How Long Will I Wait?

Devotional Thoughts from the Philippines

By Girlie Cabadsan

Cebu City, Philippines

The book of Psalms is one of my favorite books in the Bible whenever I needed encouragement, especially in responding to difficult times. The writers, particularly David, have a way of comforting my troubled heart.

In Psalm 27, David expresses his great reliance on God. He expresses his confidence in His mighty hand, being safe and secure with His protection. Just as he was bold in expressing his trust in God, David was equally honest with God about his pain, struggles, and anxieties. Yet, despite what he went through, he wrote us this very hopeful message in verses 13-14:

“I remain confident of this; I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong, take heart and wait for the Lord.”

This scripture reminds me always to have a steadfast heart for God whatever the situation. But faith is most tested when we are pressed and when situations seem to be out of hand. Unfortunately, we are in a pandemic that is causing many hearts to faint, especially those who are greatly affected by it on a personal level.  As a family, we cannot help but feel, mourn, and cry for our hurting brothers and sisters.

We saw this happen last year. We were in a conundrum trying to find the solution to something we all were clueless about. It was difficult in the beginning, but slowly we adapted to change. We learned to embrace the challenges and ultimately to see victories amidst all these. We kept our hopes high believing that this situation would soon be over. 

I was excited to welcome the new year because I thought things would be a lot better in 2021. As anticipated, restrictions were eased and mobilization was looser than usual. However, just as I was excited to meet the disciples face-to-face, news of another variant, stronger and deadlier than the first, struck the world again.

Then I remembered David in Psalm 13 asking God, “How long, Lord? How long will I wait?”  That was exactly the question I asked God when the news came out. Sadly, I am hearing it as well from the mouths of our brothers and sisters.

Time has a way of revealing hearts. Waiting, especially waiting in uncertainty, will either make us or break us. And I must admit that my heart was already becoming impatient with going through another process of strict quarantine or renewed restrictions on meeting people face-to-face.

Frustration blocked the lens of my eyes to see the things that God is teaching me in this situation. I lost sight of my focus because I was distracted looking at the resources – the vaccine (which promises to give us protection) and the news or social media (for information and updates). But the truth of the matter is that God is our Real Source. His presence in our lives is the real assurance of our protection. 

As we wait on God, we can learn from the example of David in Psalm 27. Waiting requires strength and courage that can only be achieved when we put our full trust in Him. God’s promise of providence and protection will never fail us in the face of adversity. He remains true to His words and in His faithfulness He will never leave nor forsake us. We may struggle in waiting, but we may take heart because in this lifetime we are certain to see the goodness of the Lord because His love is unfailing.