Not Yets

“For God alone my soul waits in silence, for my hope is from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken. On God rests my deliverance and my honor; my mighty rock, my refuge is in God.” Psalm 62:5-7

I don’t know about you, but the list of things in my life that are not ‘exactly as I would want them’ is pretty big. Maybe you’re the same way; maybe you have dreams that aren’t yet realized, maybe you have goals not yet accomplished, maybe you have plans that haven’t yet come to fruition. We can approach these “not yets” from one of two standpoints.

For some, these “not yets” are cause for despair. There is sometimes a sense that time is running out, or that our opportunities have passed. In these cases it is easy to fall into a sense of discontented normality. Maybe you’ve caught yourself thinking something like, “It’s not the way I hoped it would be, but what choice do I have now?” There’s no denying the frustration that can come out of a series of unfulfilling circumstances.

For others, in place of despair, we see hope begin to spread its wings. “Today wasn’t perfect, but tomorrow brings fresh opportunity.” It’s this sense that we get from the psalmist in Psalm 62. “For God alone my soul waits in silence…” I may not see God in this moment, but my soul waits for him, “for my hope is from him.” Not only do we see this theme of hope carry through these verses, we see determination. Again, in place of despair, there is a renewed sense of purpose and motivation, “He alone is my rock…I shall not be shaken.”

It’s important to note that the psalmist’s hope doesn’t rest in his own strength, or ‘next week’s big meeting.’ Hope is from the Lord, despite the current circumstances.

As we approach this Christmas season, we are inherently in a season of waiting. Waiting for parties, waiting for family, waiting for time off from school or work, waiting for the day we have set aside as a reminder that God has come to be with us. I’m not sure what circumstance you are in right now – if you wait hopefully, or if you find yourself in despair. My prayer for you, today, is that you would find hope in your rock, salvation and fortress, our God, Emmanuel, who has come and is coming to be with us.

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