"Waiting...In Stillness"

Scripture Passage

Psalms 27-32

Upper Lake, Glendalough, Ireland

Scripture Focus

Be still in the presence of the LORD,
     and wait patiently for him to act.
Don’t worry about evil people who prosper
     or fret about their wicked schemes.
                               (Psalm 37:7 NLT)

Observation

Psalm 37 is an acrostic psalm—each stanza beginning with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet. That probably makes it “unfair” to simply pull one verse out for comment and mediation, but, hey, that’s the assignment I’ve given myself, right? So I’m considering verse 7.

The challenge of verse 7, as I understand it, is to not always *have* to act, but rather to let God fight my battles for me. I think I used to be better at that than I am these days. Perhaps I’m growing impatient as I grow older. Perhaps the stakes seem higher than they used to. The thing is—no matter how I might change or how my circumstances might change—the counsel of God’s Word remains constant. “Be still…wait…don’t worry…don’t fret.”

Waiting in stillness is tougher than ever. My life is filled with noise, and when there isn’t any supplied, I’ll often make my own. But how often does God call me to stilled waiting? More often than I’ve obeyed, I’m sure.

All this calls to mind another psalm—a personal favorite from the psalms of ascent—Psalm 131…

My heart is not proud, O LORD,
     my eyes are not haughty;
     I do not concern myself with great matters
     or things too wonderful for me.

But I have stilled and quieted my soul;
     like a weaned child with its mother,
     like a weaned child is my soul within me.

O Israel, put your hope in the LORD
     both now and forevermore.
                           (Psalm 131 NIV)

Lord, help me to be still, wait patiently, and put my hope in You!