Though it tarries, wait for
it… —Habakkuk 2:3
{CHAMBERS} “Patience is not the same as indifference; patience
conveys the idea of someone who is tremendously strong and able to withstand
all assaults. Having the vision of God is the source of patience because it
gives us God’s true and proper inspiration. Moses endured, not because of his
devotion to his principles of what was right, nor because of his sense of duty
to God, but because he had a vision of God. “…he endured as seeing Him who is invisible”
(Hebrews 11:27). A person who has the vision of God is not devoted to a cause
or to any particular issue— he is devoted to God Himself. […] “Though it
tarries, wait for it….” The proof that we have the vision is that we are
reaching out for more than we have already grasped. It is a bad thing to be
satisfied spiritually. The psalmist said, “What shall I render to the Lord…? I
will take up the cup of salvation…” (Psalm 116:12-13).”
{ELGIN} Patience is a reflection of faith. Willingness to wait on God, even when your
common sense tells you that you need to act … to do something on your own. Let’s look King Saul’s lack of patience and
what it cost him.
(1 Samuel 13:7-14) “Saul
remained at Gilgal, and all the troops with him were quaking with fear. He waited seven days, the time set by
Samuel; but Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and Saul’s men began to scatter. So
he said, “Bring me the burnt offering and the fellowship offerings.” And Saul
offered up the burnt offering. Just as he finished making the offering, Samuel
arrived, and Saul went out to greet him. “What have you done?” asked Samuel. Saul
replied, “When I saw that the men were
scattering, and that you did not come at the set time, and that the Philistines
were assembling at Mikmash, I thought, ‘Now the Philistines will come down
against me at Gilgal, and I have not sought the Lord’s favor.’ So I felt compelled to offer the burnt
offering.” “You have done a foolish thing,” Samuel said. “You have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you;
if you had, he would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time. But
now your kingdom will not endure…”
Patience is a fruit of the
Spirit. In other words, your ability to
demonstrate godly patience is a function of the depth of your faith and trust
in God. The Apostle James wrote “Count
it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know
that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. (James
1:2-3) Saul’s faith in God was tried
and tested and he was found wanting. His
choice to act on his own .. put himself in the place of God and the prophet …
cost him his kingdom. Has anyone ever “tried
your patience”? Normally means that you
are about to get angry about something or toward someone. The Bible is clear about how Christians are to
live and relate to others. But, we often
forget that the Bible assumes that you, Christian, are living by faith
submitted to the leading and power of the Spirit and you are not making the
mistake of trying to live the life of faith in your own strength and wisdom ..
Like King Saul.
(Proverbs 3:5-6) “Trust in the Lord with all of your heart, and do
not lean on your own understanding. In
all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your path.”
(Isaiah 40:31) “But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their
strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be
weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”
No comments:
Post a Comment