Shelved, but Held

“I waited patiently for the LORD; He turned to me and heard my cry.” (Ps. 40:1)

“Do you want me to hold you?” Darcē’s (pronounced “Darsee”) bushy tail wagged ferociously, shaking the entire back half of her tiny, white 5-pound body. As I leaned over to grab her, she grunted and sneezed, patted the ground with her front paws, then rolled over on her back in surrender, so excited about the idea of being held by her mommy. Effortlessly, I lifted her off the ground, placed her securely on her usual “perch,” which is resting on my right forearm with all her four legs dangling down the sides, then, I returned to my original duty of washing the dishes with my free hand. Throughout the chore, Darcē remained completely relaxed, eyes drooping, uninterestingly observing what her momma was doing, though she really didn’t care. It didn’t phase her when I leaned down to put dishes in the dishwasher; she paid no mind to my scrubbing the sink with bleach. And it didn’t bother her that she was doing nothing “productive” at the moment, such as chasing a squirrel, barking at imaginary noises, or any of the other “tasks” of a typical “dog’s day.” She was just content to be on my arm; that was enough.

I had put Darcē to the side; I continued to do my work and complete my tasks, but Darcē did “nothing” for the duration of the time, not until I put her down later, that is. The delight was in that she wanted to be with me, and though her “life” was “shelved” for the time being, the joy of being with me surpassed the thought or concern of getting back to her “duties.”

This place of rest in the “shelved” state is what the Psalmist is referring to in the passage. The Word “patiently” in the Hebrew means, “to bind (by twisting); to collect; to gather,” as well as “to endure, to hope, to trust; be confident in.” Waiting patiently on God is akin to being bound to Him, like a braid, constantly with Him while He performs His works, fulfills His plans, and does His will, though our role may not come into play initially. Just as Darcē was “put to the side” while I worked, God sometimes does the same with us. He puts us “to the side” and continues working His plans, which may or may not include us for a while. We’re not abandoned by Him, but we’re seemingly not “moving forward” with our lives either.

You know this place. Have there ever been times when it seemed like everyone else was getting their breakthroughs, but you remained in your trial, and it even got a little worse? Those you prayed and warred for began rejoicing in their new deliverance and victory, but you were still stuck in your mess? Have you ever cried out in frustration to God, “What about me?! When’s it going to be my turn?!” We’ve all reached that place from time to time. On the one hand, we’re happy for our friends and excited that our prayers are being answered…yet on the other, we’re frustrated, maybe even a little resentful toward God, though we dare not articulate it, because…it just doesn’t seem fair! After all, we prayed just as fervently as they did and God answered their prayers, as WELL as our prayers for them; so why not ours for ourselves? “Did You forget my request, Lord? Did You ‘run out’ of blessings right before You came to me? What’s the big deal?”

Though it seems as though we are forgotten, the Truth is we are actually closer to our Shepherd while we’re waiting for His answer than we could ever be in any other time in our walks with Him. Being “put aside” in life is being placed on His arm, just as I placed Darcē on mine; it’s being “gathered” to Him while He continues to do His work. God neither sleeps nor slumbers (ref. Ps. 121:4); He is always at work behind the scenes, positioning all things into His perfect purposes. You may not be “moving forward” with your life at the moment; but that delay doesn’t mean you won’t fulfill your purposes, or that God has forgotten about them. On the contrary, God cannot forget you! (ref. Isa. 49:15) Just as ridiculous as it would be for me to forget that I was holding Darcē, so it is equally absurd that God could forget about us. We are engraved on His hands (ref. Isa. 49:16), ever before Him, and never abandoned by Him.

So then, since we are not forgotten, can we rest with that “patiently” of Ps. 40 while we wait? Can we be like Darcē, excited at the opportunity to be “put aside” from life, not concerning ourselves that our goals are not being reached, or that our breakthroughs are slow in coming, and just be thrilled at the idea of being held by our Daddy? I confess, it’s not always easy to come to be so. It is far more natural to get frustrated and in a lurch when our lives are not “going anywhere.” However, God is faithful. His Promises are “yes” and “amen” in Christ (ref. 2 Cor. 1:20); His plans are never thwarted (ref. Job. 42:2). The work He began in us will be completed (ref. Phil.1:6), but in His perfect timing…we can be confident of that.

Dear friend, if your life seems “on hold,” if you feel as though you’ve been “put aside,” and everyone else is moving forward with their dreams and goals and leaving you in the dust…don’t despair. You are not forgotten by God; in fact, you are nearer to Him than you realize, safe in His grasp even as we speak. Go ahead, adopt a “Darcē – like” “patience,” know that your life will move forward in time, your goals will be reached, and your purposes fulfilled; but for now, let it be enough to rest on your Daddy’s arm.