Longest Word in the Bible
A very good friend of mine once taught a Bible study on this topic. He went on to explain that in his opinion, the longest word in the Bible was the word, “wait.” It has been my experience that he might be right. I hate the “waiting room” at the doctor or dentist’s office. My least favorite part of flying is sitting in the airport for an hour or two waiting for our flight (or for our flight to be delayed). When I played and coached sports, I hated the day of the game, just waiting for the time to click off the clock until game time. I guess you could say that “waiting” is a real challenge for me.
Today I read some very simple words that greatly convict me. “Our soul waiteth for the LORD: He is our help and our shield” (Psalm 33:20). As much as I hate waiting, I need the help of the Lord, and I certainly want Him to be my shield. When trouble comes to me, I have noticed that I find myself rushing about trying to find a quick solution to the problem. According to this verse, and many others, the real solution is to sit still and give God a chance to prove Himself powerful for us. How foolish we are to try to handle our own troubles when we have a God Who is willing and ready, if we will simply wait for Him to work!
I read a little further today and saw this powerful verse: “He keepeth the paths of judgment, and preserveth the way of His saints” (Proverbs 2:8). The idea behind the word, keepeth is that of a guard being set around us. God guards our paths, and preserveth our ways. He can do this when we stop trying to do everything in our own strength and power. He can do this when we yield ourselves to Him. I know you have heard this before, just like me; but are we living this?
I know this is an area of my life that I struggle. I tend to try to control the situations I am in and will face. I realize how foolish this is as I see the words on this page, but it is the reality of my life. I will commit today to trying to wait on the Lord. I will commit today to stay behind His shield of protection with the things I will face today. I will commit to staying within the parameters that God sets around me today and to stay within the guarded places He has for me. I will commit to allowing God to direct my steps and choices today.
I will need to make these commitments again tomorrow, and the day after, and the day after. This is a part of the process of God’s refining us. He can take us from the filth we bring Him, and make us a vessel fit for the Master’s use … but we need to wait on Him! Join me today!