Patience – 9.26.09

Hebrews 10:36 For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.

That verse is for me. I don't know about you, but I have need of patience.

Patience is one of those things that people want – but don't want to go through the necessary process in order to get it…because the Bible says that acquiring patience involves the trying of one's faith (James 1:2-3). The recipe for patience includes the bitter ingredient of tribulation (Romans 5:3-5).

Here's how it often works. We get saved, or we get on fire for God. We start to read the Bible. We dig even deeper and start to study the Bible. We listen to preaching and hang on every word. We memorize scriptures. We go out and witness. We surrender our lives to the will of God.

It's at this point that many then begin to search for "God's will for their life." That's admirable – but there's a better way. You see, God's will is clearly revealed in God's word (see Ephesians 1:9; Ephesians 5:17), and those who spend their time SEARCHING for the will of God would be much better off busying themselves in DOING the will of God. Because when you do the will of God, you'll find IN TIME that He always comes through on His promise.

If you trust in Him with all your heart and lean not to your own understanding and acknowledge Him in all His ways and fear the Lord and depart from evil, He WILL direct your path (Proverbs 3:5-7)! He'll use you, He'll bless you, He'll guide you, He'll provide for you.

If you need a spouse, He'll give you a spouse (Matthew 6:33). If you're ready for a ministry, He'll put you in the ministry (2 Timothy 1:12). Just do everything you know to do and WAIT on God to do what He said He would.

And there's the problem. We want God to work on our timetable. But God's timetable is better, and He wants to teach us to work on His (the trying of your FAITH – James 1:2). And the only way for us to obtain patience is to wade through this river called "TIME" that separates doing the will of God from receiving His promise.

So when you find yourself in one of those necessary waiting periods of life (of which there are many), don't be discouraged. Just do God's will. Believe His word. Trust His plan (2 Samuel 22:31). And wait to reap the desired result.

You can't get spiritual maturity and fruitfulness without patience (James 1:4; 2 Peter 1:5-8; Luke 8:15), and you can't get patience without trying and testing (James 1:2-3; Romans 5:3-5). So count it all joy, and keep your eyes fixed on the prize (Hebrews 10:35; Philippians 3:13-14).