Dear Family,
Today is Monday, May 9, 2022, Day 2 of Week 4. This is the 23rd Day in our Count to Pentecost.
A key element of patience is the ability to wait for God and His timing. Have you noticed how incredible God is at perfect timing? Over and over God shows us that He times events His way, not ours. Sometimes there are battles we must fight as we wait. And, sometimes it is simply a matter of holding on to trust and faith as the moments pass away until it finally becomes God’s time to act.
Just like faith, longsuffering/patience, and “waiting” are part of God’s divine nature, and He can give it to us as we ask Him and cooperate with Him. God has recorded many instances when His people had to exercise patience.
Romans 15:4-5 (4) For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope. (5) Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus:
We have many examples. We can just imagine that God may have had to grant Noah a tremendous amount of longsuffering/patience as he constructed the ark in the midst of criticism and ridicule.
He may have had to be patient for up to 120 years. Abraham waited many ears for the promised son. Like Job, many of God’s people are waiting in the grave until the resurrection (Job 14:14).
The Apostle Paul understood the need we have to wait patiently for God; and, he set out to pray for God’s people to be strengthened by God’s power until believers matured into it with joyfulness.
Colossians 1:10-11 (10) That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; (11) Strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness;
The Psalmist knew he had to wait for God’s timing to answer specific prayers (Psalm 40:1), and to take care of the wicked that prosper temporarily.
Psalms 37:7 Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for Him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.
Waiting on God’s timing may seem difficult as we are in the midst of the waiting, but acting ahead of God, doing things our way, or taking things into our own hands, is not wise (Proverbs 14:12). The Psalmist gives us the best advice. God knows what He is doing.
Psalm 27:13-14 (13) I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. (14) Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and He shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.
Ben Faulkner, Pastor
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