'40'

I waited patiently for the Lord; He turned to me and heard my cry.  He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; He set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.  (Psalm 40: 1-2)

As much as I would like to believe I am patient, I am not.  I should know better, especially coming from Atlanta, where my 15 mile commute to work took me at least 1.5 hours, one way.  I currently live in Knoxville, where you can make it from one end of town to the other in about 20 minutes, but some days, I grow impatient and frustrated with some of the drivers in East TN. 

We all struggle with impatience and all of us have been doing it since birth.  For instance, our youngest son, Elijah, is all smiles until he becomes hungry and then he fusses until he is fed.  He didn’t learn this behavior, he was just born with it.

As adults, we still struggle with being patient, especially when it comes to God answering our prayers and petitions.  Dr. Charles Stanley says that it is ‘dangerous’ to grow impatient with God as “we might miss the Lord’s perfect plan and His blessings.”   

I believe Dr. Stanley is right on.  We must learn to accept what God gives us and sometimes what He does not give us so that we can live with peace and without stress.  While waiting, we should continue to converse with God through prayer, obey His commands and seek Him for direction.  Only when we trust Him and patiently wait for His good and perfect timing will we be at peace.