“The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.”
(Lamentations 3:25)
As this verse in Lamentations tells us, the goodness of God is often experienced when we patiently wait before Him, seeking and worshiping Him. Still, the mercies we need may not come immediately, and answers to our prayers may be delayed. Yet the delay does not mean that God has ceased to be good. He remains good to those who persevere in prayer, to the soul that continues seeking Him. His goodness is not determined by our timetable but by the wisdom, faithfulness, and mercy with which He orders every answer.
Perseverance in prayer is often seen in parents who spend many long years praying for a child who continues in sin, indifference, or unbelief. Parents are called to pray earnestly for the spiritual good of their children that they may be brought from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God. Yet God may appoint a long season of waiting before granting that mercy. Even so, such mercy is worth waiting for, because the salvation and spiritual restoration of a child are blessings of immeasurable value.
Persevering prayer therefore becomes an expression of faith in the goodness of God. Those who continue to seek Him demonstrate that He remains able to save even when present circumstances are discouraging, because they are not resting in circumstances but in the power and mercy of God.
In this example, the conduct of the parent is of critical importance. Children should see holiness, prayerfulness, contempt for sin, love for Christ and others, and communion with God displayed in the parent’s life. A prerequisite to godly instruction is a godly life, and that instruction only carries weight when it is joined to visible godliness. A faithful example cannot regenerate a child, but it may become one of the means through which God is pleased to work.[1]
Perseverance in prayer provides opportunities for us to experience the goodness of God inside our circumstances, giving rise to thanksgiving even while prayer continues. The Lord hears our persistent cries, appoints wise means, and remains able to bring spiritual life where none presently appears. The soul that waits for Him is not waiting on an uncertain or unwilling God, but on One whose goodness pours forth in our seasons of seeking.
Contemplations:
- Thank You for Hearing Persistent Prayer. You invite me to pray and not to faint. And You remind me that when answers seem delayed, You remain the same compassionate God. You are able to save, able to change hearts, and able to accomplish what I cannot produce by persuasion or effort. I am grateful that I can bring the same names, the same concerns, and the same desires before You again and again. My persistence does not make You more willing, but it teaches me to depend on Your goodness.
- Thank You That Waiting Is Not Rejection. When the mercy I need does not show up quickly, I am tempted to think that You have refused me. Yet You tell me that You are good to those who wait for You and to the soul that seeks You. I need to remember that delay is not the same as denial. You may appoint a long season before the answer comes, but Your goodness does not change during that season. You know when the mercy should be given and how it should come. I thank You that I do not need to understand Your timing in order to trust Your character.
- Thank You for the Duties You Have Given Me. In addition to prayer, You provide other means of usefulness. You call me to instruct, advise, warn, encourage, and set Your truth before those entrusted to my care. You give me something faithful to do while the result remains in Your hands.
- Thank You for the Power of a Godly Example. I know that my example cannot change someone’s heart, yet You often use visible faithfulness as one of Your appointed means. Let those near me see something worth following, not because of any excellence in me, but because Your grace is at work, knowing that even ordinary faithfulness may become useful in ways I cannot see.
Prayer (Thanksgiving):
Gracious God, thank You that You are good to those who wait for You and to the soul that seeks You. Your goodness does not depend on the speed of the answer or on what I can presently see. You remain faithful throughout every season of waiting.
I want to learn perseverance in prayer, to pray without fainting, because You do not despise persistent cries or repeated requests. You are able to save, change hearts, awaken consciences, and bring spiritual life where there is presently no visible fruit.
I am thankful that delayed mercy is not necessarily denied mercy. You know the proper time to answer, and You understand what must be done in hearts and circumstances before the blessing comes. Keep me grateful for Your wisdom even while I continue waiting.
Thank You for every opportunity to set a faithful example. Let both my words and my conduct show the value of prayer, the seriousness of sin, the beauty of holiness, the preciousness of Christ, and the goodness of communion with You.
Thank You that the final result does not depend on my power. You alone can form Christ in the heart. You alone can turn from darkness to light.
Through Jesus Christ, keep me thankful, prayerful, faithful, and patient as I wait upon Your goodness.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Further Scripture References:
Isa. 25:9; Psalm 27:14; Psalm 130:6; Gen. 49:18
[1] Increase Mather, A Course of Sermons on Early Piety, (Boston: in N.E.: S. Kneeland, for N. Buttolph, B. Eliot, and D. Henchman, and sold at their shops, 1721), 19-22.
