Psalm 40: Waiting Is Active

I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. - Psalm 40:1

Around my house, I would not be characterized as a person who likes to wait. I'm usually the first person in the car. I'm usually the one who has timed things down to the minute. I am the one who has comments about those people in restaurants who only make up their mind what to order when they've reached the counter.

For me, waiting is not a passive thing--waiting is active. I must consciously restrain myself from fidgeting, pacing, or grumbling. When waiting, I am full of nervous energy. I feel uncomfortable in the nothing periods before the something happens. In a word, I am impatient.

While I have become more capable at restraining the outward signs of my impatience, inwardly I am still focused on the then rather than the now--a bubbling cauldron of anticipation. Rather than being patient, I have adopted the appearance of stoicism.

Recently, I have started to watch how I respond to waiting, not outwardly, but inwardly. Sometimes, I just bubble - replaying my plans or worries or frustrations. Sometimes, I try blankness, a mental state with deliberate lack of focus. Sometimes, I try to distract myself by engaging my attention through some small chore, activity, or FaceBook or a game--keeping busy.

But these activities waste much of the value of waiting. Many times God can't seem to get a word in edgewise because I am so busy. So he introduces a wait into my life, so I can hear him. Then I promptly ruin a perfectly good waiting period by finding ways to fill it.

Look at the things David was able to do during his waiting period:

1. Learn a new song from God (Ps. 40:3). 
2. Avoid spiritual shortcuts (Ps. 40:4). 
3. Take a break from doing stuff for God and, instead really, hear from God (Ps. 40:6). 
4. center himself on God's agenda rather than his own (Ps. 40:7-8).
5. Encourage others (Ps. 40:9-10). 
6. Talk honestly with God about his problems, including the ones that were self-inflicted. (Ps. 40:12ff).

When I notice that I am struggling with waiting (I don't always notice it when its happening), I try to pull back and use the opportunity God is giving me.

Better a patient person than a warrior, one with self-control than one who takes a city. - Proverbs 16:32