We are a society that has forgotten how to wait. We expect our computers to come up the moment we turn them on and if a website takes longer than ten seconds to load we become impatient. We complain because it takes ninety seconds to microwave a meal that our parents took an hour to prepare.
God will not be rushed. He knows perfectly what must be done and when to do it. God has never been late. In this Psalm David expresses his belief that God will be faithful to him in his life and he encourages us to wait on the timing of God. Waiting patiently takes strength; it is easy to throw a tantrum when we don’t get what we want; most of us are experts who have been practicing from the time we were babies. But if we are willing to turn to God and wait on Him and ask, he will send us the courage that we need to hold on until He moves. I like the way the verse is phrased ‘let your heart take courage’. God is offering strength and courage to your heart; will you be willing to receive it? Or will you reject the courage that God offers and throw a tantrum because you aren’t getting what you want fast enough? Often the best thing we can do is to release what we want and when we want it and instead give ourselves completely over to God, waiting for Him to bring what He wills in His own time, and as this happens open your heart to receive healing, strength and courage from the hand of God.