Waiting (Psalm 27)

“Wait for the LORD;
be strong and take heart,
and wait for the LORD.”

Psalm 27:14 NIV  

I don’t like waiting. 

When do I want it?  (Whatever ‘it’ may be.)
I want it NOW. 

Culture

In this culture of instant gratification, I usually get what I want right away. This is aided by such innovations as:

Microwavable rice
Coffee capsules 
Frozen chopped vegetables
Electronic books
Online music

Autonomy

Waiting is uncomfortable.

It does not respect my autonomy.

My heart-rate rises, my fists clench, my lips purse and my brow furrows.

Why is this taking so long? 

A Promise

God promises to be “my light and my salvation.” (Psalm 27:1 NIV)

But it doesn’t always look that way to me.

Life spins out of control,
One minor crisis upon another, interjected with major moments,
Frustrated by finitude … again.

The Problem

Waiting is a problem when I believe that I am in control,
When I imagine that the world revolves around me.

The Psalmist yearns to “dwell in the house of the LORD.” (Psalm 27:4 NIV).

Only there, where the LORD is seated between the cherubim, above the ark beyond the altar,
Where the Psalmist acknowledges his small, dependent and peripheral position,
Only there is he secure. 

The Psalmist’s circumstances

Yet circumstances haven’t changed.

The Psalmist remains forsaken,
Enemies snapping at his heels,
Malicious accusations made by false witnesses. 

Still he waits, 
Secure. 

Our circumstances

In my modern, fast-paced world,
Inbox notifications chirp,
Phones beep,
Social media drags my focus into a bottomless black pit.

Even so, with the Psalmist, I wait,
Secure.

(Sometimes, anyhow. When my focus is clear.)

A Prayer

Teach me, oh timeless One, 
To dwell in you. 
Recognising that you are on the throne, my Saviour at your right hand.

Strengthen me, indwelling Spirit, 
To tune out the world’s falsely urgent calls,
And instead, to attune my ear to you. 

Help me, please, to wait.

And to wait well.

With the Psalmist of old, I declare,

I remain confident of this:

I will see the goodness of the LORD

in the land of the living

Wait for the LORD:

be strong and take heart

and wait for the LORD.

Psalm 27:13-14 NIV

P.S. You may wonder why there are photographs of raindrops interspersed throughout this meditation. The answer is simply that these are moments of beauty in the backyard which I witnessed today, just before a half-day retreat with a few sisters-in-Christ. As part of that retreat, we focused on Psalm 27. The link is simply the time and place in which these insights were gleaned. The pictures also break up the text. I hope you enjoy them.