Day 11: I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. (Psalm 40:1-2)
Waiting is hard. Waiting for a loved one to get home safely. Waiting for a call from the doctor. Waiting for the pain to go away. Waiting for the weight of grief to lift. Waiting for our lives to get back to normal.
Sometimes the waiting goes on so long that we begin to wonder if God really is for us. We wonder why He lets us suffer when He could fix our problems in a flash. Does He really love us? Is He really there?
God is our rock and fortress. When our lives are out of control, when depression and anxiety overwhelm us, when we feel that God has forgotten about us, God is there supporting us and protecting us. It does not matter whether or not we feel God near us. It does not matter whether or not we feel His love for us. God’s love and care for us is made certain in these two facts: 1) Christ died for us. 2) The tomb is empty. There is more evidence that these two things actually occurred than there is evidence for any other event in antiquity.
Waiting for the Lord, pleading for Him to come quickly, begging for Him not to hide his face are common themes in the Psalms. Doubting God is a common experience among Christians — something Satan likes to exploit. Remember one of the strategies Satan used to convince Adam and Eve to sin. He said, “You will not certainly die. For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” He was basically saying, “God is lying to you. He doesn’t really love you. He is holding back his best gifts from you. He’s not good. He’s petty.”
That’s when they ate, throwing their descendants into whirlpools of suffering and doubt.
We do not know why God lets His children suffer. However, we do know that He is with us, that He loves us, that He knows everything about us, and that He does what is best for us. His Word assures us of this over and over again. And the best way to cope with waiting is to abide in Jesus, to immerse ourselves in His Word and Sacraments. “Come to me,” Jesus says, “all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)
Bible Reading: Psalms 31 and 40, Isaiah 41:1-14, Matthew 7:24-29
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