In my experience, one of the hardest parts of faith is waiting.
Not waiting with certainty that everything will turn out exactly how you want, although that is a difficult lesson. But waiting while you continue walking in God's way, even when there is no immediate sign that it is paying off.
The psalmist prays, "Let your steadfast love come to me, O Lord, your salvation according to your promise." Whatever he felt God told him, he is trusting a promise that has not come to pass. He is holding on to God's word while still living in the tension between what God has said and what he can see right now.
And that takes patience.
Of course, we do well with quick "results" of our obedience. We like prayers answered, doors opened, and problems resolved immediately. But think of how faith grows in the sometimes-long stretches between promise and fulfillment.
The psalmist commits not to abandon God's way simply because his circumstances are difficult. He continues to hope in God's word. He continues to delight in God's commands. He continues to walk in God's ways. In other words, he remains faithful to what he knows about God even while waiting for what he does not understand.
That is a lesson we all need.
We need it when the diagnosis comes back differently than we hoped. Or when our relationships remain strained. When things don't work out quickly, the temptation is to believe that God’s way isn’t working. But God's faithfulness is not measured by the speed of God's answers.
It is an act of faith to continue to walk the path God has given you today.
So, do not give up on God's way because God's timing feels slow. Keep trusting. Keep obeying. Keep hoping. The God who gave the promise is still at work.
Stay blessed...john
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