October 3, 2024
While We Wait on God’s Promises
LYSA TERKEURST
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“Blessed is the man who makes the LORD his trust …” Psalm 40:4 (ESV)
Are there deep disappointments in your life that seem to be lingering? Do you feel like you’ve prayed the same prayers with little to no change?
I understand how hard that is. And although the circumstances of your life may be different from mine, we all have our middle-of-the-night moments wrestling through tears.
Some memories still hurt. Realities that make you wonder if you’ll ever feel normal again. Sufferings that seem forever long. And you’re disappointed that today you aren’t living the promises of God you’ve begged would come to pass.
In your most private moments, you want to scream at the unfairness of it all. But then there are more hopeful moments … when you want to turn up the praise music, lift honest prayers, and declare God is good even when the situation doesn’t seem good.
Hurting but still trusting — that’s the human journey.
And that’s where we find David in Psalm 40. In the first 10 verses, David praised God for delivering him, but in verses 11-17, he cried out for God to deliver him again.
Trusting doesn’t mean we ignore reality. It means we acknowledge reality in the very same breath that we acknowledge God’s sovereignty — His absolute ability and power to work as He sees best.
Our trust can’t be tied to whether or not a circumstance or another person changes. Our trust must be tied to the unchanging promises of God. We hope for the good we know God will ultimately bring from our situation, whether the good matches our desires or not. And sometimes that takes a while. The process often requires us to be persevering and patient.
Honestly, I know that can feel a little overwhelming. I want the promise of Psalm 40:4 — “blessed is the man who makes the LORD his trust” — but I forget this kind of trust in God is often forged in the crucible of long-suffering. God isn’t picking on me. God is picking me to personally live out His promises.
It’s a high honor. But it doesn’t always feel that way. I’ve got to walk through the low places of the process before I’m perfectly equipped to live the promise. We read about this in Psalm 40:1-3:
“I waited patiently for the LORD; he inclined to me and heard my cry. He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure. He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the LORD” (ESV).
The idea of waiting patiently is incredibly important in this psalm. The Hebrew word for “waited” in verse 1 indicates it’s ongoing, and it holds a sense of eager expectancy and hope.
So while I want the solid rock on which to stand, first I have to wait patiently for the Lord to lift me out of the slime and mud and to “set my feet” (Psalm 40:2, ESV). That word “set” in the original Hebrew is qum, which also means “arise or take a stand.” God has to take me through the process of getting unstuck from what’s been holding me captive before I can take a stand.
I also want that new song promised in Psalm 40:3. Did you notice, though, what comes before it? Many cries to the Lord for help. The most powerful praise songs are often guttural cries of pain that have turned into beautiful melodies.
I know this is hard. So let me be the one to lean in and whisper these words to you as we begin to wrestle through this journey together: God is working things out. He’s not far away. He is right here with us. Even if our prayers aren’t answered in the way and the timing we want. Even when this process feels messy. We can trust that God is good.
Lord God, I know You often work in ways I don’t understand. There are parts of my story that feel incredibly hard to live in, but I trust You are making something beautiful even out of those parts of my life. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
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FOR DEEPER STUDY
Psalm 40:17, “But as for me, I am poor and needy; may the Lord think of me. You are my help and my deliverer; you are my God, do not delay.” (NIV)
As you experience a delay or waiting season, how are you leaning on the Lord as your helper and deliverer?
We’d love to hear from you! Share your thoughts in the comments.
© 2024 by Lysa TerKeurst. All rights reserved.
Proverbs 31 Ministries
P.O. Box 3189
Matthews, NC 28106
www.Proverbs31.org