Tuesday, November 17 2020 Devotional
"Do not forsake me, O Lord! O my God, be not far from me! Make haste to help me, O Lord, my salvation!"
Psalm 38:21-22
As he writes this Psalm, David is suffering. He is sick, his friends are avoiding him, and at the same time he has become painfully aware of his own sin. He is overwhelmed with the recognition that not only has he sinned but that he is so weak that he could fall into sin again at any moment. He wants to do what’s right, but he doesn’t trust himself.
And to top it all off, there are people watching his every step and waiting for him to do or say something foolish so they can accuse him and create a scandal.
He prays for healing, for the comfort of God’s presence, and for strength to be faithful so that the name of God will not be sullied by his weakness.
His final plea, the verse we just read, is a desperate cry of frustration. “I need You now, Lord! Don’t delay! Don’t make me wait any longer for the answer to my prayer!”
Do you ever feel the same way? God’s timing isn’t the same as ours. He has His own agenda and sometimes we wonder what He’s doing and why we don’t get the answer to our prayers when we think it should come, or in the way we think it should come.
But all along, we know that we can trust Him. Always, when the answer finally comes, we realize that His way is best, His purpose is higher than our best imaginations, and His love is greater than all our hopes and fears.
We wait for Him, sometimes patiently... but sometimes not so patiently. Sometimes we wait, wondering what He’s doing and why, but always trusting Him.
Heavenly Father, my times are in Your hands. I know that You know best and Your love and mercy never fail. Walk me through this day. Be close to me and keep me, in Jesus’ name. I wait for You; come to me quickly now, in my moment of need. Amen.
Pastor Dan Giles