Learning to Wait in the Lord’s Quiet Strength

A Life Well-Lived: Honoring a Faithful Servant

(Psalm 37:7 - Finding Rest and Renewal in Life’s Hardest Seasons)

Scripture reference: – Psalm 37:7

"Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass."

Today has been a day of deep reflection and tender sorrow as I just returned home from the memorial service of a cherished friend and faithful brother in Christ - David. God blessed him with 82 years of life, and by His grace, David lived those years well - wholeheartedly and purposefully in service to the Lord.

Over the past year, I had the privilege of sitting by his bedside three times a week. Those visits became sacred moments - filled with rich conversations, shared laughter, and memories of days long past that we treasured together.

David was not only a dear friend; he was a man of rare devotion and humility. He spent the majority of his life as a servant-leader in the Kingdom of God, including his honorable military service as a U.S. Army Chaplain, where he achieved the rank of Major. David ministered to fellow soldiers for more than two decades, treasuring his years as one who provided strength, comfort, counsel and encouragement to those he served with.

David and his family served all over the US, later traveling and living in Germany where he built another chapter of his life. Yet it was in his retirement years that his servant’s heart shone brightest.

Rather than retreating into comfort or ease, David chose to invest the final chapter of his life in prison ministry, joining me regularly to visit a nearby facility. He met with incarcerated men, not as a distant minister, but as a brother - offering counsel, hope, and the enduring love of Christ. He also faithfully wrote letters to many of them, extending a personal touch that brought strength to weary hearts.

At his memorial, David was deeply honored. His two daughters delivered moving tributes—testimonies of a father who loved well, led faithfully, and left behind a legacy etched in their lives. They spoke of joyful memories and a life marked by integrity, devotion, and quiet strength. It was clear to all in attendance that David had truly delighted himself in the Lord, as Psalm 37 describes—and the Lord, in His mercy, granted him the desires of his heart. David was blessed with 56 years of marriage to his beloved MaryLee.

I know that many of the men David met behind prison walls now carry with them the hope that they, too, might finish their race with the same grace and steadfastness. They long to cross that final threshold and hear those blessed words from our Savior: “Well done, thou good and faithful servant; enter into the joy of thy Lord.” David lived in light of that promise. And now, by God's sovereign mercy, he has entered that rest.

David will be greatly missed—but his life continues to bear fruit. His example challenges us to live not for ease, but for impact; not for ourselves, but for the glory of Christ. Like the psalmist David whose name he bore, our brother delighted in the Lord all the days of his life—and in the end, the Lord delighted to bring him home.

A Psalm for the Weary and Worried

Psalm 37 is a beloved masterpiece from the heart of King David, written in his later years as a reflection of the faithfulness of God across a lifetime of trials, battles, betrayals, and triumphs. This psalm is not a desperate cry in the middle of suffering like many others; instead, it is calm counsel from a seasoned saint who has learned to trust in God’s justice, timing, and goodness.

David wrote this psalm with the wisdom of age, as a father instructs his children: “Fret not because of evildoers...” (v.1) — in essence, don’t let what you see make you forget what you know about God.

Psalm 37:7 is the culmination of several key commands in the opening verses: trust in the Lord, do good (v.3), delight in the Lord (v.4), commit your way to the Lord (v.5), and then — rest in Him and wait patiently. This is perhaps the hardest step of all.

For prisoners, this verse strikes deep. Life behind bars can be a place of noisy thoughts, bitter regrets, and seemingly endless waiting. But David’s words provide a kind of spiritual medicine. They remind us that our rest and hope are not in changed circumstances but in an unchanging Savior.

The Heart of Psalm 37:4 — Delight Before Desire

"Delight yourself in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart."

This famous verse is often misunderstood. It does not mean that if we act happy around God, He’ll give us whatever we want. No — it means that when we delight in God — when He becomes our treasure, our joy, our chief satisfaction — then He transforms our desires. Our hearts begin to long for what pleases Him. And God loves to satisfy those kinds of desires.

This is key preparation for verse 7. When you truly delight in God, waiting on Him becomes less burdensome. You begin to want what He wants — and you trust that He knows best when and how to fulfill His plans.

Psalm 37:7 — Resting and Waiting on the Lord

“Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him.”

Resting in God is not laziness. It’s a deep, confident stillness. The Hebrew word used here carries the idea of being silent and motionless — letting go of your attempts to fix or figure everything out. It means quieting your soul in the presence of God, resisting the urge to run ahead or lash out.

