THE AGONY OF DELAY

Psalm 6
THE AGONY OF DELAY
My soul is in anguish. How long, O LORD, how long? (v.3)

Have we the right to press God to act quickly? I remember a mistake I made when I first visited London. While waiting for my turn to be served, I tapped on the counter with a coin I had in hand. While it might be an acceptable practice elsewhere, the British (I was told later) disliked such impatience. As a result, I was served last.

However, in Psalms, the question "How long, O LORD, how long?" rings like a refrain throughout: "How long, O LORD? Will you be angry forever?", "How long, O LORD? Will you hide yourself forever?", "How long will the enemy mock you, O God? Will the foe revile your name forever?" (Ps 79:5; 89:46; 74:10).

It seems like eternity ("forever") to the psalmist. So it is with us when we have to wait. In Psalm 6, David suffers the double agony of waiting for healing and for vindication. He is struck down by a severe illness and his enemies seize the occasion to mock him. There is pain within and hurt without. Few could withstand such anguish.

The cry "How long?" is therefore understandable. But it is not a cry of despair. Neither is it an impatient tap-tap on the counter for faster service. Rather, it is an appeal sent by "urgent post" to God. The psalmist acts in faith, not dismay; in boldness, not rudeness. He has no doubt that God will act, but he desires to see God act soon. God honours such prayer. He does not consider us insolent and hence serve us last. On the contrary, the plea "How long?" made in the right spirit, expresses our faith in God when there is no one else left to turn to.

But while we ask the question, we cannot demand the answer. That belongs to the sovereign will of the LORD. We release our heart's cry, "How long?", and leave the final answer with the LORD. We find peace, not in knowing the answer but in knowing that the question has been heard.

We may not know all the answers, but we know that God does.