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Week 5: How long, O Lord?

Devotional readings focused on Psalm 6 for the first week of February.


Have you ever found yourself stuck in a holding pattern? Whether it's waiting for medical test results, working through a life transition, or just waiting for a child to answer your text, living in the unknown can be stressful. We never quite know how long the wait will be. In this week's Psalm, David expresses his experience of waiting by asking God, "How long, O Lord?" If that question is on your heart, too, I think you will be encouraged by this week's readings.




Monday's reading: Psalm 6

Reflection Questions: What circumstances in your life cause you to cry, "How long, O Lord?" What encouragement do you find in verses 8-10?


Tuesday's reading: Genesis 39:20-41:41

Reflection Questions: How long did Joseph wait in prison? How did Joseph spend his time there? What could you do while you are waiting that would demonstrate your faith in God's timing?


Wednesday's reading: Hebrews 11:1-13

Reflection Questions: How does the author define faith in verse 1? According to verse 13, did the faithful heroes listed in this chapter experience everything they were promised before they died? Where did they experience full understanding and fulfillment of God's promises? How might this change your perspective on waiting for God?


Thursday's reading: John 11 

Reflection Questions: In this passage, Jesus purposefully postpones His visit to His ailing friend Lazarus. Was Jesus aware of the results of His decision to delay? Mary and Martha both point out the results of Jesus's delay in coming to their aid. What is their reasonable conclusion? How would the outcome of this story be different if Jesus had arrived while Lazarus was still alive?


Friday's reading: 2 Peter 3

Reflection Questions: This passage discusses the promised return of Christ at the end of time when He makes all things new. How long has it been since these words were written? (Hint: read about the book of 2 Peter at this link.) What do verses 8-9 tell us about God's timing? What is the purpose of delay? How should we deal with delay according to verses 14 and 15?


Weekend reading: Psalm 13 and Psalm 30

Reflection Questions: In what ways has God been good to you even in times of waiting? Make a list. In Psalm 30, David recounts times that God has delivered him from trouble. How has God brought you out of a challenging situation in the past? Write a prayer of thankfulness for God's goodness in the past and in the present.


Meditation

The smart phone has revolutionized our cultural experience of waiting. How did we survive a waiting room before we all had iPhones? How did we manage to simply wait our turn in the Costco checkout line?


Everywhere I go, I see people handling waiting by applying technology. Even a wait as short as a red light causes people to whip out their phones and start scrolling--I admit I have been guilty! But the truth is that we never have to sit patiently and wait these days; we can always entertain ourselves with our magical handheld windows to the world.


How long can you wait?


I can't help but think that our lack of experience in waiting for even short periods of time has left us ill-equipped to deal with longer periods of waiting in life. We are unused to sitting in uncertainty, to sorting out our thoughts, and to overcoming the angst of the unknown. We are quick to cry, "How long, O Lord?" when we have hardly even wrapped our minds around what we are experiencing. We just want it to be over!


Waiting as a spiritual practice


The truth of the matter is that waiting is a spiritual discipline, a strength that God wants His children to exercise. David displays this strength at the end of Psalm 6. He has prayed and he is confident that his prayers are heard: He has only to wait for God to answer and put to shame those who say that God has abandoned him (verse 10). Is this our attitude as well? The spiritual discipline of waiting is the active application of faith in God's wisdom and goodness to the unknowns in life, resulting in peace of mind and heart as we wait for God to act in His time.


This week, we will read the stories of those who had to wait and how God worked powerfully through their waiting in unexpected ways. As you read, think back over your own life and the times God has asked you to wait for an answer. How has He been faithful? How has He worked in the unknowns? My own experiences of waiting remind me that God works in ways that I don't understand and can't even imagine. But when I surrender the unknown to Him, I am surrendering it to the One who knows all the answers and is faithful to love and care for me.





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