Patience

Sometimes, doubt follows amazing victories. Has that ever happened to you? That’s what happened to Abraham. The great patriarch experienced a commanding victory…but then, doubt crept in.

Let’s think about the word “hope”—what does it mean? Some people hope it doesn’t rain, while others hope the rain comes soon. Some hope something goes away; others hope something shows up. Some people are hopeful. Some are hopeless. Some people find hope, while others lose it.

I know it’s easy to say—Do not be anxious about anything…. You know the verse well. Some of you memorized it as a child. You know the verse is true. You have experienced God’s peace. But today is different.

Okay, I admit it…I hate to wait. I hate to wait in the car for family members (I dare not mention names) who will be out in “just a minute.” I hate to wait in the mall for family members (I dare not mention names) who say, “It will take just a second” to go into a certain store and check on a certain item. I hate waiting for everyone to show up so a meeting can start…and sometimes I hate waiting until the meeting is over. It’s not that I don’t like people or family members…on the contrary…it’s just that I hate to wait. And…I admit it…I hate waiting on God.

“It’s the right thing to do,” Satan says. “And it’s the right time to do it.” God’s timing, his destination, and the way to get to the destination are always perfect, but Satan wants us to work in his time frame, follow his path, and get to his desired destination. His way always involves a shortcut from the road of obedience. That was the essence of the third temptation in the desert.

“Hatred stirs up strife,” the proverb says (Proverbs 10:12a). It’s true, isn’t it? When we dislike a person, we want to prove them wrong. If they say, “Up,” we say, “Down!” If they say, “Right,” we say, “Left!” If they say the sky is blue, we argue it is more like turquoise. Dislike for another person drives us to demonstrate animosity. However, there is a second part to the proverb. “Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all offenses” (Prov 10:12b). Peter paraphrases this proverb in our passage today.

We often think of our lives in periods of time. There were elementary, middle school, and high school years. We think of our college years and when we first started our careers. We think of life in terms of places we have lived, before and after marriage, before and after kids. There are high times—the birth of children and grandchildren.

What do you need to surrender to God, your Master?

God blesses those who wait for his will and his way to be revealed.