THE POWER OF PATIENCE:PSALMS 40:1-3
OUTLINE
1.PROSPERITY
2.PEACE
3.PERSECUTION
4.PROMOTION
5.POWER
6.PROMISES
7.PERFECTION
THE MESSAGE
THE POWER OF PATIENCE
1.PROSPERITY
James 5:7
Patience leads us to prosperity. There is a time of waiting before we can receive the reward of our labour. A farmer sows the seed, ploughs the field and labours but he has to wait patiently till the time of harvest.If he is impatient and gives up he will lose his harvest.Many people miss prosperity and success in their life because they lose patience when their labour does not give immediate results.But patience will help us to reach the prosperity that is waiting for us if we continue to labour till the time of harvest.
2.PEACE
Psalms 37:7 Phillipians 4:6
Patience helps us to enjoy peace and happiness in our life.Every thing in life takes its own time.If we are impatient we will spend our life in restlessness, anger, resentment,worry,fear and anxiety.But patience helps us to live peacefully even when we have to wait .Many times our impatience and anger and anxiety does not speed up matters in any way.Therefore it is wise to be patient during the waiting period and enjoy peace and joy.
3.PERSECUTION
Luke 21:19 Romans 5:3 Romans 12:12 James 1:3 II Cor 6:4
Patience helps us to endure persecution and tribulation. We live in a world where God’s children are facing increasing persecution even from friends,family,neighbours,colleagues etc.The Lord wants us to be patient in tribulation. We should not retaliate in anger and vengeance.Patience helps us to endure persecution with love and peace.
4.PROMOTION
I Peter 5:6 Psalms 105:19
Patience helps us to receive the promotion that God gives us. When we are submitted in the mighty hand of God He will lift us up in due time. But if we are impatient and get out of His hand we will miss the promotion that God has in store for us. Joseph in the Old testament was patient in the midst of severe trials until the time came for God to lift him up.
5.POWER
Isaiah 40:31 Colossians 1:11
Patience helps us to receive the power of God. Those who wait on the Lord will renew their strength.Waiting on God requires patience. If we are impatient we will find it difficult to wait on God and thus fail to receive His power.A car which does not take time to fill itself with fuel cannot travel very far. Therefore a person who does not wait on God to receive power will not achieve anything of eternal value.
6.PROMISES
Hebrews 6:12,15 Hebrews 10:36
Patience helps us to inherit and enjoy the promises of God. Every promise of God has a time of fulfillment.Therefore we need faith and patience to see the fulfillment of God’s promises in our life. If we lack patience we will miss seeing the fulfilment of God’s promises.God’s promise to Abraham took many years to be fulfilled.Therefore patience helps us to wait and inherit the promises of God.
7.PERFECTION
Luke 8:15 Romans 2:7 James 1:7
Patience helps us to reach perfection and maturity.A tree needs time for it to grow to maturity and produce fruit. Similarly we cannot reach spiritual perfection overnight.We need patience to be fruitful christians and to grow into full maturity in our spiritual life. If we are impatient we cannot grow into maturity.Day by day we grow into the likeness of Christ and patience helps us to go through this process of growth and maturity.
