05/08/22 Daily Devotion – Hope may require some waiting!

“I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope. My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning. O Israel, put your hope in the Lord, for with the Lord is unfailing love and with him is full redemption.” — Psalm 130:5–7 (NIV84)

One of the problems we have with hope is its association with time. What we hope for does not always come when we think it should come. So, we have to wait, and waiting is not easy. Look at the analogy the psalmist uses of watchmen waiting for the morning. When I was in college I worked evening security on campus. It was tough working the late shift. There were several factors. The first was the shear time of the shift. My body wanted to sleep, and the darkness made that desire even stronger. I remember wishing for the sun to rise so that its light would rejuvenate me. At times it was actually painful trying to stay awake. Second, the darkness made it difficult to see. I remember spending hours looking out into shades of gray and black. Everything seemed to be in shadows. Nothing was clear. Forcing myself to concentrate only increased my weariness. Although it was hard to do, it was necessary to get the job done.

Similarly, our waiting for the Lord can be painful. The time spent waiting for the Lord to respond can feel like an eternity. Nonetheless, we wait because it is all we can do. But while we wait, we remind ourselves who it is we are waiting for, who we are hoping in. We are hoping in our God, who has been faithful to His Word. We hope in a God who loves us with an unfailing love and who is always ready to offer full redemption. There is no one else — nothing else — out there that we can place our hope in and be certain that the response will be full of grace and love. Our hope always holds onto something solid. It holds onto the very nature and character of God.

So, let’s admit up front that waiting is not easy. Now set that aside and look at who it is you are waiting for. Trust that you have placed your hope in the right place, and wait.

Peace!

Pastor Tom

www.firmlyrooted.church

Let the world see Jesus in you!

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