Read Proverbs 20:1-30.
Proverbs 20:22 Say not thou, I will recompense evil; but wait on the Lord, and He shall save thee.
Some things are God*s job, and you and I do poorly when we try to do them for Him. He will not share His glory nor His *secret things* (Deut 29:29). Interpretations belong to God (Gen. 40:8); so do righteousness, power, and mercy. The work of setting people straight and dispensing justice is God*s work. We had best keep our hands off.
Wait on the Lord is the command given in today*s text. How hard to wait when everything within and around us is screaming for action! *Don*t just stand there…Do something!* is a phrase familiar to us all. And yet God gently says, *Wait… I*ll save you.* The fact of the matter is that we rarely understand all that is involved in a given situation. We may think we understand it, but around and underneath are circumstances, experiences, and emotions of which we may have little knowledge. *Man*s goings are of the Lord; how can a man then understand his own way?* (Prov. 20:24) So we are beset by two difficulties whenever we attempt to straighten out someone else. First, there is the amazing complexity of the average situation; and second, there is the fact that God may have something special in mind for the individual with whom we are dealing. Our heavy-handed procedure may well hinder His divine plan. *Wait… wait,* God says.
Nothing is so satisfying as to realize that God has indeed *saved* the situation. The reward for waiting on God is, *He shall save thee.* There is no bitter aftertaste lingering in someone*s heart when God has set things right. We say of Him as they did of our Lord, *He hath done all things well!*
This devotional was written by Dr. Robert A. Cook. You can subscribe to his free email articles and listen to his Spirit-filled 15-minute messages at www.walkwiththeking.org. Used with written permission.
