Psalm 69:13 But I pray to you, Lord,
in the time of your favor;
in your great love, O God,
answer me with your sure salvation.
The first 13 verses of this Psalm have multiple points that jump out at me. Verse 9 came to the minds of Jesus’ disciples when He cleansed the temple, (John 2:17) and I have long appreciated verse 6, in which David asks that his actions not bring shame on others. That’s a prayer every church leader needs to pray! However, this verse shows a really high level of spiritual maturity, because David is fully submitted to God’s timing. That’s something we have a lot of trouble with! As I am often reminded, tolerance for delayed gratification is one of the clearest signs of emotional maturity, and this verse applies that directly to prayer and our relationship with God. David is not demanding an answer now, as we are so prone to do, but here David is saying “in the time of Your favor,” or “at an acceptable time.” The Japanese says, “at the time of Your will.” We need to pray that way a lot more consistently! It’s absurd how often we think, or at least feel, that we know better than God, both about what needs to happen and when it needs to happen. The only thing that accomplishes is multiplying our stress. We say we believe in God, and think we are being honest, but we display our spiritual immaturity at every turn. Sometimes I think God’s absolutely identifying characteristic is patience! The Old Testament repeatedly describes Him as “slow to anger,” and that’s a very good thing indeed! If God had merely human patience, the human race would have been wiped off the face of the planet a long time ago! However, He is indeed patient, and we need to receive the lessons and training He gives us with gratitude, even when they aren’t much fun in the moment. He is omnipotent and omniscient and He is love, and we must never forget it.
I have long said that if God’s and my roles had been reversed, I would have been squashed a long time ago. I have tested God’s patience more times than I like to think about, and He has been incredibly gracious. Yesterday someone I hadn’t seen face-to-face in over 60 years came to visit, and it was a blessed time indeed. His background and his path have been very different from mine, but I think we have both discovered God’s faithfulness. It seems he frequently watches our services over the Internet, and that is something neither of us could have imagined 60 years ago. God’s grace to him was not too late! I hope to meet up with another friend this morning, and I am looking forward to God’s timing for him. He is very close to full commitment to Christ, but hasn’t taken that step yet. As I deal with all the people around me, I need to remember God’s patience with me and extend the same to them. God’s timing is perfect!
Father, thank You for Your incredible, patient grace. Help me not take it for granted, but move accurately on Your schedule, doing Your will when and how You desire, knowing that will produce the absolutely best result, for me and for those with whom I interact, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!
