What shall we do? Wait Patiently for the Lord
Psalm 37:1-7
SCRIPTURE READING: Psalm 37:1-7
1 Do not fret because of the wicked; do not be envious of wrongdoers,
2 for they will soon fade like the grass and wither like the green herb.
3 Trust in the Lord and do good; live in the land and enjoy security.
4 Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.
5 Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act.
6 He will make your vindication shine like the light and the justice of your cause like the
noonday.
7 Be still before the Lord, and wait patiently for him; do not fret over those who prosper
in their way, over those who carry out evil devices.
SERMON
As a child living in the south, I spent many winter nights waiting and wishing for a snow
day. I did the snow dance where you put your pajamas on backwards and run up and
down the driveway. I wished on the stars, I prayed and sometimes it snowed but most
times it did not, leaving me very disappointed and feeling all my efforts were of no use.
Much like waiting for the snow as a child, waiting on the LORD can sometimes leave us
feeling disappointed. Not because God has not shown up but because our desires and
God’s aren’t in sync. We get caught up in laying out the plans for our lives and forget
that we are only human.
The Psalmist says the righteous will prosper and the wicked will be punished. The
secular world teaches us that the harder we work to accomplish something, the more
successful we are. Think about starting out in the workplace for the first time. Often you
work more hours than you are paid for in order to prove yourself, gain status and
success only to find out those early morning and late work nights take their toll on other
important things in your life OR they aren’t giving you the results you hoped for. But what do we make of this when we work hard, do good things, and yet things don’t turn
out the way we hoped.
Psalm 37 reminders readers of a couple of promises:
1. Do not worry and be present where you are because God is in control
2. Good will prevail over evil.
These promises can sometimes feel like a fairytale. In real life, we see evil overpower
good over and over. We see hatred making the news more than love. We daily see the
powerful taking advantage of the vulnerable. Real life is not always a bed of roses. Real
life involves so much waiting and it’s not always easy to be patient. How are we not to
worry when we are waiting:
○ for grief to disappear
○ for bodies to heal
○ for a season when you can sleep through the night
○ for life to return to “normal”
○ for your next paycheck
○ for love
○ for a job or to find if you still have one
○ for the results of a medical test
○ for wars to end
○ for peace to reign
○ waiting to be respected by others
○ waiting to feel whole
Waiting isn’t often filled with peace. Waiting can be painful and filled with anxiety and
frustration. It is impossible to be still when you're waiting for something to change for
yourself or those you love. So we hold tight to the reins of our lives so that we can
prevent ourselves and those we love from harm and pain. Sometimes our efforts are
rewarded but sometimes the results don’t turn out the way we hoped. I believe the Psalmist is trying to help readers to look beyond their present situation and
into the future. And not just looking forward to the future but living by the future. Letting
our hope and our faith in God shape how we live in the present has a profound effect on
our present emotion and behavior. So we have to ask ourselves, in what are we placing
our hope and faith? In power, money, success OR in God? Placing our hope in the
things of this world may give us visible and sometimes instant results. But putting our
hope in God sometimes means that we do not get to see the results of our contribution,
but the results are eternal.
Future thinking and living is not just about our individual futures but the future of God’s
kin-dom, all of God’s children, which requires us to see and listen to the lives of others,
especially those whose lives are different from our own. We are called to work towards
and live by a future where God’s love wins and that love is seen and known for all
people.
This involves transforming the way we think and working for the good for God’s kin-
dom, not just our own good. Not just working for what we can see now but trusting that
God will use us where we are as we are, we are enough with God’s help, AND having
faith that God will keep working and be in control through each and every moment,
throughout all time.
Moses did not get to see the Promised Land. Abraham didn’t see his descendants out
number the stars. Generations of people prayed for a Messiah but never saw the
promise fulfilled. Many people who were a part of the Women’s and Civil Rights
movements did not get to see any transformation from their efforts. Some fighting for
peace in their country die before experiencing peace for themselves. Vernon Gramling
reminds the Faith in Real Life small groups often, that love will prevail and to live as
though it is true. While not universal, many who participated in these efforts were living
as though they believed love would win, even if they would not see it in their lifetime. How do we live as righteous people when our present circumstances are so chaotic,
heartbreaking, and overwhelming? We may be to the point of begging God to step in
and fix it or make the pain go away, but God hasn’t gone anywhere. God is with us. It’s
in those times of darkness and pain that we can really see the Light of God shine.
Salvation, in terms of our spiritual life, means life in its fullness, not a life free of
struggle. Believing that God is sovereign means that we believe God is ALWAYS
available to us as a source of help and hope. God is ALWAYS our refuge and our
strength, even in times of trouble.
Thomas Long says in an article entitled “Preaching About Suffering”: “We can only go
so far down the path of theodicy…We must admit that we have been placed in the
middle of life and that, from our vantage point, suffering is an unsolvable mystery. We
must affirm that the meaningful question is not “is theism unintelligible because I am
suffering? But “Is God a God of salvation- is God one who can help?”
I deeply believe the answer to that question is YES! God is one who can and does help.
As believers, we must be willing to let go of our control and receive God’s instruction.
Then God can work through us, even when our present is so far from God’s dream. No
matter what we are waiting on, how challenging it might be we can trust God is with us,
holding us, and helping us. This way of thinking not only transforms our daily lives but
the lives of our families, communities, and church. And we began to experience a peace
beyond our understanding because we know God’s got us.
Today, let us choose to live like love will prevail. Because as the psalmist reminds us
when we, “ Commit [our] way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act.” Let’s commit
kindness over hate. Let’s commit to seeking the good in others and seeking good for
others, not just ourselves. Let’s believe that we are enough, just as we are not by how
much we have or how in control our lives are, but because we are children of God! Let’s
choose to trust that God wants to use us for God’s good work in the world. Good work
that unites communities, seeks peace and justice, and places love above all else. We will not always know the impact of our love on others or creation but when we choose to
trust in the providence of God, we can trust that God is up to something. What a gift to
work alongside the Creator of the Universe in making the light of love outshine all the
darkness.
