Psalms Challenge Week 3
The most beautiful description of heaven is found in Revelation 21, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
One day we will enter heaven and finally live in peace as God always intended. This is the big picture truth we need to cling to when life on earth begins to unravel.
We were created for eternity, to dwell in peace and perfection with God. No wonder these days on earth feel so contentious. Like trying to give an elephant a bath with a toothbrush and a squirt bottle, we weren’t made for the job. Yet, here we are, doing our best to walk forward each day and find joy and meaning in the journey.
God fills the gap. He pulls up with his tanker truck and an oversized scrub brush with an extendable handle. Then He scrubs the elephant until it shines.
I love the reminder in Psalm 62, “I wait quietly before God, for my victory comes from Him. He alone is my rock and salvation, my fortress where I will not be shaken.” I don’t know about you, but when I am dealing with difficult circumstances it’s hard for me to be quiet. Rather, I persistently discuss my frustrations and feelings with God. God’s word tells us that He desires for us to pray constantly, so what does waiting quietly mean? (1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18)
To wait quietly refers to the posture of our heart, not just the physical act of being quiet. Although, the two do connect. Think of words like surrender and patience — to wait quietly doesn’t mean we aren’t talking to God about the situation. It means our heart is surrendered to His plan forward, not our own. We trust that God’s path to victory — His timing, His ways, and His outcome — is better than ours.
A quiet heart is a heart that waits confidently for the tanker truck to show up.
Gosh, did my heart need that reminder this week? I’m walking through some difficult circumstances, and I’ve allowed myself to get all twisted up inside emotionally, fretting about the what-ifs and hows. It’s not that I am not confident that God is working in my circumstances, I know He is. I have seen evidence of His hand the whole way through. Rather, sometimes instead of surrendering the outcome to His plan, I create an outcome in my head that is acceptable. Truth is, God might have a different ending in mind. As long as I am using my time and energy to focus on my goal, I am not waiting quietly on Him.
Notice the description at the end of Psalm 62:5 - “I will not be shaken.” What would it look like to have such confidence in God’s plan for victory in your circumstances that you are not shaken? I’ve been pondering that question these days. I’m going to let you do the same.
How then are we expected to walk forward in the challenges and struggles of this world, while also waiting quietly for God’s victory? Certainly, God does not want us to sit idly waiting for circumstances to resolve themselves? On the other hand, He doesn’t want us to plow ahead with our own solutions without His consultation.
God knows He did not create us to live on this earth without Him. It was never His intention for us to face sin and brokenness alone. He created us to live in fellowship with Him. How do we walk forward in the difficult circumstances we face in this life? We depend on God’s spirit — the Holy Spirit — living inside of us to guide us and direct us. We approach God in prayer, with surrendered hearts, and wait quietly for His victory. We build ourselves up, by spending time in His word and in fellowship with other believers, so we can discern God’s will for us and live a life that honors Him. We move when God asks us to move and wait when He asks us to wait.
There is plenty for us to do. As we take steps to build our relationship with God, He gives us the strength we need to navigate the challenges life brings.
He invites us to sit in the passenger seat of His tanker truck, gives us a helmet and a brush, and says, “Let’s do this together.”