"Learning to be Patient"
School starts this week. I bet as soon as summer started you guys were saying, man I can hardly wait till school starts. Just 3 months away. Am I right? No? I bet some of you might say I would be happy to wait a little longer. Let’s talk about waiting. Patience.
31 But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint. Anyone have a garden at home? I heard the story of a woman who wanted a garden. More than anything. So she took a hoe and a rake and a shovel and she planted some seeds and the next day she watered them and the next day she watered again. On the 3rd day she went to see what was growing and there was nothing. She said I did all the right things. What was wrong? She didn’t know how to wait. Nothing ever grew in her garden.
A lot of us are like that. Occasionally I will see something advertised on TV that looks really great. You know the ads I am talking about. Something like, "Elvis' Greatest Hits on two CD's for only $19.95 plus shipping and handling. Call toll free! All major credit cards accepted!" I am reaching for my credit card and then they drop the bomb! At the bottom of the screen it says, "Allow 6-8 weeks for delivery!" No way! Put the credit card away. I can't wait 6-8 weeks. I want it now!
I'm afraid that we are much the same way with God. We pray and ask God to do something in our life and when we get up the next morning, we expect it to be done! If God hasn't come through in two or three days, we give up on Him. The Bible says that if we hope for what we do not have, we must wait for it patiently. It tells us not to worry about anything, but to make our requests to God in prayer with an attitude of thanksgiving in our heart. He will do what is best for us at just the right time! Let's pray and ask God to help us to be patient as he answers our prayers.
Dear God, give us patience to wait for you to do the things that we ask for in our lives. Help us to remember that you will do what is best for us when the time is right. School.
