The Need For Patience Ps. 40:1 CLICK TITLE FOR AUDIO

Patience is not something with which we come naturally equipped.  But it something that we all need.

You need:

Patience in your prayers – Ps 40:1 – sometimes the Lord answers our prayers quickly.  We get spoiled by his care and concern for us.  I was really awed by the Lord’s constant concern with the most trivial details of our trip.  However, there are some things for which we pray that we must wait years to see answered.  We’re prying to the same God, he hears with the same ears, he has the same power to answer.  But you may have to wait a long time for his answers. Prayers for our children take years to answer.  Prayers for the lost take years to answer.  Prayers for the unfolding of the plan of God in your marriage, job, residence, etc. take years to answer. If you have no patience, you’ll quit praying before God answers.

Patience in your fruitfulness – Lk 8:15 – fruitfulness in God’s building and vineyard requires a good foundation upon which to build and a deep root from which to yield fruit.  These take time.  Many have burned out like a bottle rocket.  Many are impatient and split churches because they think they are ready now to be the pastor.  If you have no patience, you’ll quit growing before the real fruit production begins [our fruit trees].

Patience in your learning – Rom 15:4 – it’s one thing to accumulate a working knowledge of the words of God, like we did in Bible college.  It’s another thing to learn the patience and comfort of the scriptures till they give you hope.  This comes from living through some things and being comforted by the scriptures when all your circumstances around you look hopeless.  Rahab had good reason to be hopeless.  Naomi had good reason to be hopeless.  Esther had good reason to be hopeless.  But in each case, time revealed the hand of God in their circumstances.  Rahab was spared and he son was in the line of Christ.  Naomi’s grandson was in the line of Christ. If you have no patience, you’ll quit learning before you have learned.

Patience in your race – Heb 12:1-2 – your race is laid out for you all the way to the finish.  You are going to be tempted from time to time to quit your race.  Your sin can stop you.  It takes time to deal with some of our sins.  Your weight can slow you down.  It takes time to learn what’s slowing you down and how to deal with it.  You have an adversary who will try to stop you completely.  It takes time to learn his devices and your weaknesses and how he trips you up. He wants you to fall down and stay down.  Failure is not in falling down.  Failure is in not getting back up.  If you have no patience, you’ll quit before you finish your race.

Patience in your suffering – 1 Pet 2:19-20 – if you live for Jesus you are going to suffer wrongfully.  You are going to be persecuted, maligned, and troubled.  You have to patiently go through this suffering.  You must take it.  This is acceptable with God.  If you have no patience, you’ll stop living for Jesus to relieve the suffering.

Conclusion: You can try to rush the work of God in your life and end up quitting or mad at God.   Wait on the Lord.  He is listening to your prayers, he wants you to be fruitful, he needs time to teach you how his word applies to your life, he wants you to finish your race, and he is pleased when you endure suffering the way his Son did.  Be patient.