build our faith and become more like Christ i.e. a better Christian. We have to wait upon the Lord and be of good courage. Don’t forget there is no testimony without a test. So be patient “Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.”
Cynthia Maua says
I just came across this page an hour ago…been trying to read through everything that I can possibly manage. Honestly I feel as if I have found a golden treasure that I have been really longing for. Thanks for the gospel, I will be stalking your blog like crazy. I actually forgot to introduce myself- I am Cynthia from Kenya
Miriam Tereck says
Hie Cynthia! Really glad that you found this blog and really happy to have you as part of our growing women set apart community. I pray it carries on blessing you and encouraging you…Miriam.xx