Psalm 33 teaches us that waiting on God is an element of the faith.  God does things in his own time and in his own ways.  Our anxiety or impatience does not speed things up.  I think of those who are devoted Christians who are waiting for God to bring them a spouse.  Sometimes God does not have a spouse in mind for us.  Sometimes a spouse shows up at the end of a long period of waiting.  My wife and I had to wait for the Lord to bring us a child to look after.  We are waiting on the Lord to see if fostering will become adoption.  Our papers for adopting a Chinese baby have been in China since 2006.  In all our cicumstances we must learn to wait patiently for God.

Psalm 33

 ¹ Sing joyfully to the LORD, you righteous;
   it is fitting for the upright to praise him.
² Praise the LORD with the harp;
   make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre.
³ Sing to him a new song;
   play skillfully, and shout for joy.

 ⁴ For the word of the LORD is right and true;
   he is faithful in all he does.
⁵ The LORD loves righteousness and justice;
   the earth is full of his unfailing love.

 ⁶ By the word of the LORD the heavens were made,
   their starry host by the breath of his mouth.
⁷ He gathers the waters of the sea into jars^[a];
   he puts the deep into storehouses.
⁸ Let all the earth fear the LORD;
   let all the people of the world revere him.
⁹ For he spoke, and it came to be;
   he commanded, and it stood firm.

 ¹⁰ The LORD foils the plans of the nations;
   he thwarts the purposes of the peoples.
¹¹ But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever,
   the purposes of his heart through all generations.

 ¹² Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD,
   the people he chose for his inheritance.
¹³ From heaven the LORD looks down
   and sees all mankind;
¹⁴ from his dwelling place he watches
   all who live on earth—
¹⁵ he who forms the hearts of all,
   who considers everything they do.

 ¹⁶ No king is saved by the size of his army;
   no warrior escapes by his great strength.
¹⁷ A horse is a vain hope for deliverance;
   despite all its great strength it cannot save.
¹⁸ But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him,
   on those whose hope is in his unfailing love,
¹⁹ to deliver them from death
   and keep them alive in famine.

 ²⁰ We wait in hope for the LORD;
   he is our help and our shield.
²¹ In him our hearts rejoice,
   for we trust in his holy name.
²² May your unfailing love be with us, LORD,
   even as we put our hope in you.

Questions

1. How is God’s all-knowing (omniscient) perspective revealed?
2. Why would a person wait in hope?
3. What does the psalmist want to have with him?
4. Do you really think God sees your circumstances?
5. How do you need to wait for God?  How do you do it with hope?