Strength for Today

Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD.

– Psalm 27:14

There’s a fascinating story recorded in 2 Kings 6 of the Old Testament. Ancient Samaria was under siege. Benhadad, the king of Syria, was about to invade Israel, so the king of Israel sends a messenger to Elisha. He’s impatient and distraught. He blames Elisha for the problem, saying, “What! Should I wait for the Lord any longer?” But, says the text, “Elisha sat in his house.” He did nothing but sat and quietly waited on God to make the first move.

Waiting lets God settle the issue. For seven long years David awaited the fulfillment of God’s promise that he would be king, and speaking of that experience he said, “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes” (Psalm 37:7).

Do you know what fretting is? It means you sweat and stew when your enemies or adversaries seem to get the break and you are left waiting. The wise man, Solomon, wrote, “Do not say, ‘I’ll pay you back for this wrong!’ Wait for the Lord, and he will avenge you” (Proverbs 20:22).

Waiting is not wasted time; it is invested by faith in a sovereign God who has everything in control. It is a simple act of contrite submission to the truth that God has a plan for your life. It is the acknowledgment that your cleverness, your ability to make things happen and your charisma are not enough to get you to where you think you ought to go. Then, God steps in and when He does, there is no question as to who is responsible. Then your heart will declare, “To God be the glory, great things He has done,” and the praise, honor and glory will be His.

Used with permission from Guidelines International Ministries. To learn more about Guidelines and the ministry, send an e-mail to info@guidelines.org. You may also visit www.guidelines.org.