In the end, God always keeps perfect time. He never underestimates the amount of time it will take to accomplish a goal or to bring about a certain result. He never misjudges his own ability; he never miscalculates the moment to act. Because he is sovereign over all, his plans and purposes unfold precisely when they should, at the very moment he decreed from eternity past. Every one of God’s works happens exactly on time.

I waited patiently for the Lord; he inclined to me and heard my cry. (Ps. 40:1)

What is  patience?  It may be a familiar word, but I suspect we’re more likely to define it by what it’s not than what it is. Patience, we think, is not pacing the room while I wait for that important phone call.  It’s not fussing at  my dawdling  teenager or honking at the elderly driver in front  of me. Patience is not grumbling, fretting, or exploding when I experience a delay. But the Bible also presents patience as a positive virtue. It’s not merely the absence of sin; it’s the pursuit of righteousness. Today we’ll see that patience is waiting on the Lord. The Lord is sovereign over the circumstances and people in our lives; ultimately, he is the one who causes us to wait, and he brings our waiting to an end. We practice patience by looking in faith to him.

In Psalm 40, David is stuck. He’s trapped in a “pit of destruction” and floundering in a “miry bog” (v.  2). The psalm doesn’t explain exactly what David’s swamp was; it could have been a work struggle or a relational mess. It could have been both. But, whatever the circumstances, David’s response was to cry out to God and then wait. And because he studied God’s Word and works (vv.  5, 7–8), meditated on God’s kindness and mercy (vv. 6, 11), and diligently participated in corporate worship (vv.  9–10), David waited with hope. We can learn from his example. Whether we are stuck in unmet desires or tangled in financial worries, we can call on our Lord. We can seek to know him as he is revealed in his Word. And we can trust he will do what is best.

In the end, God always keeps perfect time. He never underestimates the amount of time it will take to accomplish a goal or to bring about a certain result. He never misjudges his own ability; he never miscalculates the moment to act. Because he is sovereign over all, his plans and purposes unfold precisely when they should, at the very moment he decreed from eternity past. Every one of God’s works happens exactly on time.

This is why David could say in another psalm, “Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!” (27:14).  Our souls should be encouraged when we realize it’s God we’re waiting on. Unlike fallible people, God has never had to rush in and say to anyone, “I’m so sorry I kept you waiting.” If the Lord delays, it’s not because he miscalculated.  We can wait with hope, knowing he has wisely determined that this precise period of waiting is the best thing for our good and his glory.

Let your heart take courage.

Taken from Patience: Waiting With Hope, by Megan Hill, a recent release from P&R Publishing. Used with permission.