Patience
“The Lord is good to those who trust in him, to the one who seeks him. It is good to wait patiently for deliverance from the Lord.” Lamentations 3:25.26 (NET)
Patience has been a difficult thing for me to learn. God’s timeline is not always in synch with mine, and I often wonder when He is going to answer. I almost always think that He should answer before He actually does. He has never been late, but He has cut it close several times—at least according to my time schedule. In the verse above, we are told that “it is good to wait patiently for deliverance from the Lord.” I can’t argue with that because I believe in the inherent truth of the Bible. So I guess I’m not always “good,” but I think I can say confidently that I have a lot of company in being impatient with God. It is also “good” that God is a forgiving God. Psalm 103:8 says, “The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in live.” (NIV) I count on His compassion and grace very day. Lamentations 3:22,23 assures me, “Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” (NIV)
Thank God that He is patient even when I am not. When the Word says, “It is good to wait patiently for deliverance…,” the implication is that deliverance is coming. We just have to wait patiently. Three times in Psalm 37, the Psalmist says “fret not,” or “do not fret,” and the rest of the chapter gives us many good reasons why we should not fret.
What can I do when I lack patience? I can pray. God is right there hearing every word of our prayers, and He is ready, willing, and able to encourage us if we will take the time to listen for His voice, to wait for that feeling of peace that begins to rise in our souls. What else can I do when I am impatient? I can read His Word. It abounds with encouraging passages that inspire us to hold on. I can use Habakkuk’s words in Habakkuk 2:3; “But these things I plan won’t happen right away. Slowly, steadily, surely, the time approaches when the vision will be fulfilled. If it seems slow, do not despair, for these things will surely come to pass. Just be patient! They will not be overdue a single day!” (Living Prophecies) If this is a word of encouragement to Habakkuk during a time of turmoil in Judah, can it not be an encouragement for me? Psalm 34:9 tells us, “Fear the Lord, you his holy people, for those who fear him lack nothing.” (NIV)
So the truth to be learned is, “Fret not,” or “ Be patient,” or “Trust me.” I have to work on patience, but with God’s help I will become a patient man while waiting for God, for His mercies are new each morning.
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