Waiting is Dying

For God alone my soul waits in silence; from him comes my salvation - Psalm 62:1

These types of verses I typically overlook. My goal for reading often trumps my need for reflecting and meditating. Today is a bit different. I am putting my 10 or so chapters on pause in order to pay special attention to this particular verse.

The reason is simple. I don't wait in silence. Sure my body may sit, but my soul jumps at anything that promises a few seconds of inner distraction or rest. Whether it be chess with friends, cleaning up the kitchen, turning on my iPhone just to see if there are any new notifications (knowing there aren't because I did the same thing just minutes before - if you have an iPhone, you probably know what I mean), and/or checking facebook, running through your mind who you could possibly call, or what you could possibly do right now...other than sit.

ANYTHING, yes, anything will do, just not sitting in silence. My soul is a spoiled infant with a relentless and constant need to consume or do whatever. Blind, patient sitting is not an option. Verses like this, when we take the time to notice them, often convict us of our disdain for the Lord's timing.

Waiting silently means surrendering wholly. It means we let go of our subjective definitions of what salvation really is. It has a tendency to rid us of all the laws we have in place that make us think we're not all that bad. Waiting, in a sense, is dying; which in a Biblical world is really living. Waiting silently for God alone brings salvation.

When you world slows down today, resist the temptation to pick up an electronic devise. Resist the temptation to think about your to-do list. Don't go to the pantry for a snack. Rather than sleep, try and restfully wait in silence, and like a child ask him for salvation.