“Wait for the LORD; be strong and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD!” (Psalm 27:14 NRS)
“I am weary with my crying; My throat is dry; My eyes fail while I wait for my God.” (Psalm 69:3 NKJ)
Dear friends in Christ,
Did you happen to notice what the two bible verses listed above have in common?
They both have to do with waiting on God.
We wait for many things in life. Some of the things we wait for are trivial. We wait for the toast to pop up and we wait for the popcorn to finish popping in the microwave. Some things we wait for are more significant and potentially life-changing. We wait for a college acceptance letter to arrive; we wait for a baby to be born; or we might be wait for the results of our chest x-ray.
Depending on what we are waiting for, we might wait with dread and fear of the unknown, or we might wait with excitement and with great anticipation.
Waiting is not new or unique to this generation. The bible has many references to waiting, and not everyone was particularly good at the waiting game. One of the things I appreciate about the Psalms is that the psalmist expresses a full range of human emotions. Although the psalmist is confident that ultimately God is good, merciful, and worthy of praise, the psalmist is also honest and willing to express times of grief, anguish, and doubt, even to the point of asking, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Psalm 22:1ANRS)
Now, in this time of the coronavirus, we wait and we wonder when will this be over? We would all like to get back to some sense of normalcy, including gathering for in-person worship. As you may know, St. Mark’s has formed a task force which is charged with determining when we will return to in-person worship and which safety precautions we need to put in place. Until then we will wait.
Some people have managed to adapt to their new normal much easier than others. Perhaps, because of their circumstances, immediacy of family and friends, the ease of access to necessary provisions, or just their personality, some seem to be taking this crisis in stride. And still others feel so isolated that they cry out with the psalmist in distress, “I am weary with my crying; My throat is dry; My eyes fail while I wait for my God.” (Psalm 69:3 NKJ)
Well, maybe you don’t use the words of the psalmist, but still, if you have days when you are frustrated and angry with God, I encourage you to follow the psalmist’s example and share your frustrations with God. I believe that more than anything else, God wants an honest relationship with each of us. Just as a loving parent wants an honest relationship with their child, a relationship where a child is comfortable sharing both joys and frustrations, so it is with God. When we follow the psalmist’s example and nurture an honest relationship with God, we too will come to know that ultimately God is good, merciful, and worthy of praise. So, be strong and let your heart take courage as you wait for the LORD!
God’s blessings on your journey,
Pastor Bob
