Waiting for God - All Day Long

Today's theme comes from verse five of today's psalm: Waiting for God all day long. It seems like a simple phrase, and really no big deal…..at least for we who are adept at multi-tasking. So, sure, I am happy  to wait for God all day long, as long as I can do all of the other things on my overloaded agenda while I wait.

But I do not think that this is what the psalmist had in mind. I don't think that waiting for God is to be a side dish. I think that we are challenged to make waiting for God our main course. And so if we are really and truly to wait for God all day long, then we are going to have to make some choices. And the question is, what must we put down in order to pick up….enough margin to wait for God all day long?  It is an important question. And it is the key to minding our margin. Because we cannot wait for God all day long unless we have enough margin to do so.

And so today, I invite us to meditate on this question:  
What would it look like to wait for God all day long?

Psalm 25

א  לְדָוִד:    אֵלֶיךָ יְהוָה, נַפְשִׁי אֶשָּׂא.	1 [A Psalm] of David. Unto You, O LORD, I lift up my soul.
ב  אֱלֹהַי--בְּךָ בָטַחְתִּי, אַל-אֵבוֹשָׁה;    אַל-יַעַלְצוּ אוֹיְבַי לִי.	2 O my God, in I have trusted You, let me not be ashamed; let not my enemies triumph over me.
ג  גַּם כָּל-קֹוֶיךָ, לֹא יֵבֹשׁוּ;    יֵבֹשׁוּ, הַבּוֹגְדִים רֵיקָם.	3 No one who waits for You shall be ashamed; the ones who shall be ashamed are the ones who deal treacherously without cause.
ד  דְּרָכֶיךָ יְהוָה, הוֹדִיעֵנִי;    אֹרְחוֹתֶיךָ לַמְּדֵנִי.	4 Show me Your ways, O LORD; teach me Your paths.
ה  הַדְרִיכֵנִי בַאֲמִתֶּךָ, וְלַמְּדֵנִי--    כִּי-אַתָּה, אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׁעִי; אוֹתְךָ קִוִּיתִי,    כָּל-הַיּוֹם.	5 Guide me in Your truth, and teach me; for You are the God of my salvation; for You, I wait all day long.
ו  זְכֹר-רַחֲמֶיךָ יְהוָה, וַחֲסָדֶיךָ:    כִּי מֵעוֹלָם הֵמָּה.	6 Remember, O LORD, Your compassions and Your mercies; for they have been time tested.
ז  חַטֹּאות נְעוּרַי, וּפְשָׁעַי--    אַל-תִּזְכֹּר: כְּחַסְדְּךָ זְכָר-לִי-אַתָּה--    לְמַעַן טוּבְךָ יְהוָה.	7 Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions; according to Your mercy remember me, for Your goodness' sake, O LORD.
ח  טוֹב-וְיָשָׁר יְהוָה;    עַל-כֵּן יוֹרֶה חַטָּאִים בַּדָּרֶךְ.	8 Good and upright is the LORD; therefore He instructs sinners in the way.
ט  יַדְרֵךְ עֲנָוִים, בַּמִּשְׁפָּט;    וִילַמֵּד עֲנָוִים דַּרְכּוֹ.	9 He guides the humble in justice; and He teaches the humble The way.
י  כָּל-אָרְחוֹת יְהוָה, חֶסֶד וֶאֱמֶת--    לְנֹצְרֵי בְרִיתוֹ, וְעֵדֹתָיו.	10 All the paths of the LORD are mercy and truth to the ones who keep His covenant and His testimonies.
יא  לְמַעַן-שִׁמְךָ יְהוָה;    וְסָלַחְתָּ לַעֲו‍ֹנִי, כִּי רַב-הוּא.	11 For Your name's sake, O LORD, pardon my iniquity, for it is great.
יב  מִי-זֶה הָאִישׁ, יְרֵא יְהוָה--    יוֹרֶנּוּ, בְּדֶרֶךְ יִבְחָר.	12 What are they who are in awe of the LORD? They will be instructed in the way that they should choose.
יג  נַפְשׁוֹ, בְּטוֹב תָּלִין;    וְזַרְעוֹ, יִירַשׁ אָרֶץ.	13 Their souls shall abide in prosperity; and their seeds shall inherit the land.
יד  סוֹד יְהוָה, לִירֵאָיו;    וּבְרִיתוֹ, לְהוֹדִיעָם.	14 The counsel of the LORD is with they who are in awe of the Lord; and Yahweh's covenant will be made known to them.
טו  עֵינַי תָּמִיד, אֶל-יְהוָה:    כִּי הוּא-יוֹצִיא מֵרֶשֶׁת רַגְלָי.	15 My eyes are ever toward the LORD; for He will bring my feet out of the net.
טז  פְּנֵה-אֵלַי וְחָנֵּנִי:    כִּי-יָחִיד וְעָנִי אָנִי.	16 Turn unto me, and be gracious to me; for I am alone and afflicted.
יז  צָרוֹת לְבָבִי הִרְחִיבוּ;    מִמְּצוּקוֹתַי, הוֹצִיאֵנִי.	17 The troubles of my heart are enlarged; O God, bring me out of my distresses.
יח  רְאֵה עָנְיִי, וַעֲמָלִי;    וְשָׂא, לְכָל-חַטֹּאותָי.	18 See my affliction and my travail; and forgive all my sins.
יט  רְאֵה-אֹיְבַי כִּי-רָבּוּ;    וְשִׂנְאַת חָמָס שְׂנֵאוּנִי.	19 Consider how many are my enemies, and with what cruel hatred they hate me.
כ  שָׁמְרָה נַפְשִׁי, וְהַצִּילֵנִי;    אַל-אֵבוֹשׁ, כִּי-חָסִיתִי בָךְ.	20 O keep my soul, and deliver me; let me not be ashamed, for I have taken refuge in You.
כא  תֹּם-וָיֹשֶׁר יִצְּרוּנִי:    כִּי, קִוִּיתִיךָ.	21 Let integrity and uprightness preserve me, because I wait for You.
כב  פְּדֵה אֱלֹהִים, אֶת-יִשְׂרָאֵל--    מִכֹּל, צָרוֹתָיו.	22 Redeem Israel, O God, out of all troubles.