Be Still Devotional: Day 20

Devotion for Friday March 7
Ashley Miksch | Student Associate

Scripture
Psalm 40:1
I waited patiently for the LORD; he inclined to me and heard my cry.

Devotional Thought
What is it about Christmas morning that enthralled you as a child? The nervousness before laying your head down to sleep? The adrenaline that hit as you woke up? The longing to know what Santa got you, or the yearning to open that first gift? Perhaps you thought, “Will everything be as perfect as I hoped for?”

But first, there’s the waiting period. What did you have to practice while waiting for Christmas morning? Patience. How did you practice that patience? Were you firm in obedience to mom and dad because you knew Santa was watching, or maybe you genuinely wanted to obey because you saw value in it? Did you create scenes of Christmas morning while you waited?

This childhood scenario is familiar to many. To others, not so much, especially if your family was distant or not as close-knit. But at some point we’ve all had to practice patience in waiting for someone to show up with something we wanted or needed, and it was hard . . . perhaps it even hurt as well.

Is this similar to how we wait for God? Do we trust that God will show up for us? Do we anticipate that He will help us during trials and hardships? Something that is clear in Scripture is that God hears and sees us, even if it doesn’t feel like it. Psalm 40:1 says, “He inclined to me and heard my cry.”

Sometimes the tears feel heavy, and you wish someone would wipe them from your face and tell you it’s going to be okay. God hears you. The tears falling are not ignored, in fact, they are defeated because of Jesus’s death and resurrection. God cares about your feelings, and your patience is not in vain; He hears you.

Reflection Questions

• How do you practice patience when you want or need something? Why do you think how you wait matters?
• When you’re frustrated or overwhelmed, how can you be reminded that God is present?
• When was the last time you felt that God was present and faithful when you needed Him most?

Suggested prayer/action step
Spend time this week and think about what you yearn for most. Thank God that He hears you, and ask Him how you can change that yearning into a habit of yearning for Him. This will strengthen that muscle of patience and even swap the things we want for the things He wants for us instead.