Greater Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church

DAILY DEVOTIONAL FROM PASTOR WESLEY December 31, 2021

Wait Patiently for the Lord

I waited patiently for the LORD; And He inclined to me and heard my cry. He brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay, And He set my feet upon a rock making my footsteps firm. He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God; Many will see and fear and will trust in the LORD. How blessed is the man who has made the LORD his trust, and has not turned to the proud, nor to those who lapse into falsehood? Many, O LORD my God, are the wonders which You have done, And Your thoughts toward us; There is none to compare with You. If I would declare and speak of them, They would be too numerous to count. Psalm 40:1-5

Practicing patience is difficult because it often goes against our expectations and desires for immediate results. This is especially true when we are waiting on the Lord and His timetable doesn’t match our own. In such situations, it’s important to remember we can’t go wrong waiting for Him. Blessings will come in God’s good time when we refuse to run ahead of Him.

We ask the Lord for what we think we need, based on our limited information. But His understanding is infinite. At times God simply says no to our requests. In other cases, He may adjust our desire to match His. And sometimes He answers in a way that looks nothing like what we requested, but it will be exactly what we need. A submissive heart accepts the omnipotent Father’s gentle redirection, recognizing that He is always right.

Waiting patiently on the Lord strengthens our faith in Him: We learn to rest in His loving care and accept that whatever He gives us is best. It’s also a witness to others, who see His care and faithfulness to us and may choose to put their trust in Him as well. Patience helps to align our desires with God's and prepares us to receive His blessings.

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