THE NEXT LEVEL. : PATIENCE
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
COMMENT: A pessimist sees a dark tunnel. An optimist sees the light at the end of the tunnel. A realist sees a freight train. The train engineer sees 3 idiots standing on the rail road tracks.
I HAVE A QUESTION: FOR WHAT ARE YOU WAITING? Sad is the person that is expecting nothing, for they shall receive exactly what they are expectly!
*PATIENCE: bearing pains and trials calmly without complaint, steadfast despite opposition-difficulty-or adversity, to be able and willing, able to not become annoyed when waiting for a long time, forbearance, to learn to deal with hard problems and difficult people. (My opinion: Every living person is difficult at times.)
I attended a church that was in revival when I was a little boy. There was an older pastor. Near the end of the service there was a standard line: ARE ALL MINDS AND HEARTS CLEAR? A lady gave a testimony and she was crying. She said: I have been praying for PATIENCE. Will you all agree with me that I have more patience? The next night the lady came in and she was crying and ran to the altar. When she had went home after work the next day there was a note on the table. Her husband had left her for her best friend. The Preacher just shook his head and he said: I knew something bad was going to happen when she asked prayer for patience.
Romans 5:3 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;
That night riding home my dad was so angry. Dad said: GOD WAS CALLING THAT LADY TO THE NEXT LEVEL OF FAITH. God was not punishing that lady for praying for patience. Dad said that had been going on a long time. Dad also said while many in the church saw patience and suffering by man’s visual field, GOD’S NEXT LEVEL OF FAITH WILL MOST CERTAINLY REQUIRE PATIENCE. Dad explained to me God was not punishing that lady for praying for patience… Dad said ETERNAL VALUES differ greatly from man’s distorted views.
Our human opinions and the eternal views of certain issues seldom agree. God’s value system is far above human understanding. God is calling us to grow to THE NEXT LEVEL OF FAITH.
THE NEXT LEVEL: ONE AREA GOD’S VALUE SYSYTEM VARIES SO GREATLY IS DEALING WITH SUFFERING AND AFFLICTIONS.
Isaiah contains many verses that are worthy to consider. One such verse is Isaiah 55: 8-9, maybe we should underline these two verses.
Isaiah 55:8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
In the light of eternity tribulation should give us the opportunity to find joy and that we should rejoice more than living in misery. Our suffering and afflictions should grow and stretch our faith to the next level. Storms, sufferings and trials teach us humility and patience. The next level brings us a calm assurance and trust in God’s faithfulness. What our enemy planned to destroy us will bring us to new hope and great peace.
Peace is not the absence of problems, peace is in fully trusting the unseen hands of God. These terrible times seem to bring us to doom and gloom in a solid state of hopelessness. HAS GOD ABANDONED ME? Life is but a journey where God is stretching our faith to new levels. GOD’S PLANS ARE HIGHER THAN YOUR THINKING. God sees the next level and He will pursue whatever it takes to get his children to THE NEXT LEVEL.
LET US SUBMIT TO GROW TO THE NEXT LEVEL, GOD’S THOUGHTS ARE HIGHER… THAN ANY LEVEL YOU SEEK…
I HAVE LEARNED SOMETIMES THE WORSE THING THAT COULD EVER HAPPEN TO ME, IS GOD’S PLAN TO BRING OUT THE BEST THING THAT COULD EVER HAPPEN.
2 Corinthians 4:17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;
In submitting to God’s NEXT LEVEL we come to a great and peaceful thought. God gave his only son to build the bridge of restoration and redemption to the hopeless. We must see life in the LIGHT OF ETERNITY to reach the NEXT LEVEL.
Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
HEY GOD I WANT YOU TO REMOVE MY PROBLEMS AND TRIALS… RIGHT NOW!…
THERE WAS A GREAT MAN OF GOD THAT SAW THINGS IN THE LIGHT OF HIS EDUCATION AND HUMAN REASONING… AS A MATTER OF FACT THE PREACHER’S UNDERSTANDING SAW THORNS AS BAD. GOD MUST BE PUNISHING ME…??? NO, PAUL, GOD IS CALLING YOU TO THE NEXT LEVEL OF FAITH AND PATIENCE.
Paul had some kind of trials, sufferings, tribulations that he saw in a negative light. Paul did not understand the NEXT LEVEL of faith was never achieved in floating down stream. Paul, Paul, God has allowed these thorns as a teaching TOOL OF PATIENCE. Paul was a great success as a minister, he was a great man of God in a season of testing.
2 Corinthians 12:7 And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. 8 For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. 9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
Paul never expressed what his thorns were, maybe so we all could identify our thorns with his thorns? These thorns were a pain and aggravation to Paul. God’s wisdom never removed the teaching tool of the thorns. Paul was hearing a deeper call: COME NEARER… I TAKE PLEASURE THAT GOD HAS TRUSTED ME IN THE PATH OF PATIENCE… PLEASURE IN TRIALS? Tears and hurt can DRIVE US TO OUR KNEES and we can find God.
My dear friend, maybe this sickness is calling you to the NEXT LEVEL? Maybe this diagnosis is growing your family? Maybe this funeral is a wakeup call?
THE NEXT LEVEL MAY CALL US TO THE CRUCIBLE. PATIENT ENDURANCE IS ONE OF THE GREATEST LESSONS WE CAN LEARN AND TEACH OTHERS?
*CRUCIBLE: a ceramic or metal container in which substances may be melted and molded again. A situation of severe trial leading to make something brand new, A NEW LEVEL.
God’s greatest lessons are LEARN IN THE CRUCIBLE OF TRIALS AND STORMS. We have to learn endurance. In these troubles I will learn to teach others, God can… God can handle this. We must learn faithfulness and thus we will step to the NEXT LEVEL. In patience we will find life. This is not an accident that we have come to the Red Sea? This is not an accident that we come to the swollen, flooded Jordan River? This is not an accident that God brought us to the strongest walled city of Jericho?
Luke 21:19 In your patience possess ye your souls.
Will you stand at your post of duty --- and wait patiently, expectantly? Seems I have waited and waited and waited on the Lord? STICK WITH IT MY FRIEND… QUITTERS ARE LOSERS.
Psalm 27:14 Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.
Psalm 40:1 I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.
CONCLUSION: Can you hear the whispering voice of God saying: COME, COME UP HERE TO THE NEXT LEVEL? Learn more than just waiting, learn to thrive and love the wait? This season of waiting is the stretching of your faith as God is building you to the NEXT LEVEL.
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
To really teach this lesson you must learn it for yourself. Never lose heart.
