Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “Therefore I hope in Him!” The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him. It is good that one should hope and wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord. (Lamentations 3:22-26)

Wait Quietly

It is not easy to be patient. There is an inherent character flaw in most people who are unwilling to wait for something when they want it now, not later. Patience is not only a virtue but also a difficult character trait to develop. The fruit of patience is learning how to live under the will of the Lord in accordance with His time and the purpose of His will.

Being patient is also learning how to trust in the word of the Lord. Adam and Eve were impatient with God when they did not trust His word. Sarah and Abraham tried to hurry along God’s promises when Sarah offered Hagar to Abraham. Eleven years had passed, and God had not given them a son. It would take another 14 years before God’s word came true.

God created time, but He does not rule according to the flow of the sun, moon, and stars. Everything is done according to His time. The world does not realize the blessing of God’s longsuffering, because if God acted like men, the world would have been destroyed long ago. There is no reason man should exist after the flood because of how wicked the world has become.

Only by the mercy of God does the Creator not immediately destroy all life on earth. The compassion of God is everlasting for His love for mankind. Each day is a reminder of how patient the love of God is. Life is tenuous, and one day the Lord will destroy all life in the final judgment, but until then, the eternal mercy of God waits, allowing men to repent and find salvation in Him.

The Lord is good to those who wait for Him. What challenges the mind of man is subjecting his will to the will of God. Waiting on the Lord demands trust that God’s way is best. Seeking the word of God is where hope is to release the prideful desires of his heart and to live according to the word of God.

This is counter to the desires of the flesh and the pride of life that exalts the will of man above God. Every time the human heart runs ahead of God, it stumbles, falls, and fails to trust in the Lord. Waiting for the Lord takes quiet patience, knowing the way of the Lord is best. Not only does God want His creation to wait on Him, but He also desires that man wait quietly. That becomes even harder than learning to wait.

Waiting quietly is not uttering a word of instruction or seeking demands from the Lord. To quietly wait is to fully submit the will to the Lord and allow His purpose to be glorified in the life of the individual. The failure of the human heart is its inability to know all things. That is not the case with God. Seeking the Lord requires submission to His word with quiet patience. One can stand in line, patiently waiting and complaining the whole time. This is not submission.

It takes greater courage to face the will of God with quiet determination, honoring Him because of His mercies. It is good for the faithful heart to wait for God and to seek His will in the affairs of life. This develops the eternal character of trust and love when one hopes in the word of the Lord and waits quietly for the salvation of the Lord. Trust in the Lord – quietly.