Fruit of the Spirit - Patience

I confess. The message of waiting patiently and quietly on the Lord is a difficult one for me.   In reality, I am not sure who is waiting on whom?  We are waiting on God, but is he also waiting on us to demonstrate our faith and trust first?  Must we learn something before our patience and prayers are answered?

When most of us think of being patient, it means not getting upset while we wait in line at the grocery store, or for a table at the restaurant, or in traffic, or for a pay increase or promotion at work. For the most part, this is the small stuff.  When I think of patience in the biblical sense, I think of facing trials, losses and problems as we wait for God to provide us with what we need to live out his purpose and plan. I know, that sounds sort of mushy, but there are numerous examples in the bible that illustrate how He works.

Abraham, Joseph, Job, Daniel, David and Jesus to name a few.  God promised Abraham that he would be the Father of many nations. It wasn't until he was 100 years old and Sarah was 90 years old the God gave them their son Isaac.  Talk about a long wait!    

 1⁴ “I will certainly bless you, and I will multiply your descendants beyond number.” ¹⁵ Then Abraham waited patiently, and he received what God had promised.  Hebrews 6:14-15 (NLT)

God promised Joseph in a dream that he would one day be a great ruler.  His brothers were jealous of him and sold him into slavery.  Joseph endured much during the time he waited, including prison time. Eventually he became a great ruler of his land. 

Maybe none of us are destined to such lofty places, but all of us are here for a purpose.  God created us for his purpose, not ours.  He decides, what, when, where and how. He knows what He is doing. That does not mean that we sit around and do nothing.  We must keep working toward our goals, keep praying for guidance and God will deliver each of us to the right place.  In the meantime we must wait patiently, quietly and without complaint.  

Patience takes courage, hope and unquestioning trust in God. In the beautiful words of David:

1. "I waited patiently for the Lord to help me, and he turned to me and heard my cry. 2. He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire. He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along. 3. He has given me a new song to sing, hymn of praise to our God.  Many will see what he has done and be amazed.  They will put their trust in the Lord"   Psalms 40:1-3 (NLT)

Dear God, 

I wait patiently, quietly and without complaint for your guidance and trust that your hand is working to bring all things together for good in my life.   Amen.