IN TOUCH DAILY DEVOTIONAL 3 JUNE 2024 BY DR. CHARLES STANLEY, MONDAY MESSAGE
TOPIC: To Wait Is to Wait
TODAY’S SCRIPTURE: Psalms 40:1-3
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1 I waited patiently for the LORD; And He inclined to me and heard my cry.
2 He brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay, And He set my feet upon a rock making my footsteps firm.
3 He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God; Many will see and fear And will trust in the LORD.
TODAY’S MESSAGE
It’s likely we’ve all had the difficult experience of praying for something and wondering how long God would take to respond. We express our desire, pray sincerely, and sometimes get impatient when we don’t get our answer. We might even begin to create a backup plan if it seems He’s taking too long to come through.
Learning how to wait patiently on the Lord is an acquired skill—and an essential one. David, who learned to do so in times of joy, exile, and conflict, wrote in Psalm 40:1 that he “waited patiently” for God. In fact, the Hebrew word qawa is repeated, which gives the verse a literal sense of “to wait, I waited on the Lord.” That repetition also lets us know the writer is stating something important. David recognized that patient stillness helped his faith to grow—a truth he emphasized by writing it twice.
The psalmist was saying that he persevered in prayer and anticipated God’s answer. For us as well, waiting develops perseverance. Then, as Romans 5:3-5 teaches, perseverance will lead to character, and character will bring about hope. If, while waiting, we look to God for wisdom and direction, we will begin to see His work in our life and recognize His goodness. Not only does waiting patiently express our trust in and reliance on God; it also helps us develop greater faith.
Bible in One Year: Job 9-12
Thought For Today: God is always working for our good—even when the answers we want are delayed.
For more biblical teaching and resources from Dr. Charles Stanley, please visit www.intouch.org.
