Psalm 37 - Waiting, fretting, and the struggle of faith

 




Waiting, fretting, and the struggle of faith


God, I certainly am a product of our microwave culture. 5G is better than LTE, and why would I not select the fastest route when Apple Maps gives me three options?

Some cultures seem to be not as concerned with fast and efficient. Spending a week in Chad (Africa) opened my eyes to the reality that time in their culture is calculated differently. Relationships defined time, not the watch (this was excruciatingly hard for me to learn). People lingered. They talked. They laughed. And in my anxious mind, they were late for the next thing.

God, in Psalm 37, David seems to be saying that you are a lot more like my friends from Chad than a suburban American. And because you don’t operate on my timetable, my anxious mind thinks you are often late.

God, three times this psalm calls me to wait (v. 7, 8, 34). Two different Hebrew words are used, but both include an element of pain. One comes from the pain of stretching and straining. The other word has the idea of twisting or writhing in pain - even being wounded.

God, waiting for you is a universally painful experience- even for my African friends. Our waiting creates in us angst, anxiety, and anger. And that’s why David commands us not to “fret” three times. As we wait, our pulse quickens, and our blood pressure increases. We get fidgety, and we get short with people. We pound the steering wheel, and we withdraw from loved ones and sulk. Waiting is hard.

But David, who is now nearing the end of his life (v. 25), has the experience to know that waiting is worth it. But he also knows that fret-free waiting only comes with God-focused trust - “Trust in the Lord (v. 3. 5); Delight yourself in the Lord” (v. 4); “Commit your way to the Lord (v. 5); “Be still before the Lord” (v. 7).

God, help me to believe that you are never late. Thank you for the reminder that you don’t operate according to the timetables of a microwave and high-speed internet culture. And God, when I grow impatient with you, turn my fretting into faith.

Amen

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