Have Patience

When I think about waiting, I naturally get impatient. Maybe I am wired differently than most, but to me, waiting feels like suffering. When I feel anxiety creeping into my soul, I reach for a handful of Scripture verses that help me regain my focus. Waiting upon the Lord infers the action of waiting with anticipation. Did you catch that last word? If you didn’t, reread it. Anticipation is the opposite of anxiety. The prophet Isaiah amplified the idea that our strength is affected by choosing to wait out dark or difficult seasons.

God’s requests don’t always arrive neatly packaged. Sometimes, they get torn and shredded as they make their way to us.

Sometimes, we miss the victor’s circle because our competitive drive pushes us to keep pace with others. If we are not mindful, our efforts to be out front can sabotage our strength and deteriorate our emotional health. In a seemingly counterintuitive way, patience works to our advantage.

Reading through Scripture, we would be hard-pressed to find stories of faith that aren’t paired with patience. However, if someone’s story unravels, perseverance seems to be the common denominator in the faith equation. Let’s be honest; most things worth acquiring are not gained overnight. Men and women who ended up with supernatural blessings went the distance, waiting for divine promises to take shape. Moses spent four decades in the desert. Noah banged on boards for many years. Sarah cried over an empty cradle for decades before she became a mother at ninety years old. When we question when or if good things will play out in our lives, we must remember that God sees the post-production versions of our lives, not the raw cut. In his infinite wisdom, God asks us to use our faith on things that are firmly scheduled in our future.

What if God suddenly gave us the opportunity we have been training for? Would we hesitate, fumble around, and take an opinion poll, or would we go for the goal line? Is our faith mature enough for us to make decisions that could change the trajectory of our lives or influence nations? It takes great determination to lead others into the unknown. It takes a special kind of visionary to impart dreams to those with spiritual insomnia.