When God is Slow

Read: Genesis 35-36 & Psalm 4-5

“Tremble and do not sin; meditate in your heart upon your bed, and be still. Offer the sacrifices of righteousness and trust in the LORD.” Psalm 4:4-5

Examine:

David starts off this chapter by indicating that he is waiting on the LORD to answer his prayer. There are times in life when God does not speak or lead according to a time frame that is completely acceptable to me. The world that I live in reveals its answers instantly. There is nothing in my society that values waiting. Waiting is a clear indicator of something that is broken or not right. When God is slow to answer me or respond to a prayer, I struggle. In this verse I see three things that I must remember during times of waiting.

Apply:

David says to tremble and not sin. To tremble means to maintain my reverential awe of God. When God seems to be silent it is easy for me to slip to a place of disrespect. It is easy for me to take a stance against God. My desperation for movement feeds my pride and I can quickly turn against God. “Why don’t You just do something now!?” is the frustrated stirring I sense in my flesh during these times. This attitude of my heart always leads me to rebellion and all types of sin.

The second set of instructions here is to meditate in my heart upon my bed and be still. During times of waiting there is no more difficult a time than nighttime. The daytime offers distractions. At night, on the other hand, there is nothing to distract and that is often when the weight of the trial seems to strike the hardest. The only counter to this is to set my heart on God and determine to be still. Reading scripture, praying prayers of praise, and being careful with my thoughts are critical routines to develop and implement at night.

The final thing listed in these verses is to offer sacrifices and trust in the LORD. It is really easy to stop doing what I know to be right when I feel like God is not doing His job. I can sugar coat this or I can be honest and just say it like it is. During times of duress, when God does not speak, I act horribly. I will withhold my service from God and stop trusting in Him. This is stupid but it is a pattern in my life nonetheless. Nothing should hinder my service and my trust of God should always stay separated from the circumstances of my life.

Pray:
Father, verse 7 of this chapter says that You can put gladness in my heart more than when grain and wine abound. That is a truth of You that I am learning to trust in more and more. Peace and rest do not mean the absence of pain and struggle. Your peace and rest are not subject to my circumstances. You are able to enter my soul and give it rest even in the presence of my enemies. I worship and praise You for that.

You know my limits and my bounds. You will never let me drift beyond what I can handle. Help me to continue to grow and mature. I want to maintain my respect of You, be still in Your word, and stay engaged in Your work; even when things are not going my way.