Be Still and Wait Well

Still. Calm. Tranquil. Unmoving. If you know me well, you know in a physical sense, none of these words describe me. It’s not my nature. I continually pray the Lord would “unrush” me and help me slow down each day, be still in the waiting and take delight in Him.
 

Do not fret because of those who are evil
    or be envious of those who do wrong;
for like the grass they will soon wither,
    like green plants they will soon die away.
Trust in the Lord and do good;
    dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.
Take delight in the Lord,
    and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Commit your way to the Lord;
    trust in him and he will do this:
He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn,
    your vindication like the noonday sun.
Bestill before the Lord
    and wait patiently for him;

Psalm 37:1-7a NIV, emphasis added

When I read Psalm 37, four phrases seem to glow off the page at me: trust, delight, commit, and be still. I think at times I struggle with doing each of these things well, and they often rub up against one another in the wake of big decisions, new chapters, and stressful times.                                                                

Trust in the Lord and do good. I think this is one is easiest to pray but I find it very difficult to live out. When we are faced with trials, temptation to fall into sin, or a stressful day; it can be extremely difficult to sit back and say, “Lord, I trust You. My life is in Your hands. Let Your will be done.” My prayer is that my “knee-jerk” reaction in these moments of trust is to lay my desires or anxieties down at the feet of Jesus and leave them there, in their rightful place.

Much of what we worry about today are potential side effects of the solutions we come up with in our heads for the limited view we have of our tomorrows. How much more could we could accomplish for God’s kingdom if we would lay our anxieties down? If we would see life through a lens that focuses on God’s ability to see us through life’s bumps and bruises?

Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Specifically, in my own season of singleness, I often overlooked the time I had to serve the Lord in a capacity I might never be able to again in married life. For so many days I viewed, from a human perspective, what seemed to be a disappointment and a lack of His provision, rather than delighting in Him, knowing His best is my best for this season.

 Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him. I think it’s so special that Scripture has these statements lined up in this order. Until we trust the Lord and delight ourselves in Him, it’s extremely difficult to commit our way and our path to Him. When our way is His way and we trust Him, He’s faithful to lead and guide in times of waiting. 

Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him. In these times of trusting, delighting, and committing, it’s important we spend time focused on Him. We need to be able to be still long enough to hear from Him. Life can send us in a tailspin many days in the busy-ness we create for ourselves. However, oftentimes this can be a coping mechanism for our ourselves when we don’t want to wait well. 

 What are some practical things we can do now to help us wait well?

• Listen to worship music in your house and on your way to work. 
• Pray alone, with your spouse, and/or with your children before going to sleep each night.
• Spend some time in the Word every day. If you have a family, it may help to do this when you have a quiet space (before everyone is up or another time during the day).
• Pray for the Lord to reveal where your “still time” needs to be incorporated into your day. 

This month, let’s trust Him in the waiting. What area of life are you struggling to trust the Lord with currently? Surrender it to Him today. Let’s delight in His faithfulness and goodness today. Let’s commit our way to Him. 

Is His best your best today?