Wait Patiently

Instant oatmeal, rotisserie chicken, self-adhesive stamps, drive-through windows, call-ahead seating … all these have something in common. They satisfy a sense of urgency! What is urgent? One online definition read, “too pressing to permit further delay.” We all have those hurry-hurry-rush-rush moments - sometimes several times a day! Take a moment to consider how much time a young David spent on the backside of nowhere with only sheep for company. Of all the typies of livestock, sheep require a lot of care? They possess no natural defense like claws or sharp teeth - only to run; they can become easily lost with no sense of direction to find their way home; they relay completely on a shepherd for their food, water, safety and rest. Perhaps their greatest need is the patience of a the shepherd! Although we read several places in the psalms David’s lack of patience, it was one of the most urgent needs in his life and he recognized it: "I waited patiently for the LORD," he writes in Psalm 40:1. What seems most urgent is not always most important. In my times of patiently waiting on God, I've learned He hears me, delivers me from destruction, sets my feet in a firm place, secures myour my steps, gives my heart a new song (from Verses 2-3). It may seem paradoxical (illogical) but truly the most urgent thing we can do is ... wait patiently.