{"id":1465,"date":"2011-03-13T01:54:22","date_gmt":"2011-03-13T01:54:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/markdroberts\/2011\/03\/sunday-inspiration-from-the-high-calling-waiting-patiently-for-god.html"},"modified":"2011-03-13T01:54:22","modified_gmt":"2011-03-13T01:54:22","slug":"sunday-inspiration-from-the-high-calling-waiting-patiently-for-god","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2011\/03\/sunday-inspiration-from-the-high-calling-waiting-patiently-for-god.html","title":{"rendered":"Sunday Inspiration from The High Calling: Waiting Patiently for God?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Waiting Patiently for God?<\/h2>\n
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Psalm 40:1-17<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\nI waited patiently for the LORD to help me,
\n     and he turned to me and heard my cry.<\/p>\n

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\n<\/div>\n
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Psalm 40:1<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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\nWhen I first read Psalm 40:1, I was immediately reminded of how hard it
\nis for me to wait patiently for anything, including the Lord. I confess
\nthat I find waiting to be excruciating. I’m one of those people who,
\nwhen approaching the checkout lines in the grocery story, carefully
\ncalculates the wait times so that I don’t have to waste one second of my
\nbusy life standing around. Inevitably, of course, I get in the line
\nbehind the person who needs a “Price check on 6.” As I wait, I can feel
\nmy stomach churning with anxious impatience.<\/p>\n

\nSo, I thought this reflection would serve as a correction to me, and
\ntherefore to you, a challenge to learn to be more patient with the Lord.
\nBut, after studying Psalm 40:1 carefully, I think this verse may offer
\nwords of encouragement from someone who, like me, doesn’t find it easy
\nto wait for God to act.<\/p>\n

\nOur translation of Psalm 40:1 begins, “I waited patiently for the LORD
\nto help me.” You’ll find the adverb “patiently” in many other English
\ntranslations (ESV, NRSV, NIV, TNIV). They all seem to be following the
\nclassic King James Version, which has, “I waited patiently.” But,
\ninterestingly enough, the original Hebrew of Psalm 40:1 does not use
\nliterally read, “I waited patiently.” In fact, the Hebrew doubles up the
\nuse of the verb qawa<\/i>, which means “to wait” or “to hope.” A literal
\ntranslation would read, “To wait I waited for the Lord.” We’d tend to
\nuse a participle here, “Waiting, I waited for the Lord.”<\/p>\n

\nThe doubling of the verb in this way intensifies the meaning.
\nInformally, we might say, “I really, really waited for the Lord.” The
\nMessage brilliantly captures the sense of the original with repetition
\nin English: “I waited and waited and waited for God. At last he looked;
\nfinally he listened.” Notice that there is no sense of patience here, if
\nby patience we envision a peaceful, trusting, calm waiting. Rather,
\nPsalm 40:1 reveals David’s intensity in his waiting, his eagerness,
\nperhaps even his desperation. We see this very thing twelve verses
\nlater: “Please, LORD, rescue me! Come quickly, LORD, and help me”
\n(40:13).<\/p>\n

\nI am not saying that it isn’t good to wait patiently for God. In fact,
\nbeing able to rest with confidence in God’s goodness even in hard times
\nis an essential trait of mature faith. So I am all in favor of patience!
\nBut Psalm 40:1 provides, I believe, not so much an example of patient
\nwaiting as a picture of intense eagerness and consuming hope. It reminds
\nus that sometimes God’s timing feels to us to be exceedingly slow.
\nWaiting for the Lord in such times can be quite hard.<\/p>\n

\nAnd yet we wait, putting our hope in God. If we feel desperate, we
\nimitate the Psalms by crying out to God. As we tell him honestly how we
\nfeel, opening our true selves to him, we often receive the gift of
\npeace. As God acts, even according to his mysterious timetable, we learn
\nto trust God more and more. Perhaps we’ll even learn to wait patiently
\nfor God. But in our struggle we find in the Psalms those who struggle
\nalong with us. Thanks be to God!<\/p>\n

\nQUESTIONS FOR FURTHER REFLECTION:<\/strong> When do you find it hard to wait patiently for the Lord? What helps you to wait upon God with confidence and trust?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
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\nPRAYER:<\/strong> Gracious God, you know that I find it hard to
\nbe patient. Waiting patiently for you is not my strong suit. I confess
\nthis to you today and ask for the forgiveness I have in Christ. I also
\nask that, by your Spirit, you will help me to be more patient as I wait
\nupon you.<\/p>\n

\nBut I also want to thank you for the example of David in Psalm 40, who
\nwaited and waited and waited upon you. He remained faithful in his
\nwaiting. He didn’t give up on you. But it seems like he struggled, even
\nas I do, with your timetable. How encouraging it is to see in Scripture
\nthat my own weaknesses are shared among your people.<\/p>\n

