Lamentations 3:26. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation (deliverance) of the Lord.
And it’s a perfect lazy day Saturday! The rain fell during the night…and is still drizzling some, the temperature is in the low teens, just the right atmosphere for lying in bed and enjoying a peaceful Saturday morning. Unfortunately though, some of us cannot afford to enjoy those luxuries, those creature comforts, for we have to get up and be about our Father’s business. (smile) And what does our Father want us to talk about on this brand-new day eh, when His mercies and compassions are brand spanking new, not yesterday’s leftovers?
And it seems to be these wise and encouraging words from the Lamentations of the prophet Jeremiah, which declare (yesss!!!): ‘The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation (deliverance) of the Lord.’ (Lam. 3:25-26) Oh friends, those are such powerful and wise words that if our world would only consider doing them, we’d be living in an earthly paradise rather than the earthly hell that currently surrounds us!
But no, our thing these days is to turn away from the Lord, the source of our creation and continued breath of life, even to the point of trying to turf Him out of our society. Yes, the evil and darkness in our world is so strong that a lot of us are leaning in that direction. But I’m here to tell us once again, that that will NEVER happen! The enemy might gain a fair amount of power, but the Lord will NEVER give up His hold on His creation and all therein, as He says so plainly in Isiah 42:8. ‘I am the Lord: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.’
What’s so difficult about that to understand eh? It’s very clear and plain as far as I can see. But the wicked and foolish just don’t learn. They don’t see that their leader, Satan himself was no match for God and was kicked out of heaven, and even then, he was further weakened by Christ’s triumphant victory over him at Calvary. For the wise believers though, there are several scriptures throughout the Bible that recommend waiting quietly and patiently upon the Lord. Let’s look at a few of them nuh.
And right at the very beginning, as the children of Israel stood fearfully watching the mighty Red Sea in front of them, blocking their escape route, with Pharaoh’s army hot on their heels, Moses uttered these words of truth, faith and encouragement to them. ‘And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation (deliverance) of the Lord, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever. The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace (be quiet).’ (Ex. 14:13-14)
And we all know what happened: Moses, through the Lord’s grace, lifted up his rod and parted the Red Sea, the Israelites walked across on dry land, then the Egyptians were swallowed up by the reconverging waters. That’s possibly one of the mightiest acts the Lord ever did in man’s history, but can you believe that those Israelites forget about it in no time and began doubting the Lord and complaining about their circumstances. That’s why they wondered forty aimless years in the wilderness till all the adults who came out of Egypt were dead, with only Joshua and Caleb from that old group making it into the Promised Land.
And sadly friends, that’s still how many of us are today. The Lord has done all sort of good deeds in our lives, but we’re not very thankful, and forget them as soon as a new, unfortunate circumstance raises its head in our dreary lives. But there is yet hope for us, and we can change our attitudes with hopeful and encouraging words from the scriptures.
Listen to these encouraging words from Psalm 130 – A Song of Degrees – where the psalmist declares (chuh!!!): ‘But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared (reverenced). I wait for the Lord, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope. My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning. Let Israel hope in the Lord: for with the Lord there is mercy (LOVING-kindness), and with him is plenteous (abundant) redemption. And he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities.’ (Ps. 130:3-8)
Now how can we believers argue with those sentiments eh, when they are the gospel truth? But hear this verse from Isaiah, as he talks of the graciousness and mercy of our wonderful God. ‘And therefore will the Lord wait, that he may be gracious unto you, and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: for the Lord is a God of judgement (justice): blessed are all they that wait for him.’ (Is. 30:18) How can we ever go wrong waiting on our most merciful and gracious God eh? We cannot! But please note that in all our waiting we must exalt and reverence Him. That’s the most important aspect of waiting on His timing.
And there are many more scriptures in the Good Library on waiting and hoping in the Lord, but I believe Bruh David says it perfectly in Psalm 37, which advises us to trust in the Lord. Please read these marvellous words of wisdom and encouragement with me. ‘Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb. Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed (feed on His faithfulness).
Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord, trust also in him, and he shall bring it to pass. And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgement (justice) as the noonday. Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices (schemes) to pass. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil (for it only causes harm). For evildoers shall be cut off (destroyed): but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth.’ (Ps. 37:1-9)
Oh my fellow saints, what marvellous, true and encouraging words for us to ponder on this rainy, lazy Saturday! So, let’s take a few minutes and do just that nuh, for it will certainly brighten our spirits and our day! Much LOVE!
…it’s not easy to wait on the Lord’s timing…but you can be assured that He’s in total control…and He’s NEVER late…
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