Are We Patient?
2 Peter 3:15 And remember, our Lord’s patience gives people time to be saved. The toughest assignment on our to-do list, the job we dread the most and save for last: IS……..(if you are like me)
*“Wait patiently on the Lord.” We’re soldiers! Prepping for battle, marching with comrades, attacking the enemy, and reclaiming lost ground is what we do. To sit and wait seems contrary to everything we believe and teach. But there it is again, “Wait on Me.” “Wait for what, Lord? My engine is revving! Let’s get going! I’ve got people to see, wisdom to dispense, lives to change. I’m built for action! C’mon Lord, let’s get going!” YET, time after time, He says, “Wait!”
*Abraham had to wait 25 years to fulfill a promise.
*God made Israel wait 400 years for a deliverer.
* Moses 40 years to be that deliverer.
*God required a dumbfounded and confused Job to wait in pain.
* God made Joseph wait in an Egyptian jail though he’d done nothing wrong.
*Each unscheduled halt had its OWN reason, though none of the participants knew it at the time. Waiting on the Lord is a required course in life’s ministry. And, only those who pass the test can truly succeed. • David passed—“I waited patiently for the Lord and He heard my cry.” • Solomon passed—“Wait for the Lord and He will deliver you.” • Isaiah passed—“Blessed are all those who wait on the Lord.” • Micah passed—“As for me, I will wait for God my Savior.”
**Waiting patiently on God is a tough assignment because His timing is rarely ours. But it’s still the assignment. One example to look at: The common root of God’s purposes in healing and non-healing is the VALUE of JESUS. In healing, it is Jesus’ WORTH that is put on display, and in non-healing it is his VALUE that sustains us through the hardship and difficulty. The one JESUS-who went to the CROSS to die, not for his own sin (he had none), but for OURS, is not only able to heal physically, but also able to heal our hearts to give us grace for enduring decades with the distress of disability. God has given us many wonderful promises— *To break every bond of sin, to empower us to defeat all dominion of sin,
*To give us a new heart,
*To cleanse and sanctify us, to conform us to the very image of Christ. His Word assures us, “Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy” (Jude 24). Yet God does all of these things for us only in his time, according to his divine schedule. PATIENCE!!!! He has no deadlines pushing him. And he ignores all demands for an instant cure-all. In short, true faith on our part demands that we patiently wait on our Lord. Our response to him should be, “Lord, I believe you’re true to your Word. And by the power of your Spirit within me, I’m going to wait Patiently until you bring these things to pass in my life.
**My part is to remain in faith, waiting on you.” We may endure awful trials and temptations. And we may hear horrendous lies whispered to us by Satan. At times, we may fail. In fact, we may wonder if we will ever reach the goal. But, as you’re enduring all these afflictions if you’ll simply hold onto faith with patience: —trusting God is at work, keeping his Word, being your Jehovah —God will look on you as righteous. He has sworn by oath, “By faith, you will receive the promise.” So my goal today is not to question God but simply to trust and obey…even if I don’t understand why and even if it’s hard to do. I will accept the way that I am made and the plans that He has set before me. Yes, I know I can take all my questions to the Lord and He will lovingly sift through them, but today I want to obey His commands in swift, willing obedience — just because He said so. 2 Corinthians 6:6 We prove ourselves by our purity, our understanding, our patience, our kindness, by the Holy Spirit within us, and by our sincere love. When God’s Agape Love flows through you, you are like a fountain, refilled and refreshed and overflow with His Love to others. “See that no one repays another with evil for evil, but always seek after that which is good for one another and for all men.” I Thessalonians 5:15 Galations 5:22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. Dear Lord, help me to show my love for You and others by knowing Your commands and obeying them. Give me the mind and attitude of Christ today and help me be that person who is patient and who says “yes” to You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.