“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. He has put a new song in my mouth — praise to our God; many will see it and 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.” (Psalm 40:1-5, NKJV)
Our society is one of instant gratification. We have apps for everything, drive-thru lanes everywhere, and if it was posted an hour ago and we don’t know about it we are considered behind the times.
Unfortunately, people try to take the same mentality with God. When they ask God for something they expect an immediate, visible impact to be thrust down from Heaven for all to see. Yet David emphasizes in these verses the necessity of waiting patiently for the Lord. God is not bound by our time-tables, nor does he answer at our whims. He knows what is best and he works and blesses accordingly. Knowing that he is there and seeing his blessings in our lives should stir up the same great emotions of praise and thanksgiving that David offers here. It should also force us to recognize that, as children of God, we may not always recognize the course that God’s providence takes in answering our prayers and impacting our lives, but there is no doubt it is there.
Wait patiently for the Lord. Keep your trust and faith in him; and you, like David, will not be able to count the times and ways the Lord sees to your needs.