Wait patiently.

Learning patience is not easy. Yet, the Lord calls for us to cultivate this virtue. The world in which we live encourages impatience because in our bid for survival we are constantly rushing and there is not much time for waiting. Waiting patiently is certainly not the thing to do in this fast paced world. It is much more natural for us to hurry...hurrry...hurry.  We hurry through devotions. We hurry to work. We hurry to our doctor's appointment. We hurry to the supermarket and waiting in line is an awful bother.

Why does the Lord ask us to exercise patience? Could there be any important spiritual reasons for waiting? Think about it.  Firstly, waiting can refocus our attention away from things and back to God Himself.  There are so many times when our attention is riveted on the material things that we need rather than on God, the giver of all good gifts. In waiting on the needed article we are given the opportunity to rechannel our thoughts and to really focus on God rather than on the gift.

Secondly, waiting allows us to develop a clearer picture of our own motives and desires. As we wait we are given time to do some introspection. Do I really need this article or do I desire it just to keep up with my neighbours? Will I use this item to glorify Jesus or is it a means of self glorification? In this way waiting can be really beneficial to us.

Waiting also develops spiritual strengths such as perseverance, faith and trust. We learn to hold on to God's unchanging hands determining never to give up. We are able to trust that He will do what is best for us when it is best for us. We learn to live by faith since we may never know the reason why we have to wait.


Finally, my friends, waiting allows God to fill in the blank spaces. He completes the puzzle by putting down the other pieces of the bigger picture. Many times we wait with some degree of impatience in some line or other. We cannot understand why God would allow us to miss our bus and face the displeasure of our boss because we are late. It is only when we receive the news of the terrible accident in which the bus was involved that claimed many lives that the puzzle is complete...the blanks are filled in and we can see that our waiting was as a result of divine interposition by which our lives were saved.

Wait patiently, friends of mine, and remember always: Stop and Smell the Roses

Love,

Verne