God is worth waiting on!
By. Rev. Al Williams II
Special to the Outlook
Patience is a word that is usually spoken with much greater ease than it is practiced.
It is a word that signals a willingness to wait and this is exactly where the trouble arises for many – the challenge of waiting.
Virtually all aspects of living call for one to develop the ability to wait. Regaining financial stability after a sudden depletion of resources often requires one to wait. Realizing and achieving one’s goals and aspirations will almost certainly demand in one way or another that a person learns to wait. Developing a strong bond in relationship with a spouse is a work which necessitates a willingness to wait.
It is interesting however that more than the abovementioned circumstances God is one who distinguishes Himself by working in ways that violate conventional understandings of time. His ways are higher than the ways of humanity and consequently He operates in time but never trapped by time! He moves and can intervene in one’s situation at the exact moment one needs Him! When it appears that He is running behind schedule, it is actually God’s way of showing that His timing ultimately will reveal that He knows exactly when to move on behalf of those who dare to trust and depend on Him!
The people of God have to frequently be reminded that one of the hallmarks of His power and presence is His ability to work with perfect timing! Sadly, believers often become consumed with worry and dismay when circumstances seem to worsen at a pace beyond God’s control and the mistake is made when matters are no longer left in God’s hands.
One of the additional errors of God’s people is to take His patience and timing for granted. One would think that God would get fed up with how His people continually try His patience and test His willingness to show mercy. Stubbornness and a refusal to surrender completely to the will of God often land us in precarious situations. It is the magnificence of God’s mercy that is put on display when we acknowledge that despite how often we fall short of God’s expectations He remains good to us beyond our expectations.
The Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endures to all generations (Psalm 100).
This passage, however, uses two simple words which convey the astounding nature and essence of the Lord’s goodness. The text simply uses the words “once more”. It is an indication that God has taken this course of action before. The words “once more” signify that God has been here before. They point to the reality that God has put up with us before and has once again decided to be merciful and forgiving.
Knowing that God has been repeatedly merciful is worth celebrating because being able to continue on with God is a privilege that we miraculously experience even though being cut off from God is what we deserve. Those of us who cannot celebrate the ongoing mercy of God cannot do so because we may believe that we somehow merit His mercy. Those who know that we have not merited it but have received it can testify that God is worthy of all praise, honor & glory. “Once more” is the reason we shout! “Once more” is the reason we should forever offer praise, worship and thanksgiving!