\nAll praise be to you, O God, because you are faithful . . . and because
\nyou are so patient with me! In the name of Jesus I pray, Amen<\/em>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

_________________________________________________<\/p>\n

<\/a>Would you like to receive a Daily Reflection like this one in your email inbox each morning?  <\/p>\n

Here’s how . . . .<\/em><\/strong>a
\nThis devotional comes from The High Calling: Everyday Conversations about Work, Life, and God <\/em>(www.thehighcalling.org<\/a>). You can read my Daily Reflections there, or sign up to have them sent to your email inbox each day. This website contains lots of encouragement for people who are trying to live out their faith in the workplace. The High Calling<\/i> is associated with Laity Lodge, where I work.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Waiting Patiently for God? Psalm 40:1-17 I waited patiently for the LORD to help me,      and he turned to me and heard my cry. Psalm 40:1 When I first read Psalm 40:1, I was immediately reminded of how hard it is for me to wait patiently for anything, including the Lord. I confess that…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":214,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1465","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sunday-inspiration"],"yoast_head":"\nSunday Inspiration from The High Calling: Waiting Patiently for God? - Mark D. 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Roberts","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/f2d\/f2ddf5f080861f66ea230384f9d1bab2x96.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/f2d\/f2ddf5f080861f66ea230384f9d1bab2x96.jpg","caption":"Mark D. Roberts"},"description":"The Rev. Dr. Mark D. Roberts is a pastor, author, retreat leader, speaker, and blogger. Since October 2007 he has been the Senior Director and Scholar-in-Residence for Laity Lodge, a multifaceted ministry in the Hill Country of Texas. Before coming to Laity Lodge, he was for sixteen years the Senior Pastor of Irvine Presbyterian Church in Irvine, California (a city in Orange County about forty miles south of Los Angeles). Before his time at Irvine Pres, Mark served on the staff of the First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood as Associate Pastor of Education. (Thanks to Janel Pahl for taking the photo to the right.) Mark studied at Harvard University, receiving a B.A. in Philosophy, an M.A. in the Study of Religion, and a Ph.D. in New Testament and Christian Origins. He has taught classes in New Testament for Fuller Theological Seminary and San Francisco Theological Seminary. Mark has written several books, including No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer (WaterBrook, 2005), Dare to Be True (WaterBrook, 2003), Jesus Revealed (WaterBrook, 2002), After \"I Believe\" (Baker, 2002), and Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther (Word, 1993). His most recent book is Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John (Crossway, 2007). He is currently working on a commentary on Ephesians that will be published by Zondervan in 2014. Mark writes a devotional for The High Calling of Our Daily Work, a website associated with Laity Lodge. His \"Daily Reflections\" can be viewed online or sent as a daily email. If you wish to receive this email, just visit TheHighCalling.org and sign up. Mark serves on the editorial board of Worship Leader magazine, where he publishes articles and reviews, including his regular column \"Lyrical Poetry.\" Additionally, he has published dozens of articles in leading magazines and journals. He often speaks for churches and other Christian groups, and has been interviewed on over seventy-five radio programs nationwide. Mark is married to Linda, who is a Marriage and Family Therapist, a Spiritual Director, and a retreat speaker. They have two children, Nathan and Kara.For Publicity Photos and Bio Statements for Mark, please check here. Mark's Dossier Professional History: Senior Director and Scholar-in Residence, Laity Lodge, October 2007 to present. Senior Pastor Irvine Presbyterian Church, June 1991 to September 2007 Adjunct Assistant Professor Fuller Theological Seminary, 1994 to 2007. Courses: New Testament Theology and Exegesis. Adjunct Instructor San Francisco Theological Seminary, 1995 to 2001. Courses: New Testament Greek and Exegesis Associate Pastor of Education First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood, 1987-1991 Teaching Fellow Harvard University, 1980-1983 Education: Ph.D. in the Study of Religion. Harvard University, 1992. Area: New Testament and Christian Origins M.A. in the Study of Religion Harvard University, 1984. A.B. magna cum laude in Philosophy Harvard University, 1979. Phi Beta Kappa; Danforth Fellowship Books: Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Crossway, 2007 No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer. WaterBrook, 2005 Dare to Be True: Living in the Freedom of Complete Honesty. WaterBrook, 2003. Jesus Revealed: Know Him Better to Love Him Better. WaterBrook, 2002. After \"I Believe\": Experiencing Authentic Christian Living. Baker, 2002. Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther in the Communicator's Commentary Series. Word, 1993. Contacting Mark: You can reach Mark at: E-mail: mark@markdroberts.com mroberts@laitylodge.org Phone: Laity Lodge: (830) 792-1216 Address: Laity Lodge 719 Earl Garrett Kerrville, TX 78028","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/author\/mroberts"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1465","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/214"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1465"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1465\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1465"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1465"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1465"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}