Wait

“Do not say, ‘I will repay evil’; wait for the Lord, and he will deliver you.” Proverbs 20:22

I’m just going to come right out and admit it–I am not a very patient person. This is no surprise to those who know me well. There are some people who are just relaxed and calm all of the time, without a care in the world and no idea what time it is! I’m not that guy. I am always in a hurry. Always thinking about what else I need to get done. Always looking at the clock. I wrestle with impatience every day. We all know patience is preferable to impatience, but why is that so? Proverbs 20:22 commands us to wait, in particular, in situations where we have been wronged, or treated unfairly. Don’t rush to restore the balance of power, don’t rush to defend yourself, don’t rush to vengeance. Wait for the Lord to deliver you. I believe this reveals to us a very important aspect of patience. Patience in these situations demonstrates my trust in the Lord. I trust that the Lord will defend me. I trust that He will make things right. Then I begin to think about all of the other times when I am impatient, and I realize that that my hurry–my stressing and striving–is me trying to do everything in my own strength. I don’t trust that God will give me the time and energy and opportunity to do all that He is asking me to do. “Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.” (Prov.19:21). Let’s wait. Let’s be patient. The Lord will accomplish His purposes in His time.

-Pastor Mike