"And now,
Lord, what do I wait for? My hope is in You."
Psalm 39:7
How many times have I placed my hope in something other than God! Even when he was beset by sin, David concluded his only hope was in God. God is good to allow difficult situations so those who trust in God will be cast down and realise their hope and expectations have been misplaced. Pains have a way of revealing our devotion is tinged with selfishness, cares, and worry. We pray so God will immediately change our circumstances according to our will, and our impatience displays a lack of trust in the God we genuinely trust.
When our hope and trust is placed in God, we will find ourselves sustained and greatly helped even when dangers and troubles multiply. If our hope for deliverance from sin or trials truly rests in our great God we will not fear, worry, or be impatient. We will be grateful the Almighty God hears us and answers according to His will and timing. God established the heavens and earth by His power, and nothing is too hard for Him. How blessed is the one who hopes in the LORD!
David asked a question it does well for us to answer when we are troubled: "What do I wait for?" If we are waiting for a light at the end of the tunnel, waiting for a glimmer of hope due to changed circumstances to bolster our faith, we likely are not placing our hope in the Light of the World Jesus Christ and the promises in His Word. Since Jesus is our life, He is the only one worthy of our hope. Praise the LORD that He knows us, loves us, and is faithful. The immortal perspective of Job comes to mind in the first part of Job 13:15: "Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him..." God is the One who kills and makes alive, and the Christian must die to self before we can live for Him (Deut. 32:39). The fear of the LORD frees us from the fear of man, for no one can deliver from His hand.
What do you wait for? Who do you wait for? God is patient with us, and let us patiently place our hope in Him. He is our LORD and our expectations are in Him.