Read Psalm 119:121-128.
Children are usually so excited about Christmas that they find it difficult to sleep in the days leading up to Christmas. Their excitement buoys them up, making them hyperactive, keeping them awake past their usual bedtimes, waking them up at ridiculously early hours on Christmas Day itself. They can literally be sick with excitement (I spent most Christmases as a child existing on custard because I was too excited to eat normally…)
There is a pleasurable nervousness to the anticipation children feel about Christmas, but all of us know the feelings of apprehension mingled with anticipation when we wait for something momentous. This can be very similar when we wait for God to move on our behalf: ‘my eyes fail, looking for Your salvation, looking for Your righteous promise.’ (Ps 119:123) We feel like we can’t stay awake any longer in anticipation! Waiting is tinged with anxiety. The child’s fear is that there will be no presents waiting on Christmas morning. Our fear is that we are somehow not worthy of God’s intervention or that for some reason He will not come through for us. The child is usually coerced into good behaviour by well-meaning but ill-advised threats that the presents are dependent on their behaviour; we too often feel that it is our righteousness that earns God’s favour, that by standing up for what is righteous and just (Ps 119:121), we somehow deserve God’s help.
God’s help comes because of His love and mercy, not because of our righteousness, however. (Ps 119:124) We throw ourselves daily on His grace and mercy. We can never earn God’s favour, but His mercy is freely given to all. The Message version of this verse says ‘let Your love dictate how You deal with me.’
God is not mean, fickle or capricious. He loves to say ‘yes’ (Ps 119:127-8, The Message; see also 2 Cor 1:18-20). He is a father who knows how to give good gifts to His children (Matt 7:9-12, Js 1:17). We can be assured of His goodness, even as we wait for Him to eradicate evil and punish those who break His laws (Ps 119:126-128). Waiting is never easy (Michael Card calls it ‘the most bitter lesson a believing heart has to learn’ in his song ‘Maranatha’), but as we ask God to ‘teach [us] from Your textbook of life’ (Ps 119:125, The Message), we have to learn the art of waiting patiently (Ps 130), putting our hope in God’s Word, for with Him is unfailing love and full redemption.