Andy Rooney didn’t like to wait. “Waiting is one of the least amusing things there is to do,” he quipped. “Short waits are worse than long waits. If it’s a short wait of undetermined length, it’s a terrible waste of time. Shifting from one foot to the other and tapping your fingers on something and getting mad while you stand there is the only way to behave while you’re waiting. There’s no sense being patient with people who make you wait, because they only make you wait longer the next time. The thing to do [when waiting] is blow up. Hit the roof!”
David had a different view of waiting. In Psalm 40, he was in a pit of destruction, a miry bog, with lots of mud and muck and clay. It was a mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual pit. He was sinking fast, but he waited patiently for the Lord. The good news: God inclined and heard his cries. He lifted David up out of the pit and set his feet upon a rock. He made David’s footsteps firm and gave him a new song to sing. Things were looking great for David!
The funny thing is, it didn’t stay like that. More troubles arose and he had to wait again. David clung fast to God’s word and obeyed what God said to do. He also admitted his weaknesses and continued need for God’s help. Waiting doesn’t end. “As for me, I am poor and needy, but the Lord takes thought for me. You are my help and my deliverer; do not delay, O my God!” There are always new troubles for us to deal with, new pits, and new opportunities to love God, obey His word, pray, and wait for Him to work. He will accomplish what He wants done and His love never fails.
The writer Arnold Glasow penned, “Chickens come by hatching eggs, not smashing them.” Throughout life we continue to learn the lessons of waiting, being patient and seeking the Lord in times of trouble. Everyday He gives us new opportunities to put into practice what we learn. Andy Rooney’s approach to waiting won’t work.