PSALM 119:82-84 – My eyes long for your promise; I ask, “When will you comfort me?” For I have become like a wineskin in the smoke, yet I have not forgotten your statutes. How long must your servant endure? When will you judge those who persecute me?

THEME OF THE DAY. WAITING ON GOD. Take a few extra minutes and ponder over today’s scripture. What do we see? A struggle. An intense spiritual struggle. There is a war going on in the Psalmist’s heart; a battle between waiting upon God and being impatient with God. And it is hard. The Psalmist is battling trust in his God who appears disinterested in him; there is no comfort; as well as denying him; there is no deliverance. Yet, we see this child of God waiting in faith, not without struggle, but nevertheless waiting in faith. What are some of the lessons we may learn from him when God puts us in His school of waiting to develop our trust in Him?

First cling to God’s promises in times of great comfort and no comfort – “My eyes long for your promise”. Friends, we are people of promises. The Apostle Peter writes “His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desires” (2 Peter 1:3-4). God has ordained we live out our relationship with Him based on His unfailing promises. And they are always reliable, but not always realized when we would like. For instance, our comfort. The Psalmist is not experiencing the comfort of God, but he will and so will we. God comforts His people and will do so according to His timing and Word. Why? He promises, and He cannot lie. Anchor our souls in His promises, even when the promise of His comfort is delayed.

Another thing to do when God places us in His school of waiting to develop our faith is not allow the fog of circumstances and the raging emotions in waiting times weaken our faith and lead us to forget God’s Word. The Psalmist cries, “For I have become like a wineskin in the smoke, yet I have not forgotten your statutes”. The image is of a skin bottle being dried and shriveled by being exposed to smoke. It is a picture of brittleness, frailty, and weakness. When God calls upon us to wait for His comfort and deliverance during trying times, we must cling to His Word both in His promises and in our obedience. Waiting times are to be diligent obeying times. Do not let the pain in the waiting keep us from obeying in the waiting. Remember that God’s chief design in our waiting is growth in the faith and that through obedience.

God will often enroll us in His school of waiting. It is for our good. Without waiting times, there will be no growing times. So, as He does this expression of His love, let’s learn to respond correctly. And that would be in clinging to His promises and maintaining an obedient life by not forgetting His statutes.

PRAYER: “Father, help me to learn that waiting for You always produces good in me.”
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QUOTE: “God’s delay is not an indication of His displeasure or denial. It is His love developing us.”