220119: Patience

Unless the LORD builds the house,
They labor in vain who build it;
Unless the LORD guards the city,
The watchman keeps awake in vain.
Psalm 127:1 (NASB)

Hymn: "What Will You Do With Jesus?" William F. Allen, John O. Beall

Probably the most difficult part of following God for me has been trust. I have a tendency to rely on myself and my own wits and planning, and it has come back to bite me multiple times. When God was finally able to confront me and get me on track, it was because He had removed every method I had to lean on my own understanding. I associate well with Jacob in that way.

How long, O LORD? Will You forget me forever?
How long will You hide Your face from me?
How long shall I take counsel in my soul,
Having sorrow in my heart all the day?
How long will my enemy be exalted over me?
​Psalm 13:1-2 (NASB)

A lot of my reading today had to do with trusting God. Trusting Him for provision, for healing, for fulfilling promises, and so on. But one of the most important, and in our culture difficult, aspects to trusting God is trusting in His timing. A lot of my reading today dealt with that, and even the psalm quoted at the top of this post has some of that flavor to it. I may be able to do things I believe God wants done, I may be able to pull the right strings and talk to the right people and brute force it into existence. But if it isn't built by God, if it isn't built in His timing and His way, then it will not accomplish His purposes and it will not last.

As someone with a lot of things on the horizon, this is very difficult for me. To know that the waiting is worth it. To know that His timing is perfect, and nothing I can do to speed it up will be better. Oh, Lord, please help me to be patient and trust You to work as You will.