Waiting patiently isn’t passive. The Hebrew word chul (wait) also implies labor, trembling, even writhing — like a woman in childbirth. It’s the kind of waiting that groans with expectation. It’s painful, but purposeful.

We live in a world that moves fast, talks loud, and demands answers now. But God speaks through whispers, stillness, and time. Just as He did with Elijah (1 Kings 19:12), He often comes not in fire or wind but in a still, small voice.

And this is where many of us falter. Because waiting is one of the hardest things God asks of us.

The Hardest Command: Waiting on the Lord

Isaiah 40:31 says:

“But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”

Notice the promise: not only will God act, but He will renew. He gives strength while we wait. This is how waiting becomes worship.

Biblical waiting is active trust. It is choosing not to panic. Choosing not to manipulate outcomes. Choosing not to sin in the name of impatience.

From Abraham to Moses, from Joseph to Jesus, every great servant of God went through long periods of waiting. Joseph spent years in a prison cell before seeing God’s promise fulfilled. Moses waited 40 years in the wilderness before his true mission began. Jesus waited 30 years before beginning His ministry — and then waited in Gethsemane as His hour approached.

Waiting is a refining fire. It strips away our idols. It reveals our motives. And it teaches us that we are not in control — but God is.

A Word for the Incarcerated: Hope in the Holding Cell

For those in prison, the command to "rest and wait" can feel like a cruel joke. You’re already waiting — for letters, for freedom, for healing, for hope. But Psalm 37:7 isn’t about waiting for a parole date. It’s about waiting on God.

Prison can be the loudest place in the world, filled with yelling, distractions, and despair. But it can also be the most sacred space if you learn to hear God’s still, small voice.

When your world is reduced to a cell and a schedule, you have a precious opportunity — to slow down and seek the One who speaks peace into storms. You can practice what Psalm 46:10 commands: "Be still and know that I am God."

You can’t control your surroundings. But you can control your soul’s posture. And when you rest in God, you are freer than many people outside these walls.

God does not waste suffering. And He never wastes waiting. Every day in your sentence can be another day in your sanctification — if you’ll surrender it to Him.

Final Thought: Stand Still and See

David’s wisdom in Psalm 37 is not a cliché. It is a battle-tested truth. He learned, through betrayal, war, sin, and grief, that the safest and surest place for your soul is in the stillness of God’s presence.

Like Israel at the Red Sea (Exodus 14), like Jehoshaphat before the armies (2 Chron. 20), you are called to stand still and see the salvation of the Lord. Not because there’s nothing you can do — but because there’s nothing better you can do than trust and wait.

God will act. In His time. In His way. With more love and wisdom than you could ever imagine.

A Successful Finish To A Well Lived Life

Charles Spurgeon seemed to have a fitting quote for most things in life. His statement below was fitting for my friend David.

“If you could go to your grave with this for your epitaph—‘He trusted in the Lord’—your life would have been a grand success.”

This quote captures Spurgeon's deep emphasis on faith and resting in God, which fits powerfully with the theme of tonight’s Psalm 37 devotional. He often encouraged believers to value a legacy of faith over worldly success.

My friend David would have appreciated this from Spurgeon. "A good character is the best tombstone. Those who loved you and were helped by you will remember you when forget-me-nots have withered. Carve your name on hearts, not on marble." My friend, David, carved his name on many hearts, including mine.

Closing Prayer:

Heavenly Father,

Teach us to rest in You when the world around us is chaos. Help us to wait patiently for You when everything in us wants to rush ahead. Lord, we confess that we are not good at being still. We want quick answers and fast relief. But Your ways are higher than ours.

Strengthen every prisoner reading this today. In the silence of their hearts and the stillness of their cells, whisper peace. Let them know You see them, You love them, and You are working in ways they cannot see. Teach them to delight in You, to trust in You, and to wait with hope.

Thank You especially for the faithful example of my dear friend David. His life radiates quiet trust, patient endurance, and a deep delight in Your Word. In his waiting, You have made him strong. In his stillness, You made him wise. May every reader be inspired by such a life — a life shaped not by noise, but by nearness to You.

We believe Your promises. We believe that You will act. And we choose today to rest in You.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

From: Fight the Good Fight of Faith / Life Journal: By Gregg Harris