Psalm 27:14 Wait for the Lord;
    be strong and take heart
    and wait for the Lord.

Using a new Bible that I deliberately haven’t underlined, this Psalm caught me a little bit off guard. It’s actually one of my favorites, and I think in my previous Bible every bit of it is underlined in one color or another. Several parts of it have been set to music, this last verse by a friend of mine, Makoto Iwabuchi. The lyrics in Japanese are precisely the translation I use, unaltered in any way, but to match my friend’s music I translated it this way: “Be strong and wait for God; take heart, and wait for Him. Know that the Lord your God will answer, so be strong and wait for Him.” That doesn’t directly match any English Bible translation I’m aware of, but I don’t think it does any violence to what the Lord said through David. The thought is an important one. We don’t like to wait! Particularly in today’s “microwave society,” patience is in short supply. I have a friend who says he doesn’t like food that takes longer to prepare than to eat! Actually, he delights to eat my wife’s cooking, which often violates that rule, but his statement is a clear expression of the modern attitude. God doesn’t operate like that! Peter’s statement on the subject is as accurate as it is famous: “But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.” (2 Peter 3:8) We have trouble with that, no matter how well we have that verse memorized! There are times when God acts quickly, even from our perspective, and times when He wants us to do likewise, but getting with His schedule and pace can be a real test of faith. We need to be willing to move as fast as He says to, and at the same time release the results into His hands. We might well not see the fruit of our labors in this life, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t sure!

This couldn’t be any more applicable and personal than it is to me. Japan is notorious as a “graveyard of missionaries,” yet I am the second generation in my family to be stationed here. This church just had its 40^th Anniversary Celebration, yet I rejoiced that we needed all 15 cups I prepared for Communion this past Sunday! I have known of ministers in some places who would give up if they couldn’t get 20 people in a year. Such people certainly don’t last in Japan! The Lord told me several years ago to rest, relax, and rejoice. I’m still learning how to do that fully, but that seems like the epitome of patience to me. I tend to get possessive of “my time,” but that too needs to be given to the Lord. I was recently reminded of the significance of 40 years in the history of Israel, with Moses having had three major 40-year periods in his life. I will be delighted if this church has now cleared its “wilderness period” and is now about to enter the “promised land!” However, that’s something I have to leave in God’s hands, because I clearly can’t make it happen on my own.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for the privilege of interacting with younger believers and ministers. The news last night from one of my spiritual children that he thinks his wife is very close to committing to Christ is joyful indeed! Help me recognize Your appointments and be faithful in meeting them, so that Your will may be done in and through me on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!