Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!
Psalm 27:14
I don’t have a photographic memory, but some events are etched in my mind, and I cannot forget them. When my children were very young, one night brought a quick flash of lightning and quite possibly the loudest crack of thunder I’ve ever heard. Before the thunder stopped, both children raced into our room and jumped on the bed. I wanted to jump on the bed too!
They ran into the room because they were looking for safety from the storm outside the house, and knew that their dad wasn’t scared of anything. They felt safe in my presence. Too bad they didn’t realize I was scared just like they were! I put on a good face and told them all would be fine, and we had a pajama party in the bed.
Fast forward to today. We live in a world of fear. We lock our homes, cars, trucks, lawn trailers, and anything else we want to keep. We tell our children never to go places by themselves and to always keep an eye out for suspicious people who might want to hurt them. I don’t know what your fears are, but I’m sure you have them. Interestingly enough, I saw more people post this verse on Facebook posts than anything else yesterday and wanted to share some thoughts about it.
Trust the Lord’s Timing
When we wait for the Lord, it is with the expectancy that it will happen. It is not a “what if” kind of verse. This verse is a “wait because it will happen” kind of verse. As we wait for the Lord, we can do so with the expectation that it will come to pass. We don’t know what David was referring to here, but we know that he was in the midst of a battle and had many enemies. He needed strength and courage, but he needed the Lord to provide it. Perhaps he was giving his soldiers a pep talk. We don’t know. But the truth is obvious. God’s timing is always perfect, and that’s why we have to wait. We need to trust the Lord.
There is no need to run ahead of His plans because His purpose is perfect.
Trust the Lord’s Ability
To be strong means to be strong beyond a person’s physical, mental, or emotional ability. I find this to be an exceptionally encouraging thing for David to write. The Lord wanted us to know that He will provide strength beyond our expectations. This strength would also allow us to seize or overpower. Imagine that. David was talking to his soldiers and encouraging them to be stronger than they could and to overpower what seemed impossible. But that’s what the Lord does.
We look at mountains, and God wants us to look at Him. That’s where our problems begin. The mountains are never too difficult for the Lord to move, but we must first trust the Lord and His timing. Then enjoy the strength He provides.
Trust the Lord’s Courage
Overcoming your fears means to allow your thoughts, emotions, and mind to be brave. “If God is for us, who can be against us” (Romans 8:31)? The only way we can take courage is to trust the Lord and wait for His timing, trust the Lord and allow him to provide strength, and then we will be able to take courage in the One who gives it all to us.
I love my kids. They are grown now, and I sometimes miss those little feet running to our room and jumping on our bed because they were scared and trusted us to keep them safe.
When is the last time the Lord heard your feet running to Him and waiting for His timing, strength, and courage? Maybe He’s waiting for you to run to Him? Is today the day?