August 30: Waiting is action

To You, O Lord, I lift up my soul. O my God, in You I trust, do not let me be ashamed; do not let my enemies exult over me. Indeed, none of those who wait for You will be ashamed.    (Psalm 25:1-3 — New American Standard Bible)

This Psalm is an appeal for protection, guidance and forgiveness. Though David was a great king, had conquered many enemies, seen miracles, and accomplished amazing things, he was still acutely aware of his need for God’s help. His wealth and fame could not buy what he was looking for; he wanted eternal salvation, to see his prayers answered, and to show the world that his God was the only true god. This is a lesson for all of us. No matter what happens in life, no matter how rich or poor we are, whether we are healthy or sick, we need to cry out to Him for help.

An interesting detail is that David begins and ends this psalm with the same words — do not let me be ashamed. Shame is something that God’s enemies, Satan and his demons, should feel, but not God’s children. Though we go through hard times and struggles, and at times are tempted to feel ashamed, we should stubbornly insist that God save us from shame, and rain it down on His enemies. Whatever the devil used against us in the past, should now become the area where God does His greatest work in us — in this way, that previous problem boomerangs on the devil and puts him to shame.

This passage ends with “none of those who wait for You will be ashamed”. Waiting on the Lord does not involve a lazy, disengaged attitude. Waiting on Him means having an unwavering hope that He will come through with His promises. No one waits for a friend they don’t expect to show up — we only wait for people that we consider faithful and worthy of our trust. In fact, this phrase implies that “waiting on Him” guarantees that a person will avoid shame, in other words, his prayers will be answered.

Waiting on God is not sitting on a sofa waiting for God to do something, it is knowing that you know that He will come through for you, and stepping out in faith. Waiting on the Lord is action.