From Patient to Panicked
“I waited patiently for the Lord; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.”
Psalm 40 is a beautiful, heartfelt passage. It begins with praise and transitions into David pleading for God’s help for himself and judgment on his enemies. So sincere. So human. And, I admit, it’s the latter statement that literally makes me chuckle when I read through the chapter. Why? Because I see myself in David’s writing.
Notice in verse one, David says, “I waited patiently for the Lord.” He begins the chapter in peace, calming waiting on the Lord to work. From the rest of the chapter, we know things are a mess in David’s life, and he has every reason to be frantic and worried. Yet, verse one finds him worshiping God and quietly waiting for God to intercede on his behalf. But notice what happens.
In verse twelve, David turns his attention away from the goodness of the Lord and onto the enormity of the army of men who seek to destroy him. And watch how he moodswings right out of that patient attitude in verse 13: “make haste to help me.” One minute, he was waiting calmly, the next he’s crying out, “Lord, I can’t wait any longer. Help me now!”
I’ve never had to flee from an army seeking to kill me, but I can relate to David’s change in spiritual standing. In a matter of verses, he swings from confident in God’s plan to stressed and worried about the outcome of his current circumstance. He went from patient to panicked. And even when he tried to turn his attention back to God in the last couple of verses, we still sense a thread of anxiety in his heart as he writes, “Make no tarrying, O my God.”
I’m so glad God didn’t use perfect people to write the Bible. I’m so happy He allows us to see the faults and fears. For me, it’s comforting to know I’m not the only one who often starts my day patiently waiting on the Lord, confident in His plan, only to find myself a few hours later crying out, “Okay, Lord, enough waiting. It’s time for action, right?” It’s cheering to know that the man God declared to be a man after his own heart had spiritual and emotional mood swings which transported him from the mountaintop to the valley in less time than it takes to say, “Chocolate cake, please.” And the reason I find comfort in this is because God was still able to use David to accomplish mighty things. Despite the psalmist’s setbacks and mood swings, God worked through him, and that gives me hope.
I was scrolling through Pinterest the other day, and I came upon a pin picturing a minion sitting in a cross-legged pose muttering, “Come on, inner peace, I don’t have all day.” I laughed. That’s so me! I have the desire for inner peace but seldom do I have the patience to sit still long enough to allow my mind to find that peace. Likewise, I want to wait on the Lord, to allow Him to have His perfect way in my life, but when problems arise, I want instant solutions.
But here’s what I’ve learned from David’s life. Though his life was never easy, God always had his back. God protected, guided, and blessed the shepherd-boy-turned-king. David faced hard times (usually as consequences for his sin), but through it all, God was faithful and came through at the right time. I can trust God will do the same for me. . .and for you. No need to panic!
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