Waiting patiently

  

“I waited patiently for the LORD; And He inclined to me, And heard my cry. He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, Out of the miry clay, And set my feet upon a rock, And established my steps. “ (Psalms 40:1-2)

King David is the author of Psalms 40. “A man after God’s own heart” is in clear view as we read this marvelous Psalm to our Lord and our God.  This is a great Psalm to read whenever you go through a trial. I remember my pastor telling us one time that you are always going through a trial, coming our of a trial, or about to go into a trial. In my short 71 years on this planet I can say that has been true of  my life. There are trials in your job, in your family, your church, and your nation.

    David says he waited patiently for the LORD! How does a man or woman wait patiently these days when we need help now? We want an answer today! It is hard but David tells us that he waited patiently and so are we to do! I think we can learn a thing or two by reading what David has to say in this Psalm.  He knows that it was God that pulled him out of the miry pit and set his feet upon a rock.  (Can you just imagine your feet stuck in some deep claylike mud and you are struggling to put one foot before the other as the clay holds tight to your boots?) Then God set his feet on a rock and directed his feet where to walk safely and securely. He declares that God established his steps. He continues:

   “He has put a new song in my mouth---Praise to Our God; Many will see it an fear, And will trust in the Lord. Blessed is the man who makes the LORD his trust, And does not respect the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies. Many, O LORD my God, are Your wonderful works Which You have done: And Your thoughts toward us Cannot be recounted to You in order; If I would declare and speak of them, They are more than can be numbered.” (vs. 3-5)

  When God has delivered you from a trial do you rejoice, and make sure everyone knows it was God who got you through your trouble? Do you have a song in your mouth? Are you praising the Lord on a daily basis? Are you trusting in His truth, the Bible, or are you turning aside to the lies of the world? Have you taken time out today to remember some of the countless works He has performed for you in the past? David continues:

  “I have proclaimed the good news of righteousness In the great assembly: Indeed, I do not restrain my lips, O LORD, You Yourself know, I have not hidden Your righteousness within my heart: I have declared Your faithfulness and Your salvation: I have not concealed Your lovingkindness and Your truth From the great assembly.” (vs 9-10)

   Have I done a good job of telling my children, my grandchildren, my neighbors, my coworkers, my siblings, and my friends of God’s faithfulness to me and how He has saved me and adopted me as His child? It is the desire of David to do the will of God because he has His law written in his heart! Like David, I should proclaim the good news in my church and wherever He sends me to share the Good News of His faithfulness, and mercy.

   “Do not withhold Your tender mercies form me O LORD; Let Your lovingkindness and Your truth continually preserve me. For innumerable evils have surrounded me; My iniquities have overtaken me, so that I am not able to look up; They are more than the hairs on my head; Therefore my heart fails me. Be pleased, O LORD, to deliver me: O Lord make haste to help me!” (vs 11-13)

  Are you surrounded by trouble and evil? Are your sins weighing you down. Cry out to Him! He is able to forgive you and return you to the right path.

   “Let all those who seek You rejoice and be glad in You; Let such as love Your salvation say continually, ‘The LORD be magnified!’ But I am poor and needy; Yet the LORD thinks upon me. Your are my help and my deliver; Do not delay, O my God.” (vs16-17)

   Wow! Let us all who are followers of the King of Kings rejoice and be glad in Him! We are needy people, but God is our help and deliverer! Are you waiting on the Lord, or are you trying to handle this life in your own strength?

Read the whole Psalm yourself and rejoice in the faithfulness of our heavenly Father and the benefits He bestows upon His loyal followers and disciples!

PRAY

1.     Lord, thank You for Your faithfulness and lovingkindness that you give to all who call upon Your Name and allow You to control their lives everyday.

2.     Help me to be a better prayer warrior for Your Kingdom on earth and in the kingdom you are preparing for us in the future when You return to this earth or when You call us home before that glorious day.

3.     Help my life to reflect the joy of Your salvation which You have so wondrously given to those of us who accepted Your free gift of salvation and eternal life.

Nehemiah's prayer

Nehemiah’s Prayer

“So it was, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned for many days; I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven.” (Nehemiah 1:4)

   Nehemiah was a Jew living in captivity in Persia. We don’t know his early life story but we do know that he was the cupbearer to the King of Persia so he had a good life in the palace of the king and was someone whom you could say had arrived at a place of importance and luxury. (Something you can actually say for almost anyone living in 21^st century United States who has a job and a place to live.) But God called upon him to leave his life of ease and to go to Jerusalem and help to rebuild the wall that had been torn down and to help the High Priest, Ezra, there. His prayer in chapter one of the book named for him is one of 10 times in thirteen chapters that he goes to God in prayer.

“ And I said:  ‘I pray, LORD God of heaven, O great and awesome God. You who keep Your covenant and mercy with those who love You and observe Your commandments, please let Your ear be attentive and Your eyes open, that You may hear the prayer of Your servant which I pray before You now, day and night for the children of Israel, Your servants, and confess the sins of the children of Israel which we have sinned against You. Both my father’s house and I have sinned. We have acted very corruptly against You, and have not kept the commandments, the statutes, nor the ordinances which You commanded Your servant Moses. Remember, I pray, the word that You commanded Your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations: but if you return to Me, and keep My commandments and do them, though some of you were cast out the farthest part of the heavens, yet I will gather them from the there, and bring them to the place which I have chosen as a dwelling place for My name.’ Now these are Your servants and Your people, whom You have redeemed by Your great power, and by Your strong hand. O Lord, I pray, please let Your ear be attentive to the prayer of Your servant, and to the prayer of Your servants who desire to fear Your name; and let Your servant prosper this day, I pray and grant him mercy in the sight of this man.’ For I was the king’s cupbearer.” (Nehemiah 1: 5-11)

  Since May third was a national day of prayer I couldn’t help but think or how appropriate much of this prayer is applicable to our country today! We are a nation who has sinned against God and has not obeyed His commandments! Although everyone is not a Christian, we are nation that was founded on Christian principles by men and women who had a desire to be obedient to the teachings of the Christian faith in our government, in our communities, and in our families. But just like the Israelites, we have turned away from God and have not been obedient to God’s laws and precepts.

    It is time to start with ourselves individually and as families and churches to return to God; to seek His forgiveness and to follow His leading in all aspects of our lives.

     “If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14)

PRAY:

1.     Lord forgive me of my sins (list them) and forgive my family and church for not being the salt and light You have called us to be in our community.

2.     Help me today to spend time with You in prayer and in the reading of Your Scripture so that You can direct my paths aright.

3.     Help me and all those who call Your Lord, to be quick to obey all that You have commanded of us for our own good.

4.     Thank You for loving us so, and allowing us to be Your children now, and for eternity.