Hello hello everyone, I hope you are all well :))

As the heading of this post discloses, we will be looking at Psalm 27:14 this week, and is as follows:

Verse 14: "Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and He shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord."

 

Psalm 27 was written by David, known best as the man after God's own heart. Despite having this 10/10 title, he faced a lot of hardships during his life. When he was writing this psalm, it's possible that he was on the run from King Saul, a man who was massively threatened by David. Sources say this could have been happening for 7 years! Another possibility is that psalm 27 was written during the rebellion of Absalom, his own son. Either way, he wrote this psalm when he was facing great personal injustice and quite literally in imminent danger. Despite this fact, we can see that a great deal of psalm 27 is encouragement and belief that God will deliver His beloved from trouble and difficulty. In the face of danger, David is still able to focus on these facts, depending on them as his anchor. It is not something we should just see and admire. It is a necessity, as a believer. This brings me to the overwhelming message psalm 27 conveys; we must trust God! Verse 14 is the last verse, and the verse I will look at to depict this message. 

 

Verse 14 calls us to wait on the Lord, but what is going on behind the scenes when someone is waiting on the Lord? This is the question to answer! To understand it, I'll be working backwards. 

When you're waiting for something or someone, you are expectant right? You will only sit and wait patiently in a GP office because at some point, you know you will be attended to. This is the same method of thinking those who wait on the Lord maintain. However, there is something expectancy stems from. That is trust in God, and that trust is justified. Psalm 25:3 says, "Indeed, none who wait for You shall be put to shame." This verse validates and encourages the belief in us because it says explicitly that God will show up. 

So far, the chain shows that being expectant is the result of having belief and hope (expressions of trust) that God is attentive to you, likely a result of His unfailing love. "Unfailing love you say?" "How do I know that God wants to do this for me?" Listen to me, care for me?" Well, this leads me to the next point of the chain, which is knowledge of God!

You must know God. How can you be expectant of someone you don't trust, and how can you trust someone you don't know? Some may wonder how it can be, getting to know a Being we cannot see. The answer is by getting into our Bible! (small disclaimer, this is honestly the solution to like all our problems so you will see this sentence a LOT ;) ). As it is written, in John 1:1, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." We know, therefore, that a deep and earnest understanding of the Word equates to a deep and earnest understanding of our Lord. Overall, this is what waiting on the Lord looks like behind the scenes! Spending time getting to know God (by reading the Word), trusting what you are reading, and being expectant of what He's going to do in your life (or in that specific area) next. 

All of this requires faith, and being full of faith has elements of courage, and takes some time so be patient with yourself! Hebrews 11:1 says, "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." When you decide to trust God, you're choosing to believe that what seems most unlikely will happen for you. When you do such a thing, you should recognise how amazing it is. I'm proud of you for not being deterred by what is difficult for others! I love that for you and I love you (but God loves you more <3 ).

 

Having understood the above, I would now like to apply this practically. I will do this by looking at how verse 14 calls us to patience.

I heavily believe verse 14 calls us to be patient, but it can be difficult to do so in times when it feels like no one else has to be. As an example, I will use relationships. I recognise that relationships and marriage is a popular desire amongst Christians and for many, it can be difficult to accept a lack of experience or knowledge of that field. However, when this happens, it is important to remember God knows the desires of our hearts and will fulfil them for us, so long as it is in accordance with His will. All we need to do is, as psalm 37:4 says, "Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart." I think courage can come in this case. In a life where many encourage a mindset to expect less than, to avoid disappointment, it is an act of faith to expect God to show up in your situation. 

 

Well, a lot was said. What is important to takeaway is this: In the face of trials and discomfort (John 16:33), we can sit confidently knowing we will soon be relieved of our unease. Waiting in these situations can be trying, but can also be seen as an opportunity to notice and correct our faith posture. Even David had spouts of fear and anxiety (specifically between verses 7 and 10), so do not be too hard on yourself. Just remember, the strength to trust cannot solely come from within, but from above, for He makes all our endeavours complete. That's why God is spectacular. Because of Him, we can go on, but with belief that God has got you and will guide you forward :)

 

That is all for todayy, I hope you have been blessed!! I'm not sure how easy it is to tell but I honestly love doing these. I will pray and think about what is to come next so please look forward to it ;)

 

Have a great week, I love you with the love of God. Please please reach out to me via email if there is anything you want to say at all. I am so eager to hear from you.

 

Lots of Love,

 

Rachel 

xoxo

 (Song of the week: Jesus, Sometimes I...  by Sondae!)