Wait For The LORD to Act

Passage

“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.” Psalm 37:7

Every human being wants to be known and we tend to try to constantly defend ourselves when we are misunderstood. Sometimes, we believe the only way to be heard by the other is to do something extreme to get their attention. What is important to understand for ourselves is that no other human being will truly understand us fully except our father, God. Yes, an intimate partner, family or friends can know our beliefs, hearts, emotions, etc. However, God is the only one who will ever know us, because He was the one who created us into being from dust.  

You have searched me, Lord,

    and you know me.

You know when I sit and when I rise;

    you perceive my thoughts from afar.

You discern my going out and my lying down;

    you are familiar with all my ways.

Before a word is on my tongue

    you, Lord, know it completely.

Psalm 139:1-4

God is in the present moments, he is eternal, and knows before we ever say or do anything. Then why do we human beings forget that he is omnipotent and omnipresent? Why do we forget that He wants all of His children to have goodness that only He can provide? 

Story

A simple example of when we are misunderstood by the other; could be through the illustration of an interaction between two boys - where bullying is present. A young freshman enters high school for the first time. A senior in the same high school, ends up choosing to bully the new student. The freshman ends up finally telling a teacher what is happening, but the bully continues to beat the freshman even more, to the point where he is brutally bruised from head to toe. Later, the parents from both the freshman and senior ends up getting involved. Yet, nothing seems to change. The entire year goes by and the senior is about to graduate moving forward towards entering college. On the last day of school, the freshman ends up bringing a gun to school and kills the senior. The story then becomes a national headline of the news. The freshman is now considered an “evil human-being" who then goes to jail for life; while the senior ends up becoming a loved hero in the public eye. 

Who in this scenario is in the “right”? The answer is no one. The freshman retaliated in grief without getting the help he needed and the senior lost a life at such a young age.  In this scenario there is no right or wrong individual. Now the entire world is involved with being separated in opinion of what they believe happened. When people sin against us, we automatically have strong emotions of anger, frustration, grief, etc. It can feel unbearable to the point where you are able to physically feel your heart ache inside your chest. 

Not all anger is sinful. It only becomes sin when we use our emotions of anger and/or grief to harm other human beings. 


Our initial reaction is to retaliate in words or in action when we are hurt by someone. We want to repay the people who have hurt us poorly, hence the phrase ‘eye for an eye’. We, as human beings have the freewill to act through our grief or give the act to God on our behalf. God reminds His children to refuse to retaliate and hurt others in sin. When we act out our hurt against others, we aren’t just hurting them. We are hurting ourselves and our relationship with God. We are continuing the very sin we were hurt from and in return we then hurt our fellow family in Christ. 

Matthew 5:38-48 

The teaching in the Gospel of Matthew reminds Christians to resist hurting others who have hurt them. God reminds us to “love your neighbor”. Unfortunately, as human beings it is very difficult to act in love towards someone who has sinned against you; when you are in deep sorrow and the pain is still profoundly agonizing. 

Response

Remember, God’s voice and His promises. Yahweh says that He will heal and restore everything that was damaged. The anger and grief that you hold onto dear life; lament your cries to the one who has the power to create new fruit on your barren branches as you wait. Your waiting will not be a passive act. It is the most powerful act and gift you can give to yourself. Let your burning frustrations fizzle out in your waiting for Him to act as an advocate in this broken world.


In situations that are messy from the beginning; where both sides are needing help to navigate, as leaders, we need to be careful not to take sides. As Christians we are created to be PEACHMAKERS for this broken world, on the other side of heaven. If we continue to help sin seep through the lives of our brothers and sisters, then we are just as responsible for doing the sinful act ourselves. Let's be men and women with the fruit of the Spirit as best as humanly possible we can. Let’s direct our neighbors to find ways to communicate grief, shame, and anger without judgement. 

APPLICATION: 

  1. Take a moment to meditate on these three passages in the Bible. (Psalm 37:7, Psalm 139:1-4, Matthew 5:38-48). What is something you need to wait and depend on God right now? How does forgiveness help guide you in your grief?

  2. In the past, has God ever shown you sin that has been redeemed or given back to you that you have lost due to someone’s sin against you? 

  3. What are some ways to direct your grief towards good? (Journaling, poetry, etc.) Your voice is not unheard. 

  4. Give yourself permission to take as long as you need to process your grief.

I AM SIN

I am SIN born as a small seed, 

Ready to grow into an aggressive dandelion. 

I am SIN with roots clinging to the heart of the earth, 

Spreading like wild fires on a hot summer night. 

I am SIN waiting patiently, 

Infused harboring resentment of spoiled love. 

I am SIN; denying forgiveness, compassion, and peace. 

I am SIN that is not seen, but felt.


September 12, 2025

by Molly Moon