"LIFE'S HARDEST LESSON"
Wait for the Lord. Be strong, and let your heart take courage. Yes, wait for the Lord. (Psalm 27:14)
The Law of Moses required that firstborn sons be consecrated to the Lord. In obedience, Mary and Joseph presented Jesus at the temple in Jerusalem when he was about six weeks old. Upon their arrival, the family encountered a man named Simeon, a righteous and devout Jew who had waited all his life for the Messiah. The Spirit had revealed to Simeon that he would live to see his prayer answered. When he saw the infant cradled in Mary's arms, Simeon knew instantly that his long wait had come to a glorious end.
Like Simeon, we all undergo times of waiting, long periods of "silence" after taking a need to God. As time marches on and God's response remains unheard or unclear, waiting becomes an unwelcome biding of time. Each day is marked with growing doubt and rising frustration — crosswinds of our own making.
The hardest to learn of all life's spiritual lessons is that of waiting. It is a challenge for the ages. In Psalm 27, David admits that he would have despaired during times of waiting, but for one thing — his firm belief that he would see the goodness of God in his lifetime.
Therein lies the key to confident waiting — focusing on the goodness of God, not through a recitation of empty religious platitudes, but through the lens of our own experiences. From that perspective, waiting becomes an opportunity to cement our friendship with the One who loves us most. On the surface, waiting for the Lord may seem like inactivity, but in the inner life there are no idle hours.
As we practice confident waiting, we are wise to reflect on the experience of Simeon. Like David, he did not despair during his long years of waiting; he believed in the goodness of God. As a result, Simeon was able to recognize the answer to his prayers when an infant appeared right before his eyes.
The Law of Moses required that firstborn sons be consecrated to the Lord. In obedience, Mary and Joseph presented Jesus at the temple in Jerusalem when he was about six weeks old. Upon their arrival, the family encountered a man named Simeon, a righteous and devout Jew who had waited all his life for the Messiah. The Spirit had revealed to Simeon that he would live to see his prayer answered. When he saw the infant cradled in Mary's arms, Simeon knew instantly that his long wait had come to a glorious end.
Like Simeon, we all undergo times of waiting, long periods of "silence" after taking a need to God. As time marches on and God's response remains unheard or unclear, waiting becomes an unwelcome biding of time. Each day is marked with growing doubt and rising frustration — crosswinds of our own making.
The hardest to learn of all life's spiritual lessons is that of waiting. It is a challenge for the ages. In Psalm 27, David admits that he would have despaired during times of waiting, but for one thing — his firm belief that he would see the goodness of God in his lifetime.
Therein lies the key to confident waiting — focusing on the goodness of God, not through a recitation of empty religious platitudes, but through the lens of our own experiences. From that perspective, waiting becomes an opportunity to cement our friendship with the One who loves us most. On the surface, waiting for the Lord may seem like inactivity, but in the inner life there are no idle hours.
As we practice confident waiting, we are wise to reflect on the experience of Simeon. Like David, he did not despair during his long years of waiting; he believed in the goodness of God. As a result, Simeon was able to recognize the answer to his prayers when an infant appeared right before his eyes.
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