How many times have you received a letter announcing that you have qualified to join a club? Almost everybody classifies those letters as ‘junk mail’ and receives them more often than they would like. Every now and then, someone might look closely to see if it’s worth their time to read further but, most of the time, there’s nothing much to them.
Right now, at this moment, you are invited to join a club. It’s a club most people should be a member of. It’s called the ‘Patience Club’. Its slogan is, “Don’t quit until you win.” What is interesting, is that this club has been around for quite some time.
God’s Word Says To Trust Him
Even the Bible contains a lot of scriptures about being patient and not anxious, such as can be found in the Book of Philippians.
Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
Here in the Word of God, it is saying not to fret about life. Be patient. The Lord will carry out what He has promised but, it usually doesn’t occur right away. There is often a space of time that must be waited until the answer we’re believing for comes to fruition. But if we stay connected to God and patient, we will see the promise come to pass.
God Is Faithful
Human beings simply do not like to wait. It seems that we aren’t programmed that way naturally. We prefer the microwave over the oven when it comes to seeing change in our lives. The great thing about this is that it becomes the means in which we can gauge if we are walking in the spirit. If we’re rushed, anxious, fearful, or all of the above, we’re in a hurry. If we are moving that quick and fretting at every turn, that is not the place we want to be. But, if we hold fast to being patient, staying in faith, keeping our eyes on Jesus, and trusting God, His promises will come to pass in our lives.
Abraham Had To Wait
The duration of time that elapses before we finally see the answer is as varying as the number of stars in the heavens. Take God’s promise to Abraham that he would have a son, for example. In the Book of Genesis, we read that it took approximately 20 years (depending upon which source you read) for him to have a son. We can learn a lot from Abraham. He never gave into quitting. Despite the odds, he kept going. He kept believing God. He continued to declare what God said would happen and it did finally arrive. He is a significant member of the ‘Patience Club’.
Peter’s Answer Came Quickly
On the other end of the patience line, we find the Apostle Peter. One day, we find him allowing Jesus to teach from his boat because there was a big crowd on the shore. When Jesus finished, He instructed Peter in Luke 5:4 to go out in the boat where the Sea Of Galilee was deep to catch fish. Peter was a fisherman and catching fish was good for business. When he obeyed Jesus, he caught so much fish that it almost sank two boats.
Peter didn’t have to wait as long as Abraham for his miracle. It happened almost right away. For us today, the thing we are seeking God about could show up at our doorstep right away, or it might take some time in order to receive it. Regardless of the duration of the waiting, we must remain in faith and keep trusting God.
The Preacher In California
There is a story about a preacher from Texas who was ministering at a church in California. He made trusting God his top priority. He would pull his family in a travel trailer wherever he preached and usually spent at least a week or more at every destination where he spoke.
There was a time where he and his family only had enough food left for one more meal. The story goes that they ate that meal on a Saturday night. The next meal was on a Sunday night when the pastor of the church the Texas preacher spoke at took the whole family out after the evening service. After that meal, they had no more food left to eat.
The preacher instructed his family not to tell anyone about their situation. He was confident the Lord would provide without their interference. Everyone agreed, and they all put their patience to work.
Monday and Tuesday came and went without any food to eat. Wednesday morning arrived and the preacher left to minister at the church. His family stayed home as the children had to finish on their correspondence schoolwork. That afternoon, the preacher returned and lay down to rest after preaching all morning.
Suddenly, a vehicle pulled up and parked outside the travel trailer. A man jumped out and said that the Lord had instructed him to bring the preacher and his family some food since Monday, but he had fought the idea. He didn’t know why he felt moved to do so, and finally, it got so bad that he caved into what he felt in his heart and brought the food to the family. The most amazing part was that the man didn’t know that there wasn’t any food left. God was faithful, yet again.
Wait For Things To Line Up
As a local pastor of a church in Delta, BC, Canada, I’ve seen the Lord have to line people and situations up before the answers I sought came to pass. The biggest key is to be patient. Being patient comes down to making a decision that you trust God and will believe Him until what He promises manifests.
Continue to keep your faith in God. Never stop. Never quit believing. Watch your mouth and regardless of what you may think at times, speak positively. Believe God until you receive from Him. Make the ‘Patience Club’ the only club you join.
