Waiting

If we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.  – Romans 8:25 

When was the last time you waited at a bus stop? Your fellow travelers were probably either passing the time on their phones or perhaps anxiously craning a neck to see down the street. Waiting for change is a big part of life and history, yet change is many times a very slow process. 

It has been said, “Patience is not simply the ability to wait, but it is how you behave while you are waiting!” The book of Psalms is full of the writing of David, the unlikely king of Israel. Between the time he was anointed and the time he ascended to the throne, he waited in often dangerous and uncertain circumstances. In his verses, you can trace the emotional roller coaster common to every person consigned to waiting for God to do something!  

The word “redeem” occurs repeatedly in David’s poems. The Hebrew meaning is “to ransom; deliver,” and the idea is to “bring relief.” In Psalm 26, he describes the evil and chaos going on around him, yet he determines, “As for me I shall walk in my integrity; redeem me and be gracious to me. My foot stands on level ground; in the great assembly I will bless the LORD” (Psalm 26:11-12).  

David waited in active hope. He did not succumb to the desperation of his circumstances or passively disengage. He moved forward in an expectant faith, believing God’s promises. It was a wild ride, but God did everything He said He would do! Pray in active hope for redemption to come to America’s people, causing many to seek Christ and His salvation and bring blessing to the nation.