VIRTUE OF PATIENCE- Part II
Sunday 14th August 2022
If you are going to walk with the Lord, the walk of faith is a walk of patience.
Isaiah 51:1-2 “Listen to Me, you who follow after righteousness, You who seek the Lord: Look to the rock from which you were hewn, And to the hole of the pit from which you were dug. Look to Abraham your father, And to Sarah who bore you; For I called him alone, And blessed him and increased him.”
One of the formulas that determined Abraham's life was patience. God promised to give him a son but he had to wait for twenty five years while walking with God, he made mistakes but still came back. He was a man who knew what patience is.
How do you walk with God for twenty five years and He's doing everything else in your life except fulfilling the promise?
Time is the answer to most of the challenges we go through.
Romans 4:16-21 who, contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was spoken, “So shall your descendants be.” And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb.
There is a time in your walk with God when there will be no reason to hope. That's the dead season of life but keep hoping because the God who promised you will fulfill it (Galatians 3:9).
God is not in the system of frustrating businesses, marriages, careers etc but He wants to put systems in you that will help you handle where you are going. Trust the process.
Deuteronomy 8:2-3 And you shall remember that the LORD your God led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you and test you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not.
God permits you to suffer (go through wilderness) so that you can see some things in you and let Him deal with them not because of where you are but for where you are heading.
Everytime you are going through challenges, ask God what lesson He wants you to learn because life is in seasons. He will show you the end but not the gap between the promise and the fulfillment.
God does not transform you in isolation but brings you among people who will push you to the wall; looking for opportunities to make you a better person for where His taking you. But you need to be patient and trust the process.
James 1:2-4 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.
You are going to fall into various tests and trials but they will come not to destroy but push you to bring forth patience that you may inherit the promises (Hebrews 6:12).
Therefore if you don't count it as joy you will miss the lesson.
2 Timothy 3:12 Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.
Suffering is part of God's call for a believer. There is a shame that will come to you because you fear the Lord and you are holding on to His word but all those things will come that the testing of your faith produces patience (Acts 5:41).
You can't forego the process and that's why you need the virtue of patience. There are seasons defined by God for you to walk into the promises and no amount of crying, fasting, praying etc can change them. Don't cut corners, wait and be patient! (Job 14:14).
James 5:7-8 Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain. You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.
Purpose Of Tests
1. To Humble you -(Duetronomy 8:2)
2. To Produce Patience -(James 1:3)
3. To Work perfection -(James 1:4, Job 23:10)
4. To Reveal you to yourself - (Psalm 139:23-24, Psalms 26:2)
What do you do during seasns of waiting?
1. Weed the thoughts
