THE WORD: “Cast not away therefore your confidence, which has great recompense of reward. For you have need of patience, that, after you have done the will of God, you might receive the promise” (Hebrews 10:35-36).
THE POINT: When problems occur, how should we respond? We must first pray to God about it. Then, exercise faith in God to answer our prayers. Next, we should step out in faithful obedience as God leads us in response to our prayers. Finally, we should wait patiently upon our Lord to bring it to pass. Prayer, faith, obedience, and patience: this is the necessary progression in order to realize God’s provision.
Patience involves waiting. We must wait on the Lord by remaining steadfast in our dependency upon Him. We must not get in a hurry, become anxious or try to force the issue. For many people, waiting is the hardest part. But why is waiting so hard? Waiting is foreign to most of us. In modern culture we are accustomed to having it our way . . . right away.
But that’s not God’s way! God is sovereign; He reigns supreme! God will do what He wants, in His own time, and in His own way. Therefore, you must remain on God’s timetable, which means that waiting may be necessary. Waiting takes time, sometimes a long time. But remember: It’s God’s time, so it’s up to Him to decide how long. In the mean time, simply wait upon the Lord!
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THE APPLICATION: You might as well face it, waiting is a time consuming process. However, waiting is an integral part of faith. Therefore, after you have placed your confidence in the Lord to work in your life, you should wait patiently upon Him to do just that. Sometimes, when you pray for God’s provisions, He may lead you to take specific action steps.
Such action steps are actually steps of faith. They are described in these verses of Scripture as “doing the will of God.” This requires the obedience of faith on your part. Once you have done your part, you must still wait patiently upon the Lord to do His part. Faith waits patiently until God brings it to pass.
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God’s timing is perfect, and so are His provisions. Therefore, relax and wait patiently upon the Lord because He will most surely bring it to pass. And whatever God does, it will always be worth the wait! Patience is a virtue, but it also requires God’s grace to follow through. So, pray that God would grant you the grace to wait patiently upon Him.
THE PRAYER: “Oh my Lord, too often I have become impatient. I confess, that in my impatience, I have tried to make things work by my human efforts. As a result, I would inevitably fail. However, Your Word tells me that I should pray and then simply do Your will. Lord, cause me to step out boldly by faith as Your Spirit leads. Then grant me the grace to patiently wait upon You to bring it to pass.”
By Dr. Lewis Gregory/https://www.sourceministries.net/go/
The Power of Patience: Responding to Problems God’s Way
