When my nephew was 2, he had to learn patience. Whenever a moment came when it looked like he was going to become impatient, his parents taught him to hold his hand straight out, making the sign signaling “stop,” and say, “I’m gonna have to WAIT!” He did not understand it then, but he was learning patience. He was learning that sometimes in life, we have to wait or practice patience. Having a great understanding of patience is the first step in learning to develop patience within us.
David wrote about patience in Psalm 37. He began this Psalm by telling readers, “Don’t worry about the wicked or envy those who do wrong. For like grass, they soon fade away. Like spring flowers, they soon wither” (verses 1-2). This instruction was a call for patience to see God act, even when it comes to those we would consider “wicked.” Continuing his call to patience, David wrote, “Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for Him to act. Don’t worry about evil people who prosper or fret about their wicked schemes” (verse 7). In other words, David was teaching readers to be patient when they see wicked people prosper and wait for God to act.
This instruction from David provides a model for us of what patience looks like. According to David, patience is “be[ing] still in the presence of the Lord.” Being still in God’s presence means turning to Him before turning to our emotions. It also means taking our concerns to Him. Additionally, David teaches that patience includes waiting on the Lord to act in the areas where we hope He will work. He then explains that God will indeed act on behalf of those who love Him.
Before we can learn to be patient, we have to have a good definition of patience. We have to understand what it means to be patient and why patience is necessary. David’s instructions in Psalm 37:4 are a good place to turn to when we want to know what it looks like to be patient. May you and I patiently learn to be still in the presence of the Lord and wait for Him to act. After all, He is and always will be taking care of us.
Take a few minutes to read Psalm 37:1-40, the verses listed in the Going Deeper portion. After reading these verses, how would you define patience? Write down in your journal or notebook your own definition for patience. Then, consider how this definition will affect the way you exercise patience in your own life.
Don’t worry about the wicked
or envy those who do wrong.
For like grass, they soon fade away.
Like spring flowers, they soon wither.
Trust in the Lord and do good.
Then you will live safely in the land and prosper.
Take delight in the Lord,
and he will give you your heart’s desires.
Commit everything you do to the Lord.
Trust him, and he will help you.
He will make your innocence radiate like the dawn,
and the justice of your cause will shine like the noonday sun.
Be still in the presence of the Lord,
and wait patiently for him to act.
Don’t worry about evil people who prosper
or fret about their wicked schemes.
Stop being angry!
Turn from your rage!
Do not lose your temper—
it only leads to harm.
For the wicked will be destroyed,
but those who trust in the Lord will possess the land.
Soon the wicked will disappear.
Though you look for them, they will be gone.
The lowly will possess the land
and will live in peace and prosperity.
The wicked plot against the godly;
they snarl at them in defiance.
But the Lord just laughs,
for he sees their day of judgment coming.
The wicked draw their swords
and string their bows
to kill the poor and the oppressed,
to slaughter those who do right.
But their swords will stab their own hearts,
and their bows will be broken.
It is better to be godly and have little
than to be evil and rich.
For the strength of the wicked will be shattered,
but the Lord takes care of the godly.
Day by day the Lord takes care of the innocent,
and they will receive an inheritance that lasts forever.
They will not be disgraced in hard times;
even in famine they will have more than enough.
But the wicked will die.
The Lord’s enemies are like flowers in a field—
they will disappear like smoke.
The wicked borrow and never repay,
but the godly are generous givers.
Those the Lord blesses will possess the land,
but those he curses will die.
The Lord directs the steps of the godly.
He delights in every detail of their lives.
Though they stumble, they will never fall,
for the Lord holds them by the hand.
Once I was young, and now I am old.
Yet I have never seen the godly abandoned
or their children begging for bread.
The godly always give generous loans to others,
and their children are a blessing.
Turn from evil and do good,
and you will live in the land forever.
For the Lord loves justice,
and he will never abandon the godly.
He will keep them safe forever,
but the children of the wicked will die.
The godly will possess the land
and will live there forever.
The godly offer good counsel;
they teach right from wrong.
They have made God’s law their own,
so they will never slip from his path.
The wicked wait in ambush for the godly,
looking for an excuse to kill them.
But the Lord will not let the wicked succeed
or let the godly be condemned when they are put on trial.
Put your hope in the Lord.
Travel steadily along his path.
He will honor you by giving you the land.
You will see the wicked destroyed.
I have seen wicked and ruthless people
flourishing like a tree in its native soil.
But when I looked again, they were gone!
Though I searched for them, I could not find them!
Look at those who are honest and good,
for a wonderful future awaits those who love peace.
But the rebellious will be destroyed;
they have no future.
The Lord rescues the godly;
he is their fortress in times of trouble.
The Lord helps them,
rescuing them from the wicked.
He saves them,
and they find shelter in him.
