Psalm 37 Verse 7 (NIV-UK)
Be still before the Lord
and wait patiently for him;
do not fret when people succeed in their ways,
when they carry out their wicked schemes.
When God promises to do something, He doesn’t always give us a timescale. Sometimes He expects us to wait for the promise to be fulfilled and through this psalm of David, He instructs us to do it patiently. It seems to me that this is issued as a command. In other words, He expects us to do as we’re told. Being patient is not easy in any situation, perhaps that’s why it’s one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit – we can’t do it in our own strength, but we can through the power and the gift of the Holy Spirit.
When we become impatient then we do sometimes lose our focus and look around at what’s happening elsewhere. Perhaps that’s when it appears that the grass is greener on the other side. What God does in other people’s lives is God’s business, not ours. Equally, when we don’t understand why evil people seem to prosper, we have to leave that situation in God’s hands too, and trust Him for the outworking of His promises to us, whilst obeying that command to be patient.
Dear Lord,
Being patient is a command I find difficult to obey, but patience is a fruit of the Holy Spirit. Help me to cultivate that fruit in my life. I pray in Jesus’ Name. Amen.